Video: Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxi passes US driver’s licence test

Hyundai Motor’s new campaign film shows the Ioniq 5 robotaxi successfully completing a process similar to an actual US driver’s licence test.

Based on Hyundai’s ‘Progress for Humanity’ vision, the film also conveys values of inclusivity, says the company, adding its artificial intelligence (AI) based autonomous driving technology – powered by Motional – is expected to bring positive change to the everyday lives of the brand’s customers.

Created to convey the safety and trustworthiness of the Ioniq 5 robotaxi’s autonomous technology, the video features the autonomous vehicle (AV) completing a series of public-level driving tests, including road driving in Las Vegas.

“This achievement underscores the Ioniq 5 robotaxi’s reliability as well as the inclusivity of its AV technology, highlighting its potential to safely provide freedom of mobility to all,” says Hyundai.

 The film starts with an interview with Pearl Outlaw, a visually impaired American woman, and her mother, Ruth.

Pearl Outlaw faces mobility limitations due to her condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa which hinders her from obtaining a driver’s licence.

Her story highlights everyday mobility challenges for the physically impaired, emphasising the significance of autonomous driving technology in providing independence, says Hyundai, adding the robotaxi promises to fulfill her dream of independent mobility while offering the freedom to explore without reliance on others.

The examiner who tested the Ioniq 5 robotaxi., Kandice Jones, says she is a DMV certified driving examiner with 25 years’ experience.

“In that time, I’ve failed thousands and thousands of students in the interest of public safety,” she says.

Jones says the robotaxi test used the same criteria as testing a human, including speed monitoring, lane changes and grading manoeuvres such as making a complete stop, left turns, maintaining the lane, and reaction time.

The Ioniq 5 robotaxi excelled in the driving test, impressing Jones with its speed control, lane changes and manoeuvring, its ability to accurately stop at a stop sign, perform left turns, and its reaction time to developing hazards.

Hyundai says that’s thanks to the robotaxi’s suite of advanced sensors, combining lidar, radar and cameras.

“As a company that pursues freedom of mobility, we at Hyundai aim to exhibit the safety and trustworthiness of the IONIQ 5 robotaxi through this campaign,” says Hyundai Motor Company senior vice president and global chief marketing officer Sungwon Jee.

“We will continue our efforts to communicate our AI-based autonomous driving technology, which is set to provide positive changes to our customers’ everyday lives.”