Hyundai Motor Group and Seoul National University have announced the inauguration of a Joint Battery Research Center in Korea. The collaboration aims to advanced lithium-metal and solid state battery technologies.
The research center started in 2021 with a memorandum of understanding and establishment of the joint project. Now, the facility is open and begins the cooperation of researchers from both the university and the automaker. It is part of the Institute of Chemical Processes of Seoul National University. The research facility consists of seven laboratories plus conference rooms. This is the first electric vehicle research facility to have been opened at Seoul University.
A total of 22 joint research projects will be carried out in four divisions, including:
- lithium-metal batteries;
- solid-state batteries;
- battery management systems (BMS); and
- battery process technology.
Hyundai and its sister company Kia have given the new research center the same level of equipment and research infrastructure as they have internally. This will allow university research to be applied directly to real-world testing at the automakers with feedback being exchanged freely. Researchers at Hyundai and Kia will be assigned to the university for information sharing and cooperative research.
Aaron is an automotive journalist living in Wyoming, USA. His background includes technology, mechanics, commercial vehicles, and new vehicle evaluations. Aaron is a member of several automotive media groups and writes for many well-known publications.