Hyundai truck platooning tests autonomous technology

Hyundai Motor Company has conducted its first platooning of trucks to replicate real-world traffic conditions.

The testing took place with two trailer-connected Xcient trucks on the 7.7km Yeoju Smart Highway, established by the South Korean government for the development of autonomous driving technology.

The highway is constantly populated by vehicles for autonomous driving research and replicates the conditions of an actual highway.

The demonstration was carried out at 60km/h to highlight vehicle platooning, vehicle response to other traffic, simultaneous emergency braking, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

It’s part of a project initiated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) which has been working to support efforts for autonomous technology since 2018.

Along with Hyundai Motor Company, the national project involved government, corporations, and academia.

Vehicle platooning has the benefit of reducing air resistance to improve fuel efficiency and lower emissions, making it an eco-friendly technology.

It begins when the driver of the following truck approaches the leading vehicle and activates platooning mode.

The truck maintains a 16.7m distance, with real-time fine tuning based on the leading vehicle’s acceleration and deceleration. The driver does not need to apply the accelerator or brakes.

The mode also activates lane keeping technology which makes it possible to take hands off the steering wheel.

With platooning, other vehicles cutting in and out between trucks can be managed. If a vehicle cuts between the platooning trucks, the following truck automatically extends the gap to minimum of 25m.

When a leading truck makes a sudden emergency stop, the following truck is able to decelerate and stop.

Real-time frontal video sharing was enabled by the vehicle-to-vehicle technology displaying videos from the leading vehicle. It enables the following driver to see the road ahead, solving limitations of forward vision for trailing drivers.

In August 2018, Hyundai Motor, in partnership with Hyundai Glovis, completed South Korea’s first domestic highway journey with an autonomously navigated truck for approximately 40km on the highway between Uiwang and Incheon.

The Hyundai Xcient is 40-ton truck sold across the globe. Hyundai is also spearheading eco-friendly movement in the commercial vehicles sector with the Xcient Fuel Cell truck unveiled last September. The company plans to deliver 1,600 vehicles to Switzerland by 2025.