[Special Stock] KEC, GM Joins 30 Trillion Won Autonomous Driving Battle... Tesla Certifies Core Autonomous Driving Semiconductor

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] From the beginning of the year, global conglomerates have started to take the initiative to dominate the autonomous vehicle market. American automaker General Motors (GM) plans to invest $27 billion in electric and autonomous vehicles by 2025. KEC, which received approval from Tesla, the world's largest electric vehicle company, for touchscreens applied with its proprietary Low Voltage Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (LV MOSFET), is attracting attention.

At 11:35 a.m. on the 13th, KEC was trading at 3,085 KRW, up 7.11% from the previous day.

Mary Barra, GM's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), announced the launch of the electric delivery truck service "BrightDrop" during her keynote speech at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2021 held online on the 12th (local time).

GM estimated that the U.S. parcel and food delivery market will expand to over $850 billion (approximately 933.8 trillion KRW) by 2025.

CEO Barra said, "BrightDrop is a completely new approach equipped with a dedicated platform and uses Ultium, GM's proprietary electric vehicle battery, to provide what logistics and delivery customers demand."

Tesla, a leader in autonomous driving, recently launched its Full Self-Driving (FSD) service. Apple is conducting behind-the-scenes negotiations for the launch of its autonomous electric vehicle, the Apple Car.

KEC received Tesla's approval for touchscreens applied with its proprietary Low Voltage Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (LV MOSFET) and has been supplying them since early this year.

The touchscreen, a core component of the digital cockpit within the dashboard, plays a crucial role in communication between the driver and the vehicle. This requires high reliability. Tesla's touchscreen distinguishes itself from conventional internal combustion engine vehicles by enabling vehicle status information, function control, navigation, media, and climate control systems.

Power semiconductors are among the semiconductors that require advanced technology. KEC is one of the few domestic non-memory companies that owns its own production facilities and supplies power semiconductors to both domestic and international markets. As vehicles evolve into autonomous and electric cars, semiconductor demand is increasing, especially the importance of power semiconductors. With eco-friendly energy, smart factories, and automation, semiconductor demand is also growing in the industrial market, creating new opportunities.