Science & Tech · Gadgets & EVs · 1 hr ago
Hyundai, Kia to Test Level 4 Self-Driving Trucks on 500 km of Routes
Hyundai and Kia will test two Level 4 self-driving trucks on logistics routes in South Korea through the end of next year.
The trucks will be an Xcient hydrogen-electric model and an Xcient, which the companies plan to provide early next year.
The trial will cover about 500 kilometres across two routes: one combining highways and urban roads, and one mainly on highways.
Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Glovis will support operations on existing freight routes, while software companies Mars Auto and RideFlux will install the driving systems.
Level 4 means the system can handle emergencies without a driver on board, according to South Korea’s transport ministry.
The companies will use trial data to improve vehicle controls and backup safety systems, which can take over if some systems fail.
They say this work will help build the technical basis for bringing autonomous heavy trucks into commercial use.
Hyundai and Kia will test Level 4 autonomous trucks on two logistics routes totaling about 500 km.
The test will use two trucks, an Xcient hydrogen-electric truck and an Xcient truck, and is planned to run until the end of next year.
The routes will include a roughly 100 km mix of highway and urban roads and a roughly 400 km route focused on highways.
Mando? No: Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Glovis will support operations using existing logistics routes, while Mars Auto and RideFlux will install autonomous driving systems.
The companies aim to use data from the test to improve vehicle control and safety-redundancy technology ahead of commercial use.
- Who
- Hyundai and Kia, working with Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Glovis, Mars Auto and RideFlux.
- What
- They will test Level 4 autonomous trucks on two logistics routes totaling about 500 km.
- When
- The agreement was announced on October 20, 2026. The test is planned to run until the end of next year.
- Where
- The agreement was signed at the Namyang Research and Development Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province; the test will use existing logistics routes.
- Why
- To verify vehicle-control and autonomous-system performance and gather data for future commercialization.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Hyundai and Kia announced that they had signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Glovis, Mars Auto and RideFlux.
Hyundai and Kia plan to provide two trucks for the test, according to Yonhap.
The companies plan to run tests on two routes totaling about 500 km.
- Test vehicles
- Two: one Xcient hydrogen-electric truck and one Xcient truck
- Route total
- About 500 km
- Mixed route
- About 100 km of highway and urban roads
- Long-distance route
- About 400 km, mainly highways
- Autonomous software partners
- Mars Auto and RideFlux
What people are saying
Through this cooperation, we will secure vehicle control technology and operational data needed in real logistics environments and gradually establish the technological foundation for commercializing Level 4 autonomous heavy trucks.
Autonomous trucks are a key future mobility solution that can improve the safety and efficiency of logistics transportation.