Hyundai Tests Truck Platooning
Hyundai Motor Co. has begun testing automated semi-truck platooning in South Korea.
Hyundai Motor Co. has begun testing automated semi-truck platooning in South Korea.
During the tests, a pair of Hyundai Xcient 40-ton trailer trucks are equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle communications and advanced driver-assist systems. Hyundai says the following truck is able to maintain a constant distance from the lead vehicle within the same lane, and automatically adjust the trailing distance if another vehicle cuts in between them.
Hyundai says the V2V technology enables the following truck to react quickly to hard braking and emergency maneuvers. The trailing vehicle also can access the front truck’s camera to provide video images of the road ahead.
The tests are part of a demonstration project led by Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the country’s Yeoju Smart Highway, a 4.8-mile closed course used for autonomous vehicle testing. Last year Hyundai tested an SAE Level 3 self-driving truck on a public highway in Korea.
Additional tests are planned in coming months to gauge the viability and potential benefits of the technology. Traveling in close platoons can reduce air resistance, thus improve a vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Platooning also promises to improve safety and traffic flow.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Mustang Changes for 2018
On Tuesday Ford unveiled—using the social media channels of actor Dwayne Johnson (this has got to unnerve some of the auto buff book editors)—the 2018 Mustang, which has undergone some modifications: under the hood (the 3.7-liter V6 is giving way to a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four, and a 10-speed automatic is available), on the dash (a 12-inch, all-digital LCD screen is available for the dashboard), at the tires (12 wheel choices), on the chassis (MagneRide damper technology is being offered with the Mustang Performance Package), and on the exterior (three new paint colors). And while on the subject of the exterior, there are some notable changes—a lower, remodeled hood, repositioned hood vents, new upper and lower front grilles, LED front lights, revised LED taillamps, new rear bumper and fascia.
-
On Fuel Cells, Battery Enclosures, and Lucid Air
A skateboard for fuel cells, building a better battery enclosure, what ADAS does, a big engine for boats, the curious case of lean production, what drivers think, and why Lucid is remarkable
-
On Electric Pickups, Flying Taxis, and Auto Industry Transformation
Ford goes for vertical integration, DENSO and Honeywell take to the skies, how suppliers feel about their customers, how vehicle customers feel about shopping, and insights from a software exec