Hyundai Motor Group Launches Automated Valet Parking System

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors Corporation recently released a video showcasing the concept of a wireless electric vehicle charging system with the Automated Valet Parking System (AVPS).

The company said that it had developed the concept to make life more convenient for drivers who had to vie with each other for limited number of lots for both parking and charging their EVs, considering that the number of EVs is increasing steadily. The new system has the capability to relocate vehicles that have been fully charged from the charging stations so that other vehicles which are waiting to be charged use the charging bays.

A smartphone can be used to command the vehicle to charge. The vehicle then drives itself to a vacant wireless charging station. When it is fully charged, it will move autonomously to another vacant parking space with input from the Automated Valet Parking System (AVPS). This will make it possible for other vehicles to use the same charging bay. When the driver summons the vehicle using the smartphone app, the vehicle will return to the driver without the need for any human intervention.

The entire process is carried out through seamless communication between electric vehicle, parking facility, charging system, driver and the related infrastructures. The parking facility contributes the information regarding the location of empty parking spaces and charging stations, while the charging system updates the charging status of the vehicle in real-time.

Hyundai and Kia hope to commercialize the technology when level 4 autonomous vehicle technology is launched around 2025. Hyundai and Kia also plan to commercialize autonomous vehicles in various smart cities from 2021 with a goal of launching fully autonomous vehicles by 2030.