Hyundai Motor Group is expanding its in-car app ecosystem based on the next-generation infotainment system, Pleos Connect.
Hyundai and Kia announced on August 24 that they held their first in-house hackathon, '24H Code Race,' at the Pangyo Tech Center from August 20 to 21.
This event was the first competition for developing in-car apps organized by Hyundai and Kia. Participants formed teams to develop vehicle-specific apps over a 24-hour period, creating prototypes that could be demonstrated in real-time.
They also produced a one-minute service introduction video showcasing the app demonstrations, development process, and core values. Hyundai and Kia organized this event to secure an open app development ecosystem, allowing employees with a deep understanding of vehicles to propose and develop app services based on actual user experiences.
From over 220 in-car app ideas submitted in July, 25 teams were selected to participate in the finals, which included more than 100 employees from research and general positions. They presented various services connecting vehicles and customers' daily lives, focusing on safety, healthcare, entertainment, and gamification.
Participants utilized in-house generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools for 'vibe coding' to implement and enhance their ideas into actual service forms.
The developed apps were evaluated based on four criteria: originality, customer value, marketability, and completeness. A judging panel composed of internal executives and external experts conducted online assessments and presentations to select one grand prize winner and three excellence award winners.
The grand prize was awarded to the 'SyncLab' team for their TailSync service, which integrates real-time driving data with children's response information to create an interactive audio story that concludes when the vehicle reaches its destination.
The excellence awards went to the 'JaewooGO, AppaGO' team's Baby Sleep Drive, the 'WayYou' team's Welcome, and the 'Memora' team's Exit.
Hyundai and Kia plan to review the practical application of the award-winning projects in vehicles and explore service implementation options. They aim to expand the range of in-car apps available in the app market and actively encourage participation from external developers.
Park Min-woo, head of Hyundai and Kia's AVP division, stated, "We were able to witness the creative ideas and challenging spirit of our employees based on their field experience and expertise."
Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Group has begun applying Pleos Connect to the New Grandeur launched in May and is expanding its application to models like the All-New Avante. The company plans to equip 20 million vehicles, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, with Pleos Connect by 2030.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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