Joint Development of Self-driving Solution
LG Electronics said on December 27 that the company will jointly develop its autonomous navigation solutions with HERE Technologies, a German digital map maker with ultra-precise map production technology in centimeters. HERE was a member of Nokia but in 2015 three world-class German carmakers -- BMW, Audi and Mercedes Benz -- created a consortium and acquired HERE, making headlines. In January of this year, Intel which entered the car electronic device business, made the newspaper by acquiring a 15% stake in HERE.
LG Electronics and HERE will develop an autonomous driving vehicle solution that combines telematics and high-precision maps until the end of next year. Telematics, a vehicular communication component that uses a communication network to connect vehicles to the outside in real time is a field where LG Electronics has strengths. "Autonomous driving vehicles require strong communication capabilities and proven data," said Lee Moon-chul, vice president of the Asia Pacific Business Division at Here, explaining why HERE decided to band together with LG Electronics.
As seen through partnership with HERE, LG Electronics' strategy to prepare for the era of autonomous driving cars can be summarized into market expansion through active collaboration with global companies. The strategy is to form a united front with companies with core technologies related to autonomous driving vehicles. A case in point is LG Electronics’ decision for the joint development of 5G-based V2X (Vehicle to Everything) vehicle technology with Qualcomm, the world's largest telecommunication chip maker in October. V2X is an essential technology that applies to autonomous driving vehicles, allowing them to avoid risk by connecting autonomous vehicles and external objects via mobile telecommunications.
LG Electronics is expanding its presence in the auto parts market by participating in AT&T Drive Studio, an alliance led by AT&T, the largest telecom carrier in the United States and the Autonomous Drive Vehicle project of Google. "We will continue to develop and launch new connected car parts so that customers can adjust themselves to the era of self-driving," Lee Woo-jong, president of LG Electronics in charge of the VC Business Division.