Korea Automotive Research Institute 'Current Status of Regulatory Response for Commercialization of Autonomous Driving Level 3'
[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] As mass production and commercialization of Level 3 autonomous vehicles are becoming a reality, an analysis suggests that mid- to long-term strategies for the commercialization of Level 4 autonomous driving should begin to be prepared.
According to the "Current Status of Regulatory Response for Commercialization of Level 3 Autonomous Driving" published by the Korea Automotive Technology Institute on the 2nd, commercialization of Level 3 autonomous vehicles is accelerating, centered on major global automakers. Level 3 requires driver intervention only when the system requests it, belonging to "partial autonomous driving," where the autonomous driving system holds driving responsibility.
Honda launched the Legend equipped with Level 3 functionality last March, and Mercedes-Benz plans to mass-produce the S-Class with this feature within the year. Hyundai Motor Group also plans to develop Level 3 technology by next year and equip it on the next-generation Genesis G90.
As autonomous driving technology rapidly advances, it is expected that by around 2030, Level 3 technology will be applied to more than 50% of new car sales. The related autonomous vehicle market size is also predicted to grow from $7.1 billion (approximately 8 trillion KRW) last year to $1 trillion (approximately 1,150 trillion KRW) by 2035.
Major countries worldwide are accelerating the establishment of laws and systems for the commercialization of Level 3. The United States announced the Federal Automated Vehicles Policy (FAVP) in 2016 and, based on this, provides step-by-step guidelines while allowing driving at Level 3 or higher according to state laws.
Japan also revised the Road Transport Vehicle Act by last year to organize related systems and approved the sale of Honda's Level 3 autonomous driving system. South Korea is also promoting legal and regulatory improvements in four core areas?driver, vehicle/device, operation, and infrastructure?to prepare the foundation for Level 3.
The Korea Automotive Technology Institute diagnosed that, as autonomous driving technology is rapidly advancing, additional legal and regulatory improvements are necessary with the goal of commercializing Level 4 by 2027. The institute stated, "Legal revisions and standards need to be prepared in anticipation of platooning becoming possible through technological advancement, and amendments to laws are also necessary to mandate prior education on autonomous driving functions and to establish accident recording systems." It added, "Security measures against system hacking and personal information leaks, as well as infrastructure standards and management to prevent accidents, are also required."
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