Auto manufacturer will advance its battery and autonomous vehicle technologies
At a recent event, the Korean car manufacturer highlighted its successes in 2024 and made bold predictions about its position in the electric vehicle market in the future, focusing on specific areas of technology that it feels will define future requirements in the industry.
TMED-II hybrid system
The company will take its existing proprietary TMED hybrid system and expand its application beyond compact and midsize cars to small, large and luxury vehicles, effectively doubling its current range from seven to 14 models.
This enhanced version of its existing hybrid system significantly improves performance and fuel efficiency compared to the existing system and is slated for integration into production vehicles starting from January 2025. Future hybrid vehicles will be equipped with premium technologies such as smart regenerative braking and V2L, enhancing product value and quality.
To facilitate its plan, Hyundai has secured a versatile production system and parts supply network, making full use of its major global factories and introducing hybrid models, resulting in cost reduction and profitability enhancement.
An EV variant with 900km range
In response to a recent slowdown in EV demand, Hyundai Motor is developing a new EREV under its Hyundai Dynamic Capabilities strategy. The new EREV will combine the advantages of internal combustion engines (ICE) and EVs. Hyundai Motor has developed a unique new powertrain and power electronics (PT/PE) system to enable four-wheel drive with the application of two motors. The operation is powered solely by electricity, similar to EVs, with the engine being used only for battery charging.
The new EREV maximizes the use of the existing engine to improve customer appeal and secure cost competitiveness with similar EVs by reducing high-cost battery capacity. It provides EREV customers with a responsive EV-like driving experience, allowing consumers to naturally transition to EVs during future demand recovery periods. The new EREV also offers price competitiveness over EVs through battery capacity optimization and allows both refuelling and stress-free charging while offering a superior driving range of over 900 km when fully charged. This vehicle serves as a key bridge to electrification.
Battery competitiveness
Hyundai is planning to secure battery technology differentiation, strengthen battery competitiveness, and advance battery safety technologies under its Hyundai Dynamic Capabilities strategy to become the only OEM in the world with a full battery lineup across multiple powertrains.
The battery, a crucial safety component in EVs, constitutes the largest portion of EV costs and greatly influences cost competitiveness. The company says it is dedicated not only to improving battery performance but also to ensuring that EVs are affordable, safe and easy to maintain and it is continuously working to enhance battery cell competitiveness and safety technology, aiming to deliver maximum customer value and internalise battery development capabilities.
It plans to expedite the development of next-generation batteries, including solid-state batteries. The company is set to continue development in its next-generation battery research building, which is scheduled to open at Hyundai Motor’s Uiwang Research Institute later this year.
The company also plans to apply the battery CTV (cell-to-vehicle) structure by integrating the battery and the vehicle body, improving battery integration and performance and reducing parts to lighten the weight by 10 percent compared to the previous CTP (cell-to-pack) system.
By 2030, Hyundai Motor aims to not only use current performance-based NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) batteries and low-cost LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) batteries but also develop a new, affordable NCM battery to provide a wider range of products. This new entry-level battery will first be implemented in volume models, with the company anticipating a battery performance enhancement of over 20 percent by 2030, through ongoing improvements in battery energy density.
Hyundai Motor is also continually advancing its battery safety. The company has already applied battery management system (BMS) pre-diagnosis technology to its EVs that detects minor battery abnormalities in real time and alerts the user. The company will expand to battery life management functions based on AI models and improve the accuracy of battery life prediction technology.
Hyundai Motor has developed a battery system safety structure that prevents heat transfer between battery cells, regardless of the battery form factor, and has continuously applied improved technology to vehicles. Moreover, the company is developing an advanced cooling technology that suppresses the occurrence of flames inside the battery and aims to apply it to mass-produced vehicles by 2026.
AI and Software-Defined Vehicles
Hyundai is also transitioning to a development system for Software-Defined-Vehicles (SDV) by incorporating software development methods into vehicle development. The core of SDV development includes the creation of hardware devices that can collect a variety of data from inside and outside the vehicle, and the ability to control the overall vehicle interface based on software. The company aims to connect SDV devices with fleets, logistics and urban transportation infrastructure, building a data infrastructure that can generate, collect, and use large amounts of data in various fields.
Using AI and digital twin technology, Hyundai Motor will efficiently manage the real-time operation status of various mobilities and traffic conditions. The company will continuously enhance cybersecurity technology to develop safer and more reliable connected services.
Furthermore, by offering a third-party software developer kit (SDK) and app market, numerous IT developers and mobility service providers will be able to develop various services using Hyundai Motor’s data infrastructure.
Hyundai Motor is developing a Zonal Electric-Electronic (E/E) architecture based on a high-performance vehicle computer (HPVC) for optimized SDV devices in terms of power, control and communication. The application of such an architecture can simplify the existing complex vehicle structure, reducing development time and cost, and increasing the flexibility of software changes, enabling faster improvement and deployment of services and functions.
In terms of user experience, Hyundai is focusing on developing its Digital Cockpit, which will feature next-generation user experience/interface (UX/UI) designs. These designs are expected to enhance the interface between the vehicle and its user, making it more intuitive and user-friendly.
Hyundai vehicles are set to transform into learning machines that continually improve through AI integration. This advancement will be based on data collected through SDVs. The integration will not only enhance driving, safety and convenience functions but also improve usability by constantly updating new app services. This seamless connection promises to integrate all movements in the user’s daily life, marking a significant leap in vehicle technology and user experience. Over-the-air (OTA) updates will create a virtuous cycle of data-driven SDV advancement with connected service enhancements and mobility service enhancements.
Autonomous Vehicles
The company plans to launch a foundry business that will sell autonomous vehicles to various global autonomous driving software technology companies. This new venture will use the company’s hardware development capabilities and manufacturing competitiveness, building on its experience in developing autonomous vehicles.
It plans to develop a platform for essential common areas for implementing Level 4 or higher autonomous driving and intends to supply this autonomous vehicle platform to global autonomous driving software development companies.
Ultimately, Hyundai Motor will continue to promote the expansion of the foundry business using the secured autonomous vehicle platform, continuously enhancing its autonomous driving capabilities.
By operating in the North American region using the second-generation robotaxi platform based on IONIQ 5, Hyundai will develop the third-generation robotaxi platform and the optimal vehicle model and expand the robotaxi service area to the global market.
Safety is a top priority in Hyundai Motor’s development of autonomous driving technology. The company is establishing a system that collects autonomous driving data and continuously trains the AI model simultaneously.
As the volume of data increases, Hyundai Motor will be able to implement safer and superior autonomous driving technology. A key element in the development of safe autonomous driving technology is the creation of a computing system that can safely control autonomous vehicles in any situation. To this end, Hyundai Motor is developing autonomous driving computing hardware that ensures stability and reliability, including functional safety and redundancy.
The company is concentrating on developing an end-to-end deep learning model that performs perception, judgment, and control all at once. This model is planned to be expanded and applied as a scalable global solution from Level 2+ to Level 4. Hyundai Motor is also continuously strengthening its internal capabilities for the internalisation of the development of key elements of autonomous driving, striving to provide a safer and better customer experience for both drivers and pedestrians.
Hyundai Motor has been integrating all the technologies that go into cars, from autonomous driving to smart factories, into a single software platform to accelerate vehicle software innovation. The company is continuously enhancing SDVs step by step and is continuously improving vehicle quality and marketability by equipping vehicles with controller OTA functions.
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