Hyundai develops a cruise control that learns to drive like you

By Stephen Edelstein Published January 22, 2021

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Many new cars feature adaptive cruise control, which can automatically accelerate and decelerate on highways depending on what the car in front of you is doing. But Hyundai claims to be upping the game with its latest system. In what the automaker claims is a world’s first, Hyundai is using machine learning to analyze a driver’s behavior and attempt to copy it with the adaptive cruise control system.

Thanks to machine learning, the system can drive in an identical way to a human driver, according to Hyundai. This is supposed to create a more personalized experience; presumably, drivers will be put at ease if the car does what they would do in a given situation. Or maybe it will just expose a person’s bad driving habits.

Recommended Videos

Hyundai claims the machine learning-based system will allow for greater fine tuning than current adaptive cruise control systems. While these systems typically allow drivers to adjust speed and following distance using steering wheel controls, machine learning will allow for even greater adjustability, according to Hyundai. The system analyzes three main factors: Following distance, the rate of acceleration, and how quickly a driver responds to changes in speed. The actual speeds a driver chooses, as well as general road conditions, are analyzed as well, according to Hyundai.

The system knows, for example, that a given driver follows cars more closely at slow speeds in stop-an-go traffic than at high speeds while cruising in the left lane, according to Hyundai. Onboard sensors can distinguish more 10,000 patterns and will regularly update the system based on the driver’s latest behavior, according to Hyundai.

Hyundai said it plans to offer this adaptive cruise control system in upcoming production models, but didn’t give any other specifics. The automaker is working to combine adaptive cruise control with automated lane changing, similar to Tesla Autopilot. Hyundai believes this will allow the driver to take their hands off the wheel in certain situations, while still paying attention to the road. That would put Hyundai’s system on roughly the same level as Cadillac Super Cruise and the latest version of Nissan ProPilot Assist. Hyundai believes this will be a stepping-stone to fully autonomous cars.

Topics

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Eaton, Treehouse to boost home capacity for EV charging, energy storage

eaton treehouse ev charging news releases

Power-management firm Eaton likes to point out that when it launched in 1911, it invested in a new idea -- the very first gear-driven truck axle -- just at a time when both transportation and power management were on the cusp of dramatic change.
More than 113 years later, Eaton is again seeking to lead innovation in the current energy transition.
The power-management firm just signed a deal with Treehouse, an AI, software-enabled installation platform for electrification projects. The end goal: accelerating the electrification of homes for electric-vehicle (EV) charging, energy storage, or heat pumps, while seeking more efficiency and cost savings.
“At Eaton, we’re all-in on the energy transition and we’re making it happen at scale by delivering breakout technologies and industry collaborations needed to delight customers and make it more accessible and affordable,” says Paul Ryan, general manager of Connected Solutions and EV Charging at Eaton.
The partnership will ensure consumers are provided with accurate and fast pricing, as well as access to licensed electricians to deliver code-compliant installations, the companies say.
The collaboration also integrates into Eaton’s “Home as a Grid” approach, which supports the two-way flow of electricity, enabling homeowners to produce and consume renewable energy when they need it, Eaton says.
“For more than a century, power has flowed in one direction—from centralized power plants into homes,” the company says. “Today, there’s a new reality thanks to solar, electric-vehicle charging, energy storage, digitalization, and more.”
Projects to change homes and EVs into energy hubs have multiplied recently.
Last month, Nissan joined ChargeScape, a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) venture that is already backed by BMW, Ford, and Honda. ChargeScape’s software wirelessly connects EVs to power grids and utility companies, enabling consumers to receive financial incentives for temporarily pausing charging during periods of high demand. Eventually, consumers should also be able to sell the energy stored in their EVs’ battery back to the power grid.
In August, GM announced that V2G technology will become standard in all its model year 2026 models. And Tesla CEO Elon Musk has hinted that Tesla could introduce V2G technology for its vehicles in 2025.

Cars

Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and EVs offer big incentives as year nears its end

chrysler dodge jeep ev incentives record my24 hybrid gallery 04 exterior desktop jpg image 1440

It’s no secret that automakers and dealerships typically climb over each other to offer the best incentives before the year ends. But this year’s sales season is expected to be particularly competitive, with slowing sales translating to greater urgency to clear inventory.

According to research from Kelley Blue Book, the respected vehicle-valuation firm, overall incentives on new vehicle sales were up by 60% in October compared to the previous year.

Cars

Jeep, Ram EREVs will get 690-mile range with new Stellantis platform

A 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger sits in a vineyard.

Stellantis, the giant automotive group, is betting big on extending the range of both its hybrid and fully electric vehicles (EVs).

Last month, the company, which owns the Jeep, Dodge, and Ram brands in the U.S., invested nearly $30 million into an advanced wind tunnel at its research center in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The goal is to study airflow around a vehicle’s wheels and tires to further optimize its EVs and boost their range.