RoboRide self-driving taxi service launched in Seoul. Its first passenger was the mayor of the city, Oh Se-hoon. This was reported by the press service of Hyundai.

It is Hyundai, together with the startup Jin Mobility, that is the organizer of the taxi service. Passengers will be transported by Hyundai Ioniq 5 unmanned electric vehicles. At first, there will be two of them, but over time, their number will increase.

Electric cars are equipped with a level 4 autopilot, that is, they can move completely independently. However, there will be a driver-operator in the cabin – in an extreme situation, he will be able to take control. The RoboRide service has already received all the necessary permissions.

It will be possible to order a RoboRide taxi through a special mobile application. Hyundai Ioniq 5 will be able to take up to three passengers.

Unmanned Hyundai Ioniq 5 will run in the central area of ​​Gangnam (that’s what the famous song Gangnam style is about). Since the traffic there is quite heavy, RoboRide taxis will operate from 10.00 to 16.00 and their operation during peak hours is not yet planned.

Of course, RoboRide is a pilot project, like similar autonomous taxi services in other countries. It will allow not only to “run in” the autopilot in real conditions, but also to test the system of interaction of unmanned vehicles with “smart” traffic lights and other innovative infrastructure of modern cities.