Seoul autonomous vehicle service expansion

Seoul is expanding its autonomous vehicle services, beginning with an increase in late-night autonomous taxis in the Gangnam district from seven to 19 vehicles. These services, operated by companies such as SWM and Kakao Mobility, currently utilize safety drivers to build public trust, but the city intends to introduce Level 4 driverless taxis in the Sangam area by November.

Building on this expansion, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has announced a broader strategic plan to integrate autonomous buses into the public transportation network. The city aims to increase the number of autonomous buses from 16 to 500 by 2030, with the goal of replacing traditional city buses starting in 2029. Initial deployment will focus on bus-only lanes and services during late-night or early-morning hours to address transit gaps in areas far from subway stations or existing bus lanes.

As the robotaxi market intensifies, several major players are competing for a two-year mandate to operate Seoul’s robotaxi platform, including Hyundai Motor via its joint venture Motional, Kakao Mobility, Socar, Apex Mobility, and Tmoney Mobility. Traditional taxi operators are increasingly seeking to integrate into this new ecosystem.

In the Gangnam Autonomous Driving Pilot Zone, KG Mobility (KGM) has begun deploying the second-generation Torres EVX model in collaboration with SWM.ai. This partnership has streamlined sensor technology, reducing the sensor count from approximately 40 to 20 per vehicle. The service area is expanding to cover the full 20.4 square kilometer pilot zone, with plans to seek approval for autonomous operation in school zones following regulatory changes. Since September 2024, the partnership has recorded over 13,214 cumulative rides.