Like other automakers, Kia is first focusing on a system that will handle driving tasks while cruising on highways. Combining existing adaptive cruise control and lane-holding technology, the Highway Driving Assist (HDA) feature will keep a car in its lane and perform overtaking maneuvers while adhering to local speed limits.
Other technologies under development will focus on taking pressure off drivers in congested traffic, or handling parking maneuvers for parallel or perpendicular spaces. Like Tesla, Kia promises the self-parking system will be capable of operating via a key fob while the driver is standing outside the vehicle.
Looking further down the road, Kia expects to bring its first fully-autonomous vehicle to market by 2030. The company cautions that such vehicles require significant work, particularly in areas of vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure and “vehicle-to-everything” (V2X) communication.
“Fully-autonomous vehicles are still some way off, and a great deal of research and rigorous product testing will need to be carried out to make the ‘self-driving car’ a reality,” said Hyundai Motor Group’s VP of advanced research, Tae-Won Lim. “Kia is still in the early stages of developing its own technologies, and we are confident that the latest innovations – both partially and fully autonomous – will ultimately make driving safer for everyone.”
Most automakers have voiced similar launch windows for semi- and fully-autonomous vehicles, though some companies, such as Tesla and Nissan, are working toward a more ambitious target.
Image by Brian Williams.
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