Hyundai Motor partners with Socar, Apex Mobility to advance autonomous driving

Hyundai Motor Co. said Friday it will partner with car-sharing service provider Socar Inc. and its autonomous driving joint venture, Apex Mobility, to advance autonomous driving technology through the collection of real-world driving data.

Hyundai Motor signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the two companies to cooperate on the development of autonomous driving vehicle platforms and the collection of driving data in South Korea.

Under the agreement, Hyundai Motor will supply vehicles and its DevKit, a development system that allows autonomous driving technology to be integrated into vehicles, to Socar and Apex Mobility.

Apex Mobility was established in May by Socar and gaming company Krafton. The mobility startup focuses on collecting and processing real-world driving data for artificial intelligence (AI) training, with plans to eventually launch commercial robotaxi and autonomous bus services.

The three companies will collect and analyze data on South Korea's road and traffic conditions to develop autonomous driving technology tailored to local driving conditions, according to Hyundai Motor.