Hyundai Motor is launching a new social contribution project aimed at improving mobility for transportation-disadvantaged individuals.
On July 27, Hyundai announced the donation ceremony for its 'Hyundai Universal Solution' vehicles. The initiative focuses on developing and supporting specialized vehicles that can be easily used by pregnant women, people with disabilities, the elderly, and residents of underserved areas, thereby enhancing access to essential public services, including education, healthcare, and welfare.
Considering the region's higher-than-average birth rate compared to the national and Chungnam averages, Seosan has been selected as the first project city.
The donated vehicle is based on the electrified Purpose Built Vehicle (PBV) ST1 and features a 'universal design' that allows transportation-disadvantaged individuals to use it without restrictions. This specialized vehicle for pregnant women includes features based on in-depth interviews with expectant mothers, such as a space for stroller storage by removing the front passenger seat, a dedicated seatbelt to minimize abdominal pressure, and a 360-degree rotating newborn seat.
The service will be available to pregnant women who are at least 16 weeks along or within six months postpartum. The vehicles will be deployed on a dedicated route connecting Seongyeon-myeon and the city center starting in September.
Using Hyundai Motor Group's demand-responsive transportation platform 'Shuckle,' users can call for a vehicle via a smartphone app from anywhere within the service area and be picked up or dropped off at their desired location. The fare will be set at the same rate as city buses.
A Hyundai official stated, "We will fulfill our social responsibility by reducing the inconveniences faced by transportation-disadvantaged individuals and contributing to the expansion of their mobility rights."
Last year, Hyundai tested a transportation service for the transportation-disadvantaged using specially modified ST1 vehicles and the Shuckle platform in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. This project is expected to gradually expand the scope of mobility support.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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