Hyundai Motor Group will delay the launch of vehicles equipped with its self-developed driver-assistance software to the end of 2029, two years later than originally planned, according to a Reuters report carried by Chinese automotive outlet Gasgoo and republished by D1EV. In the interim, the South Korean automaker will partner with U.S. chipmaker Nvidia to accelerate the rollout of the systems.
A Hyundai executive said the company will work with Nvidia to launch "Level 2+" and "Level 2++" advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in 2028. Level 2+ generally refers to enhanced highway-focused assistance, while Level 2++ can handle more complex urban conditions, approaching the capability of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. Both levels still require the driver to monitor the vehicle at all times.
The strategic shift highlights challenges Hyundai has faced in its in-house autonomous-driving software project, which had been slated to go live at the end of 2027. It also raises concerns that Hyundai's dependence on Nvidia is deepening, and that the automaker could fall further behind Tesla and Chinese rivals in the race to commercialize autonomous driving.
Partnership, not dependency
Hyundai Motor Group President Park Min-woo, who joined the company in January after previously working at Nvidia, said at a media briefing that the collaboration does not mean handing over the company's fate. "Our partnership with Nvidia involves co-designing the technology and using the data generated by the system to train and refine our self-developed software platform, Atria," he said.
Park's approach marks a clear departure from his predecessor Song Chang-hyeon, who had pushed aggressively for software self-development before abruptly leaving in December. Under the new strategy, Hyundai vehicles equipped with Nvidia's Hyperion 10 platform will initially drop costly lidar sensors, relying instead on cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radar for perception.
However, Hyundai is considering equipping Level 3 autonomous systems with lidar. Level 3 systems allow hands-off driving in specific scenarios. "To truly ensure safety, sensor redundancy is critical: if one sensor fails, the remaining sensors must be able to keep the vehicle safe," Park said, though he did not provide a commercialization timeline for Level 3.
Data advantage
Park noted that Hyundai and its affiliate Kia together form the world's third-largest automaker, selling more than 7 million vehicles annually. The two companies plan to leverage their massive global fleet to collect data for training autonomous-driving technology. Hyundai expects its accumulated driving data to surpass competitors by 2033.
Hyundai Motor Group is expanding its partnership with Nvidia to cover autonomous driving, AI data centers, and the humanoid robot business of its subsidiary Boston Dynamics.
