Seoul And Hyundai Set To Begin Testing Self-Driving Cars On City Roads

South Korean automaker Hyundai has signed a deal with the city of Seoul, South Korea, to begin a pilot program to test autonomous vehicles on city streets beginning in December of this year.

Hyundai and Seoul, South Korea, to begin testing of autonomous vehicles on city streets by year's end

BusinessKorea is reporting this week that Hyundai Motor Group and the city of Seoul, South Korea have signed a memorandum of understanding that will begin a pilot program to test autonomous vehicles on the city's streets, starting in December.

RELATED: NEW VIDEO SHOWS TESLA'S FULL SELF-DRIVING TECHNOLOGY AT WORK

According to the agreement, the city is to provide traffic signaling and road infrastructures necessary for autonomous vehicles to navigate city streets while Hyundai will test 6 autonomous, hydrogen-electric cars as soon as next month. The pilot program will expand to include at least 15 autonomous cars in the year 2021.

The program will be initially restricted to 23 roads in the Gangnam district of the city and the city will provide updated traffic information and other data to the vehicles through the city's mobile communications network approximately once every 0.1 seconds. Hyundai's autonomous vehicles will then use that information to safely navigate the city's downtown area.

The two hope to expand this system to other interested parties in order to further develop the technology through collaboration. Together, Hyundai and Seoul are hoping to have a fully-operable self-driving infrastructure in place throughout downtown Seoul by 2024.