Hyundai, Kia Team with Baidu on Self-Driving Vehicle Tech

South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Group is planning to team up with Chinese tech giant Baidu to develop technologies for connected cars.

In the wake of last week’s Beijing Auto Show, the pair announced they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to work on autonomous software, intelligent mobility solutions, artificial intelligence and more.

The MOU covers both the Hyundai brand and its sister company Kia, which falls under the same umbrella.

The partnership will also see the Korean companies make use of Baidu’s cloud computing technology to ensure compliance with China’s evolving data regulations and work alongside the Beijing company to seek out new AI-related business opportunities.

Hyundai and Kia said in a press release: “Through the strategic collaboration with Baidu, we will make efforts to establish the ecosystem for connected cars in the Chinese market.”

The collaboration will deepen the relationship between the companies, who first started working together in 2014 and have developed navigation, voice recognition and content solutions in that time.

Baidu, the Internet giant often referred to as China’s Google, has emerged as one of the country’s biggest players in automated transport courtesy of its Apollo ride-hailing service.

Related:Hyundai Mobis Plans Major Self-Driving Test in South Korea

It has made no secret of its ambitions in self-driving tech, announcing a plan in 2022 to establish the world’s largest fully driverless ride-hailing service area.

Its self-driving taxis are available in multiple Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shenzhen and Chongqing. Among a series of notable landmarks recorded over the past 18 months, it became the first-ever provider of autonomous rides at a Chinese airport in Wuhan and also launched night-time services in the city before rolling out operations 24/7.

As of January, Apollo Go claimed to have provided more than 5 million rides.

The Hyundai Motor Group has also been making strides in automated and connected solutions, working with different partners.

In the U.S., it recently highlighted how the self-driving Hyundai Ioniq 5 that operates via Motional in Las Vegas would earn a driver’s license in Nevada. Hyundai plans to manufacture production versions, in tandem with Motional, at a facility in Singapore.

Hyundai and Kia also recently signed a MOU with South Korean tech giant Samsung to work on connected cars, aimed at linking vehicles from the two automotive brands to the latter’s SmartThings IoT platform.