President Moon Jae-in took to the highway
in an autonomous fuel cell car, displaying
not only support for the industry but... also
trust in the product's safety.
Hwang Hojun takes us to the liberal leader's
test drive of the indigenously developed green
vehicle.
After asking some questions about the car's
technology,....
"How far can the car travel with a single
hydrogen charge?"
President Moon Jae-in became the first national
leader to ride a fuel-cell-powered self-driving
car on a highway.
The car is called Nexo, and was developed
by Hyundai Motor Company.
It is the world's first hydrogen-powered autonomous
vehicle, and can travel 600 kilometers after
five minutes of charging.
It's also loaded with 5G wireless technology.
Accompanied by an official from the local
developer, President Moon's fifteen-minute
test drive took place at the northern end
of the Seoul-Busan expressway on Friday morning.
The event took place as South Korea is set
to reveal its first self-driving car services
at the PyeongChang Olympic Games, which is
only a week away.
Seven autonomous vehicles will be in operation
around the venues of the Games.
After completing the test drive, President
Moon visited the Enterprise Support Hub in
Pangyo, a city known for its cutting-edge
information technology complex.
It was here where the President gave his view
on taking a journey by a self-driving car
on a highway.
"I was worried that we might be a little behind,
but once I got in the vehicle, that was not
the case at all.
We have already reached a significant level."
President Moon said he is determined to put
more effort into increasing the supply of
electric and hydrogen-fueled cars and also
taking the lead in developing self-driving
cars.
He said he will open the era of three million
electric vehicles and make autonomous driving
a possibility in all areas by the year 2030.
The President also emphasized the need for
futuristic cars as they will be environment-friendly,
reduce traffic accidents, and will boost secondary
industries including the IT, battery, and
motion sensor industries.
Hwang Hojun, Arirang News.
