[Exclusive] "Now You'll Want to Park Next to a Genesis"...Radar Technology to Completely Prevent 'Door Dings'

Controls Door Opening Based on Distance Measurement
To Be Installed in Vehicles Starting Next Year
Developed by Primary Supplier PHC Group
Rear Occupant and Pet Detection
Front and Rear Collision Avoidance Features
Hyundai Motor P

Genesis, the luxury brand of Hyundai Motor Company, will be introducing a technology that uses radar to prevent "door dings" (collisions when opening car doors) for the first time starting next year. By measuring the distance between the car and nearby objects, the system will stop the door from opening any further when it gets too close, thereby preventing scratches or injuries.

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Getty Images Bank

According to the automotive industry on November 6, Hyundai Motor Company plans to equip Genesis models with a "Door Collision Avoidance Sensor." This sensor detects nearby walls, other vehicles, or passing pedestrians and controls the door so that it does not open beyond a certain angle.

The Genesis vehicles equipped with the door ding prevention feature are scheduled to be released next year. The technology is expected to be applied as early as the "GV60 Magma," Genesis's first high-performance vehicle, which is set to debut on November 20 (local time) in Marseille, France.

The 2016 Citro?n C4 Cactus with polyurethane air bumps added to the side of the vehicle. Hanbul Motors

Although various technologies have been developed to prevent door dings, which are a source of stress for drivers and passengers, this is the first time that a radar will be installed in car doors specifically for this purpose. The 2016 Citro?n C4 Cactus attracted attention by attaching polyurethane air bumps to the sides of the vehicle to prevent door dings. Similar sponge-type door guards are widely sold on the market. In addition, Hyundai Mobis unveiled the "Human-Centric Interior Lighting" technology at CES 2025, the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition. This technology changes the interior lighting of the vehicle according to the user's mood and situation, and the color of the lights also changes when there is a risk of door dings. However, these features either prevent scratches or provide warnings about door dings, but they do not directly control the door to prevent collisions.

The reason Hyundai Motor Company was able to introduce a radar-based door ding detection and prevention feature is that the company has already developed various radar-based technologies. The Genesis GV70, unveiled in 2020, was equipped with a radar on the ceiling and introduced the "Rear Occupant Alert" feature, which helps prevent drivers from accidentally leaving children or pets in the back seat, especially during hot summers. The "Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)" applied to some Hyundai vehicles also utilize multiple radars. Features such as "Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA)," "Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA)," and "Safe Exit Warning (SEW)" are implemented using front and rear-side radars.

The door ding prevention technology was reportedly developed by PHC Group, a primary partner of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia, based in Daegu. Since its establishment in 1985, PHA, a subsidiary of PHC Group, has grown into a specialized automotive door moving system company. After being selected as a business restructuring company in the future automotive parts sector by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (formerly the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources) in July 2023, the company began research and development (R&D) of radar sensors and door control systems.

A company representative stated, "Just as a power trunk stops opening when it detects a wall or a passerby, there can also be collision accidents when opening car doors, so we decided to introduce this technology for safety reasons."