Press "Korean-style unmanned autonomous driving mobility will be mass-produced by 2027"... Kakao also invested
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작성자 Autonomous a2z 조회 1,001 작성일 2021-10-22본문
한지형 오토노머스에이투지 대표가 21일 대구 엑스코에서 열린 '대구미래자동차엑스포(DIFA)'에서
미래 비전에 대해 이야기하고있다. 대구=류종은 기자
“With our own technology and domestic parts, we will commercialize unmanned autonomous driving mobility before overseas companies.”
Confidence was evident in the voice of Autonomous a2z CEO Han Ji-hyeong, whom I met at EXCO in Daegu, where the 'Daegu Future Auto Expo (DIFA)' was held on the 21st. He sounded confident about the future blueprint to create a new market in the field of unmanned autonomous driving mobility, which has been attracting attention as the next-generation food.
a2z may be a somewhat unfamiliar name to the
general public, but it is a hot start-up in the autonomous driving industry.
Since its establishment in July 2018, it has carried out dozens of R&D
government projects, and the number of demonstration roads has reached 160,000
km. Last month, it also attracted large-scale investments worth 16 billion won
from Kakao and other companies. This is the largest investment in the domestic
autonomous driving start-up industry.
As the company's value has been recognized, CEO Han plans to enter into aggressive management. The first goal is to complete the development of an unmanned autonomous driving mobility platform by 2025 and start mass production in 2027. The unmanned mobility being developed by a2z is powered by an electric battery. It is a fully unmanned box car without a driver's seat and consists of two platforms, a small 3m long and a 5m medium-sized platform. The small platform will be used for unmanned delivery, and the medium platform will be used as an unmanned shuttle.
오토노머스에이투지가 개발 중인 소형·중형 무인 자율주행 모빌리티 플랫폼. 오토노머스에이투지 제공
There were many twists and turns before CEO Han
came up with such a vision for the future. Although the major members of a2z
were filled with veterans with experience in the production of finished
vehicles at large domestic companies such as Hyundai Motor and Mando, it was
not easy to attract participation from the parts industry, an important
partner. “At first, we didn’t even meet and we were often kicked out. We tried
a lot, but still persistently persuaded us to create world-class mobility using
only domestic technology and parts. One representative recalled his dark days
like this: As a result, a2z has joined hands with major domestic parts makers
such as SL, Pyeonghwa Valeo, and Sambo Motors. In this process, CEO Han was
also a researcher for autonomous driving at Hyundai Motors, and the experience
of successfully succeeding in the world's first 'city night autonomous driving'
at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas in 2017 was also
helpful.
Representative Han, who succeeded in securing friendly forces, is currently in the process of developing differentiated services. In the case of call service, Kakao is planning to collaborate with domestic logistics companies such as Coupang, Market Kurly and CJ Korea Express in the delivery sector.
It is a move that even considers competitors who have to overcome in the global market. In the field of unmanned autonomous driving mobility, there are many prominent competitors, including American self-driving startups 'Zoox' and 'Nuro', which Amazon acquired for $1.2 billion (about KRW 1.4 trillion).
However, the CEO also said that he had a strategy he had in mind. He said, "The unmanned autonomous driving mobility platform introduced by overseas competitors is often developed for R&D purposes, so it is unlikely to lead to actual mass production because it does not meet the laws," he said. We will mass-produce and distribute a platform that meets domestic and international safety standards for the first time in the world while creating driving vehicle laws, regulations, and insurance.”
At the end of the interview, CEO Han expressed his strong pride in native startups. He emphasized, "Companies such as Apple, Google, and Tesla can come out sufficiently in Korea," he said.