Hyundai Motor Company (hereinafter referred to as Hyundai) and Kia have joined hands with domestic universities in the field of electric vehicle power electronics (PE) components to secure technologies to take the lead in the global electric mobility market.

Hyundai and Kia announced on the 24th that they held a ceremony at the Jeju International Convention Center on the 23rd, attended by representatives from Seoul National University and 11 other universities, as well as officials from Hyundai and Kia's Research and Development divisions, to commemorate the establishment of the 'Electricfication System Joint Research Lab.'

At the joint research lab, researchers from major universities will work together in each PE component field to conduct research on next-generation technologies aimed at enhancing Hyundai and Kia's competitiveness in the EV market.

The research fields are divided into three subgroups: the inverter group, the traction motor group, and the charging group.

The inverter group consists of research teams from various universities, including Professor Jung-Ik Ha’s team from Seoul National University's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Professor Young-Hoon Jo from Konkuk University, Professor Ki-Bok Lee from Korea University, Professor Hyeong-Soon Lee from Chung-Ang University, Professor Young-Seok Nam from KAIST, and Professor Young-Doo Yoon's team from Hanyang University. Together, they will conduct collaborative research projects on improving electric vehicle efficiency and developing advanced control technologies.

(From left to right) Han-Gi Hong, Executive Director of Hyundai · KIA Electrification Tranction Design Lab; Se-Wan Choi, Professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology; Jin-Hwan Jung, Executive Director of Hyundai · KIA Electrification Design Center; Jung-Ik Ha, Professor at Seoul National University; Jeong-Hong Ju, Head of Hyundai · KIA Power Conversion Lab; Jang-Young Choi, Professor at Chungnam National University. / Hyundai

The traction motor, in collaboration with Professor Sang-Yong Jung's team from the Department of Information and Communication Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, as well as Professor Hyun-Soo Kim from Dongeui University, Professor Jang-Young Choi from Chungnam National University, and Professor Myung-Seob Lim's team from Hanyang University, will conduct research on developing high-density motors and innovative materials and cooling technologies for the development of ultra-compact and highly efficient traction systems.

The charging group, including Professor Se-Wan Choi's team from the Power Electronics Research Lab at Seoul National University, as well as Professor Jung-Ik Ha from Seoul National University, Professor Byung-Guk Lee from Sungkyunkwan University, Professor Jae-Guk Kim from Inha University, and Professor Ki-Bum Park's team from KAIST, plans to develop technologies regarding charging stations and converters for the realization of fast and convenient charging systems.

The participating universities in the joint research lab are expected to be able to secure specialized expertise in the field of electric vehicle PE components through the pursuit of respective research projects and to foster talents suitable for the era of electrification.

Hyundai and Kia, in collaboration with the industry-academia cooperation institution, Hyundai NGV, plan to oversee the operation of the joint research lab and provide research funding to ensure smooth execution of 15 research projects across three divisions.

In particular, Hyundai and Kia will promote active exchange and networking between their researchers and university research teams. Additionally, they will initiate recruitment of outstanding researchers within the joint research lab.

Jin-Hwan Jung, the Executive Director of Hyundai · KIA Electrification Design Center, stated, "As the mobility paradigm shifts towards electrification, the collaborative growth and cooperation with academia will become increasingly important. Through the joint research lab, in collaboration with the nation's top researchers, we aim to nurture research talents who will lead the era of electrification and anticipate the development of groundbreaking technologies."

Meanwhile, Hyundai and Kia has been actively collaborating with domestic universities to focus on the development of next-generation technologies and the cultivation of talents through industry-academia cooperation. They have established the "Intelligent Control Joint Research Lab" in collaboration with Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and other institutions last year, and in March of this year, they also established the "Electric Vehicle Energy Control Joint Research Lab" in collaboration with Seoul National University, Chung-Ang University, and other institutions.

Source: https://ee.snu.ac.kr/community/news?bm=v&bbsidx=53652

Translated by: Do-Hyung Kim, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, kimdohyung@snu.ac.kr