Yandex turns the latest Hyundai Sonata into an autonomous vehicle

In March 2019, Russian Internet search engine Yandex signed a cooperation agreement with Hyundai Mobis, according to which the two companies were to unite efforts in designing SAE Level 4 & 5 systems for self-driving vehicles. In late May, the deal bore its first fruit: an autonomous Hyundai Sonata.

The prototype vehicle ran initial tests on dedicated testing grounds with no public access, which was necessary to prevent risks for people and property. Right now, the self-driving Sonata is getting ready to hit the streets of Moscow. Yandex does not have any estimates on when this might happen, though.

The ultimate goal of the partnership is to develop a universal basis for autonomous vehicles. The two companies believe taxi and ride sharing services may ultimately be interested in purchasing their complex hardware/software solution. You can compare this business model to that of Google’s Waymo subdivision.

Yandex expects to have 100 fully functional autonomous cars in its pool by the end of the year. Before the arrival of the self-driving Sonata, the company commanded 50 driverless Toyota Prius hybrids.

Newer Kia cars will also be equipped with this tech, the press release states.