Han Ji-hyeong, CEO of Autonomous A2Z, is a hands-on engineer who spent more than a decade at Hyundai Motor Co. developing autonomous-driving technology. He was among the early researchers in the field, working on the autonomous “Nexo” that President Moon Jae-in rode during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
At the time, Hyundai developed autonomous-driving technology through joint work with outside companies. Han said he believed a “100% flawless” unmanned system required more independent development. “As we debated direction and speed, I decided to start a company with colleagues who shared the same view,” he said. He added that A2Z focused on B2B and B2G markets for low-speed, special-purpose urban vehicles to commercialize technology quickly. “Shuttles or special-purpose vehicles that run about 50 to 60 kilometers per hour are less technically demanding than autonomous passenger cars and can be commercialized in a short time, and that expectation proved right,” he said.
A2Z drew global attention in 2024 when it ranked 11th — the only South Korean company on the list — in Guidehouse Insights’ “autonomous driving company technology assessment.” The ranking included China’s Waymo and Baidu, as well as Mobileye of Israel and Nvidia. A2Z was the only company valued at less than 1 trillion won on the list.
The company said it has operated 82 autonomous vehicles, the most in South Korea, and logged about 940,000 kilometers of cumulative driving — the country’s highest total in urban autonomous driving. Based on that field experience, it has developed services including urban autonomous shuttles, smart logistics solutions and mobility support for transportation-disadvantaged areas.
Its Level 4 autonomous vehicle, ROii, developed in 2024, is set to enter full commercialization this year after performance tests and certification under a certification program. In Singapore, A2Z became the first South Korean company to obtain a local autonomous-driving license, M1, and said it will pursue orders for the “COSMO” smart-city project through its joint venture A2G (Autonomous to Global). It is also exploring expansion into markets including the United Arab Emirates and Japan.
A2Z said it is preparing for a fully unmanned era. “A completely unmanned vehicle requires a totally different approach from today’s method of developing software and hardware separately,” Han said. He said the company aims to realize “100% unmanned autonomous driving” as quickly and completely as possible through an integrated platform in which the “brain,” the body and the infrastructure that moves them are fully aligned.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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