South Korea backs self-driving cars

The South Korean government is supporting the country's domestic manufacturers in their plans for an autonomous future.

By October, the first stage of a new proving ground for Hyundai, Kia and other stakeholders, will be up and running, according to web publication BusinessKorea.co.kr.

That first stage of the simulated driving environment – named 'K-City' – will consist of expressways (freeways), with lower-speed urban zones to follow with the second stage to be opened in the first half of next year.

Measuring 360,000 square metres, the facility, when it's complete, will be more than three times the size of Ford's MCity and the Korean government claims K-City will be the largest facility of its kind anywhere in the world. K-City's test conditions will be a safe environment to conduct repeatable tests under the same or different operating parameters.

Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure & Transport is spending 11 billion won (AU$13.2 million) to develop the site. Since November last year autonomous cars have been permitted to undergo testing on South Korean roads, but K-City has the potential to expand considerably the level of testing undertaken by the Korean manufacturers.

The writer of the article calls for the Ministry to open up K-City for other users, not just Hyundai and Kia. K-City is a potential resource to supply useful data to insurers and urban planners, as well as automotive technology start-ups with an interest in V2X (Vehicle-to-anything') communications.