As the United States and China compete for dominance in the autonomous driving industry, concerns are growing that South Korea's competitiveness in the global autonomous driving market may lag behind. This is because of the widening gap in resources such as investment and workforce in a conservative regulatory environment.
According to industry sources on the 21st, the Donald Trump administration is expected to ease regulations on autonomous vehicles. There is speculation that it will expand the annual deployment of autonomous vehicles by manufacturers and possibly eliminate the requirements for reporting automobile accidents. Over 30 states in the U.S. have legalized testing and operation of autonomous vehicles through their own legislation or executive orders. In 2011, Nevada became the first state in the world to legalize the operation of autonomous vehicles, followed by California, Michigan, and Arizona allowing operations sequentially. In some areas, limited operations of unmanned robo-taxis and autonomous truck convoying are also permitted.
The Chinese government is supporting major funds and easing regulations, allowing nine corporations, including BYD and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, to conduct Level 3 and 4 autonomous driving testing. As China invests significantly in fostering the autonomous driving industry, the U.S. appears to be easing regulations to counter Chinese corporations.
South Korea's regulations are relatively stringent, and it falls far short of the investment and workforce size of the U.S. and China. It's currently challenging to test autonomous vehicles in actual road environments, as domestic tests are required to occur only within designated sections (1.8 km to 69.8 km) in 42 regions appointed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. There are approximately 400 autonomous vehicles operating nationwide, mostly consisting of buses and trucks that travel back and forth on designated routes.
Jang Seong-wook, Vice President of Kakao Mobility, noted, "Domestic corporations cannot compare to foreign corporations in terms of funds or workforce size," adding, "From 2021 to 2027, about 1 trillion won will be operated as a government-wide project, while corporations in the U.S. and China are executing amounts exceeding trillions annually."
Foreign autonomous driving corporations are exploring entry into the domestic market. Notable representatives include U.S. Uber, China's Pony.ai, and Apollo. Dara Khosrowshahi, the global CEO of Uber, who visited Korea for the first time last year, expressed a willingness to actively collaborate with domestic corporations on new businesses related to autonomous driving and electric vehicles.
Jang said, "The entry of foreign autonomous driving corporations into the domestic market is a matter of timing," and added, "There is a possibility that they will enter the market with companies that have already collaborated on creating systems together." He also mentioned, "Under current laws, measures to protect the domestic ecosystem from foreign corporations in the autonomous driving industry are somewhat insufficient."
The government plans to establish a cross-ministerial integrated technology roadmap for autonomous driving in the first half of this year, aiming for the commercialization of Level 4 autonomous driving by 2027. It also plans to develop a next-generation automotive platform that integrates automotive control functions, including autonomous driving, by 2026. The levels of autonomous driving are divided into a total of six stages, from Level 0 to Level 5. Level 4 is considered a highly automated stage where the driver intervenes only in emergency situations.