[2020 Green Mobility Award] Technology Award POSCO

POSCO demonstrated the potential of lightweight steel materials by applying the electric vehicle steel body (PBC-EV) independently designed and manufactured under the name 'Giga Steel'.

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] POSCO, awarded the Technology Award by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, is focusing on developing steel products targeting future automotive materials such as Giga Steel, which can drastically reduce the weight of vehicles in the era of smart cars including electric and autonomous vehicles, and Hyper NO, an eco-friendly premium grain-oriented electrical steel sheet that significantly improves the efficiency of electric motors.

Additionally, through its group company POSCO International, it supplies motor cores, a key component of electric vehicle motors, and POSCO Chemical is advancing the supply of cathode and anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. This equips POSCO with the capability to supply all essential components that make up future vehicles, thereby strengthening its capacity to lead the future automotive era.

Electric vehicles are expanding their scope into autonomous and smart cars as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but fundamentally require heavier batteries with larger capacity to run longer on a single charge. Therefore, not only automakers and parts manufacturers but also steel companies are striving to reduce vehicle weight to extend driving range.

In response to these changing trends, POSCO is transforming its steel R&D system to be open and market-oriented, concentrating its efforts on developing new products that can lead future markets. In particular, it expanded the Eco-friendly Vehicle Section, newly established in early last year within the Automotive Materials Marketing Office, into the Eco-friendly Vehicle Group during the year-end organizational restructuring, promoting close cooperation with electric vehicle developers.

'Giga Steel' is about three times heavier than aluminum of the same size. However, because it has much higher strength, it can replace aluminum by using much thinner products, resulting in lighter vehicles. POSCO demonstrated the potential of lightweight steel materials by applying Giga Steel to the steel body (PBC-EV) of electric vehicles, which it designed and manufactured independently.

POSCO is also actively preparing for the hydrogen economy era by supplying 'POS470,' a metal separator material used in Hyundai Motor Company's hydrogen vehicle 'Nexo.' 'POS470' reduces production costs by more than 40% and weight by 30% compared to conventional metal separators through special processing, and its supply volume is expected to surge as hydrogen vehicle production increases in the future.