Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia are set to deploy next-level autonomous trucks on Korea’s logistics routes as the companies test whether driverless technology can handle real-world freight operations.
The operating environments for commercial vehicles, such as trucks and buses, are simpler than those of passenger cars because they generally travel along designated routes.
Its autonomous trucks have logged more than 500,000 miles without a driver.
PepsiCo said many of its delivery drivers also work as sales representatives, so autonomous trucks free them to spend more time on promotional activities.
Still, autonomous trucks must prove they can operate safely under unpredictable conditions such as bad weather and road construction.