Domestic autonomous driving service 大戰… Kakao vs Soca hits a bout

Input 2021.01.05 15:22 | Revision 2021.01.05 15:24

Socar launches self-driving paid service in Jeju in the first half
Kakao, operated autonomous driving circulation shuttle in Sejong last December
Evaluation that it has risen to the next level enough to receive money and service
Only the route that is still set… Liability in case of accident, insurance, etc.

Competition for self-driving paid services in Korea is intensifying. Kakao Mobility introduced Korea’s first autonomous driving service in Sejong City in December of last year, followed by Socar’s autonomous driving service in the first half of this year. Following the enforcement of the Autonomous Vehicle Act in May last year, the road for passengers paid for transportation was opened with the designation of the’autonomous vehicle pilot operation zone’ in November, and the autonomous driving service, which was limited to free trial operation, has entered the commercialization stage.

Mobility platform Socar announced on the 5th that it will launch a paid autonomous driving service in Jeju Island in the first half of this year with Ride Flux, an autonomous driving solution company. It is the second paid service after Kakao Mobility, which introduced Korea’s first autonomous driving service in Sejong City last December. When you call the vehicle through the Soka application (app) or the Kakao T app and pay for it, you pick up the passenger and go to the destination. It runs automatically through the app according to passenger calls, and a driver with expertise in autonomous driving accompanies you in the driver’s seat or passenger seat for safety. Socar suffered one ups and downs as its core business was blocked last year due to the so-called’Tada Ban Act’, but since then, it has emerged again by aggressively expanding various mobility services such as vehicle sharing, autonomous driving, and used car sales.

Socar uses a minivan (Chrysler Pacifica) to service the 38km one way from Jeju Airport to Jungmun Complex. It can carry up to 5 people (including 2 carriers). This section is the longest of the six autonomous vehicle pilot zones selected by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. In Sejong City, serviced by Kakao Mobility, a pilot operation was allowed for about 23km. Kakao is serving 4km (maximum 2 passengers) of these.

Socar emphasizes that its service is “the first in Korea to be self-driving in response to demand for passengers led by the private sector.” While the existing self-driving service was operated with only a fixed number of people in a controlled traffic situation, Socar is serviced on general roads where unspecified passengers are on board and many variables are open. This is also compared to the fact that Kakao autonomous driving can only ride’early riders’ selected by Sejong City. Socar has been operating autonomous driving in this way since it started the free trial service in May last year.

An official from Socar explained, “Our service is unique in terms of operation time, frequency, and road complexity.” According to Socar, Ride Flux has provided free self-driving services more than 5,400 times in a 5 km round trip from Jeju Airport since May last year. Also, because Jeju Island has more frequent weather changes than other regions, Socar’s strength is that it has accumulated technologies, data, and operational know-how related to autonomous driving in various environments. Socar said, “The passenger rating during the service period reached 4.9 out of 5,” he said.

Kakao considers synergy with the Kakao T app, which has become a national mobility platform, as the advantage of this paid autonomous driving service. An official of Kakao Mobility said, “It can be used conveniently without the need to install a separate app.” In addition, through the know-how accumulated through taxis and navigation services, we can optimally guide dispatching, getting on and off points, and routes. The official said, “The reason we do not serve an unspecified number is because the number of vehicles is still limited rather than a technical problem,” said the official. “If this is enough, you can open it up for anyone to use.”

Socar autonomous driving pilot operation. /Socar, Ride Flux

A pilot operation of Kakao Mobility autonomous driving. /Kakao Mobility

Both Kakao and Soka plan to gradually expand their operating areas and targets. Kakao is preparing to introduce the service in the first half of this year as a self-made self-driving vehicle. Socar aims to expand the autonomous driving area to other cities as well as Jeju through continuous technology development. First, it is planning to launch a service in major roads across Jeju (400km round trip) and Sejong City within this year. If Soka advances to Sejong City, it will be a match against Kakao.

Hyun-myung Kim, professor of transportation engineering at Myongji University (Director of Smart Mobility Research Center) said, “The autonomous vehicle market is still technically perfect in case the route changes according to passenger demand, the responsibility for legal problems such as accidents, insurance companies. There are still a lot of homework to be solved, such as the scope of application,” he said. Professor Kim said, “However, what has expanded from free to paid this time means that we are confident enough to receive money and provide services,” he said.