South Korean shipping giant Hyundai Glovis is spearheading a significant advancement in maritime logistics with its plan to retrofit seven of its pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) with artificial intelligence-based autonomous navigation systems by mid-2026. Partnering with Avikus, the autonomous vessel technology subsidiary of HD Hyundai, Glovis aims to deploy the HiNAS Control system—an AI-driven platform that currently qualifies as Level 2 under the International Maritime Organization’s maritime autonomous surface ship (MASS) classification.
The 229.9-meter-long vessels to be equipped include the Sunrise, capable of carrying up to 7,000 vehicles and potentially becoming the largest AI-controlled ships ever deployed. The HiNAS Control system enables partial remote control, with real-time AI-based route optimisation and decision support for navigation, collision avoidance, and track control. While this system does not yet reach full autonomy, marked by unmanned operations, it represents a critical intermediary step toward more advanced capabilities. Avikus is targeting Levels 3 and 4 by 2027, which would allow for fully unmanned vessel operation.
Hyundai Glovis is investing heavily in this technological transformation, with a commitment of approximately $6.5 billion (9 trillion won) directed toward smart logistics and sustainability initiatives through 2030. This move aligns with Glovis’s broader environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy, targeting net-zero emissions by 2045. The company believes that the autonomous system is particularly suited for its PCTCs, which typically operate on long-haul routes connecting Asia with Europe and North America. The AI navigation capabilities are anticipated to bring fuel savings and improved operational efficiency, crucial benefits amid increasing pressure to decarbonise shipping and reduce operational risks.
The collaboration between Hyundai Glovis and Avikus, despite being subsidiaries of different branches within the broader Hyundai industrial conglomerate, underscores a growing convergence in South Korea’s maritime and automotive sectors. Notably, Avikus has already demonstrated the capability of its autonomous systems by completing the world’s first transatlantic voyage of an LNG carrier using its Level 2 technology in 2022. Beyond the Glovis project, Avikus is expanding the deployment of its HiNAS Control system across other fleets. For example, contracts are in place to fit the system on vessels operated by H-Line Shipping and Korea Marine Transport Co., Ltd. (KMTC), extending autonomous navigation and operational safety benefits across diverse ship classes and trade routes.
This innovation surge contrasts with efforts by Japanese and European shipping firms, which have so far tested AI-enhanced routing but not pursued such comprehensive integrated autonomous decision-making systems across multiple vessels. Industry analysts highlight that Glovis is not merely adding smart navigation aids but effectively giving vessels the ability to make real-time optimisation decisions independently, a potentially disruptive advance.
However, the choice to rely on Avikus’s proprietary system rather than develop an in-house solution raises questions about long-term flexibility and control over future software updates. This challenge must be balanced against the technological leap offered and the strategic importance of the initiative.
In parallel with these advancements in navigation technology, Hyundai Glovis is also prioritising onboard safety, having equipped all its car carrier ships with the EV Drill Lance fire suppression system. This innovative technology is designed to swiftly extinguish fires in electric vehicles by drilling into battery packs and injecting water to cool and suppress flames, aiming to prevent rapid fire spread onboard vessels transporting finished vehicles.
As the shipping industry increasingly embraces digitalisation and decarbonisation, Hyundai Glovis and its partners position themselves at the forefront of AI-driven maritime innovation. Whether these developments will herald widespread industry disruption remains to be seen, but the ambitious retrofit of large autonomous PCTCs symbolizes a transformative shift in maritime shipping and logistics for the coming decade.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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