Kakao Mobility unveiled a strategy to internalise Level 4 autonomous driving technology and build an open ecosystem to boost South Korea’s self-driving industry. At a conference in Seoul, executive Kim Jin-gyu presented a roadmap combining a proprietary machine-learning model, redundancy-based vehicle design and a validation platform linking simulation and real-world data. The company also plans an integrated safety management platform and expanded monitoring capabilities. It also introduced its late-night autonomous vehicle service in Seoul’s Gangnam area.

The United States is stepping up a wartime response posture, adding pressure on the auto industry. The Pentagon has contacted top executives at major automakers such as GM and Ford to sound out slowing some EV output and expanding weapons and military supplies production. Separately, Ford’s CEO warned about Chinese EVs and the company reshuffled its organisation. Volkswagen accelerated battery work, while Tesla completed its AI5 chip design and updated its FSD app amid complaints over HW3 limits.