Autonomous A2Z reaches 101 permitted autonomous vehicles in South Korea

Autonomous A2Z has surpassed 100 temporary operating permits for autonomous vehicles in South Korea, taking its permitted fleet to 101 after securing additional approvals in October. The milestone gives the company vehicles cleared for public-road testing and research across a broad range of operating environments.

South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport issues the permits, which require each vehicle to meet safety standards. Identical vehicle models must be licensed individually. The process is intended to test automated-driving safety and performance in real traffic while gathering driving data.

The company first received a temporary permit in 2018. In June 2020, it received South Korea's 100th such permit overall, an earlier national milestone marked by the ministry with a permit certificate.

Of the 101 currently permitted vehicles, 14 use Autonomous A2Z's self-developed Level 4 unmanned platform, ROii. The other 87 are converted vehicles. Seventeen of the vehicles are owned or operated by public institutions, companies, universities and research bodies, for which the company installs autonomous-driving systems and obtains permits.

Sejong has the largest share of the fleet, with 26 vehicles, followed by Daegu with 13 and Anyang with 12. Autonomous A2Z has also deployed vehicles in Seoul, Goyang, Gwangju, Busan, Ulsan, Pangyo, Hwaseong and Haenam.

The company said it has tested in urban districts, on arterial roads and bus rapid transit systems, including late-night and early-morning operations, and has run public autonomous-driving services. Its cumulative autonomous-driving distance in South Korea and abroad has reached 1.15 million kilometers, with public-road data being used to develop and assess its Level 4 technology.

Chief executive Han Jihyeong said the 100-vehicle threshold reflected accumulated experience across varied regions and road conditions rather than simply a larger vehicle count. He said the company would focus on hybrid end-to-end autonomous-driving technology to improve safety and performance.

Autonomous A2Z has entered Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Japan, where it was conducting or preparing local trials. It also plans to expand domestic test areas and services, seek overseas trial and commercial opportunities, and pursue the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Gwangju Autonomous Driving Demonstration City Development Project later this year.

Gwangju was designated in April as South Korea's first citywide self-driving pilot zone. Autonomous A2Z was selected alongside Hyundai Motor and RideFlux for the city’s end-to-end autonomous-driving programme, in which it is to use its driverless Roii shuttle to support the transition to autonomous public transport.