Hyundai close to starting solid-state battery pilot production
This was reported by the Korean Car Blog, citing industry sources. An unnamed person familiar with the project stated that the manufacturer has almost completed installing the equipment. Only the installation of the logistics automation is said to be still outstanding. However, there is no confirmation from the company.
The Uiwang Research Institute is located in the province of Gyeonggi-do, which surrounds the capital Seoul. In December 2023, Hyundai Mobis, a supplier belonging to the Hyundai Motor Group (HMG), opened its own ‘Uiwang Electrification Research Center’ within the Uiwang development centre to develop next-generation electrification technologies. The report does not clearly state whether the pilot production is located at the in-house supplier or at another HMG unit.
By kicking off pilot production, Hyundai aims to equip and test the first vehicles with solid-state batteries produced in-house by 2025. Mass production is scheduled for 2030. In addition, charging capacity is usually higher than with current cells, and a solid-state cell is also safer – because it no longer requires the flammable, liquid electrolyte.
Hyundai has pursued several approaches to solid-state batteries in parallel, for example, through partnerships with specialised battery developers such as SES AI and Factorial Energy, but also through a research collaboration with Seoul National University (SNU), which is also working on solid-state batteries.
Hyundai has recently been repeatedly linked to its own battery production, but this has mainly involved the production of LFP cells or NCM batteries with conventional liquid electrolytes. According to reports from September 2024, a pilot line for NCM cells will be set up at the research and development centre in Anseong (located like Uiwang in Gyeonggi-do province) by 2027.
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