Hyundai Motor to Launch Level 2+ Autonomous Vehicles in 2028, Develops Own Battery Cells

Hyundai Motor announced ambitious plans to integrate Level 2+ autonomous driving technology into its mass-produced vehicles starting in 2028, marking a significant step in its transition to software-defined vehicles (SDVs). The company also revealed its goal to achieve global sales of 5.5 million units by 2030, aiming to overcome the intensifying competition from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers.

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We don't need to rely on external parties for the future.

At its '2026 CEO Investor Day' event, Hyundai detailed its strategy to implement Level 2+ autonomous driving features in its first SDV production models in 2028, developed in collaboration with Nvidia. This upgrade will enhance current advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), enabling features like automatic lane changes without driver intervention. While acknowledging that companies like Tesla are already operating Level 2++ vehicles in some markets, Hyundai projects it can surpass competitors in cumulative data volume by 2033.

Park Min-woo, head of Hyundai's Advanced Vehicle Platform division and CEO of Motional, emphasized the company's vast sales network and global reach. He stated that with the planned operation of the Saemangeum AI data center starting in 2029, Hyundai will internalize the entire process of collecting, learning, and distributing data acquired worldwide. This will create a virtuous cycle, known as a 'data flywheel,' where large-scale real-world driving data from 2028 onwards will continuously enhance Hyundai's autonomous driving AI solution, 'Artria AI.' This data will also be utilized in manufacturing and robotics.

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The most important thing is to provide customers with a safe and reliable experience.

Hyundai aims to build a comprehensive autonomous driving lineup, covering levels from 2+ to 4. This strategy aligns with industry analyses suggesting a potential shift in the realistic goals for passenger car autonomy from Level 3 to advanced ADAS (Level 2+) due to development costs. Park stressed that the primary focus remains on providing customers with safe and reliable experiences.

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The battery has the same energy density as the battery used in the Ioniq electric vehicle, but its output is twice as high, and the charging speed can be reduced by more than 40%.

In addition to autonomous driving, Hyundai is pushing for independent development of high-performance battery cells. Starting next year, electric vehicles will feature internally developed, cost-reduced ternary (NCM) mid-nickel batteries. These batteries offer about 30% more energy capacity than Chinese lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries of similar volume. Hyundai has also succeeded in developing compact, high-output battery cells that halve the size of existing high-nickel batteries while doubling output and significantly reducing charging time. These cells will be used in the extended-range electric Genesis model planned for early next year. The company also reaffirmed its commitment to launching over 100 new and derivative models across global markets by 2030.

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Despite intensifying competition from Chinese cars, the fundamentals of our core automotive business are stronger than ever.