이재용•정의선, 단독 회동…현대차-삼성 전기차 배터리 첫 논의
In a rare move, Samsung and Hyundai heirs met today to discuss partnership in the electric vehicle business... at a Samsung subsidiary that manufactures EV and smartphone batteries.
The two conglomerates are looking to collaborate as part of South Korea's 'New Deal' project... which could spark the mass production of electronic vehicles by Hyundai as soon as next year.
Our Kim Dami has the details.
Two of South Korea's top business leaders have put their heads together to enhance development and cooperation in the electric vehicle battery business.
Samsung Electronics vice-chairman, Lee Jae-yong, and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman, Chung Eui-sun, on Wednesday shared their views on developing technology for a new type of car battery for electronic vehicles.
The first one-on-one meeting between the two heirs took place at Samsung's Digital Interface plant in Cheonan city. Samsung SDI manufactures small batteries for smartpones as well as those used in electronic vehicles.
The newest batteries use solid electrolytes instead of the liquid type.
Compared to lithium-ion batteries, which are widely used in electric vehicles, the solid-state batteries are not only safer, but can store a greater amount of energy.
Leading this new technology are South Korea's Samsung and Hyundai Motor Company.
Samsung Electronics announced back in March the development of solid-state battery technology that has an 8-hundred kilometer range on just one charge.
After creating its 'Electric-Global Modular Platform' last year, Hyundai now aims to mass produce electronic vehicles starting from next year.
Combined EV sales of Hyundai and its sister company Kia reached over 24-thousand units in the first quarter of this year, becoming the fourth largest in the world after Tesla, the Renault-Nissan alliance and Volkswagen.
As the EV industry is one of the country's so-called 'New Deal' projects, the two conglomerates are expected to deepen and enhance their strategic partnership in this thriving industry.
Kim Dami, Arirang News.
