Continued Collaboration Based on Five Key Projects
"Developing World-Class Safety Technologies"
Hyundai Motor Company and Kia, two leading South Korean automakers, are expanding their collaboration with the nation’s three major battery companies-LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, and SK On-to secure world-class safety technologies for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, particularly in response to battery fire risks.
On the 22nd, attendees are taking a commemorative photo at the 'Battery Safety Technology Cooperation Agreement Signing Ceremony' held at Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Namyang Research Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. From the left, Dongmyung Kim, CEO of LG Energy Solution; Heewon Yang, President and Head of R&D Division at Hyundai Motor Company and Kia; Juseon Choi, CEO of Samsung SDI; Seokhee Lee, CEO of SK On. Hyundai Motor Company Photo by Hyundai Motor Company
On August 22, at the Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Namyang Research Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, the companies announced the results of a year-long collaboration on strengthening EV battery safety technologies and signed a new business agreement to further advance their cooperation. The signing ceremony was attended by Heewon Yang, President and Head of R&D Division at Hyundai Motor Company and Kia; Dongmyung Kim, CEO of LG Energy Solution; Juseon Choi, CEO of Samsung SDI; Seokhee Lee, CEO of SK On; as well as officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Ministry of Environment.
This collaboration was initiated based on a shared understanding among the management of these companies that, by joining forces, South Korea’s leading EV technology firms could secure the world’s highest level of battery safety technology and contribute to strengthening national competitiveness.
In August last year, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia proposed forming a “Battery Safety Assurance TFT” by bringing together personnel from R&D, production processes, quality, and patents. The three battery companies responded positively, and the group has worked closely together for a year. They defined five key collaborative projects: safety patents, digital battery passports, design quality, manufacturing quality, and firefighting technology.
The safety patent project aims to share safety-related patented technologies developed by each company. Each company develops patented technologies related to materials, design, and component structures to ensure safety in the event of abnormal battery cell degradation, and shares some of these patents. Over the past year, the TFT has identified shared patents such as short-circuit prevention technology and plans to continue cooperating by sharing new patent lists in the future.
The digital battery passport project addresses a system led by the European Union (EU) to digitize all lifecycle information of batteries-from production to disposal and recycling. Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, and the three battery companies are building a new battery quality tracking system that meets international standards and incorporates additional safety-specific features.
The design quality project seeks to enhance battery safety by applying robust design principles to battery cells, aiming to preemptively verify and address the causes of battery fires. The companies are identifying improvements starting from the design methods of battery cell components and are refining standard verification criteria and management plans to incorporate these improvements into the design process.
The manufacturing quality project focuses on introducing new technologies into the battery manufacturing process to enhance the safety and quality of mass-produced cells. The companies are collaborating to review cell manufacturing processes, stabilize production, and reduce defect rates. Going forward, they plan to establish an intelligent manufacturing management system that systematically manages manufacturing data and utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to improve analysis quality.
The firefighting technology project aims to provide battery cell data to the National Fire Research Institute for basic research purposes by the National Fire Agency and to verify the effectiveness of these technologies in real fire situations. Through the TFT, the companies have jointly researched and applied for patents related to battery cell fire detection and suppression technologies, and, together with the National Fire Research Institute, have revised guidelines for responding to EV fires.
After the conclusion of the TFT, the companies signed a “Business Agreement for Strengthening Battery Safety” to ensure continued cooperation. Each company plans to further develop new safety technologies and share patent intellectual property, enhancing their collaboration. Efforts will also continue to advance thermal propagation prevention and firefighting technologies to establish safety standards for EV batteries.
Heewon Yang stated, “This achievement was made possible by the commitment of the management at Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, and the battery companies, the dedication and expertise of the researchers, and the support of government ministries. We will continue to work closely with battery companies to deliver safer and more reliable electric vehicles.”
Dongmyung Kim commented, “The global EV battery market is a ‘national competition,’ and our path to survival lies in cooperation beyond competition. The government and companies must act as one team, and LG Energy Solution will do its utmost to enhance South Korea’s future competitiveness.”
Juseon Choi remarked, “This collaboration is not just about technological improvement, but represents a breakthrough that redefines industry safety standards and technical direction, driving responsible change throughout the ecosystem. Based on this experience, Samsung SDI will develop even safer and more sustainable battery technologies to contribute to industrial advancement.”
Seokhee Lee said, “It is highly significant that the three K-battery companies have joined forces with Hyundai Motor Company and Kia to enhance EV battery safety. We expect this collaboration will elevate battery safety and quality to a new level, and SK On will continue to do its best to develop safe batteries that customers can trust.”
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