Hyundai Motor Company installed SK Innovation’s battery in’IONIQ 5′, a pure electric vehicle (EV) produced by applying the electric vehicle exclusive platform (E-GMP) for the first time. At the same time, Ioniq, which had been an individual vehicle model name, was upgraded to a brand name, and at the same time, SK Innovation was selected instead of LG Energy Solution, a major battery supplier.
The Ioniq 5, which was unveiled online on the 23rd, is evaluated as an important vehicle model that will determine the success or failure of Hyundai Motor’s global electric vehicle market. Starting with the Ioniq 5, Hyundai Motor Company is planning to launch the sedan electric car’Ioniq 6’and the large sports utility vehicle (SUV) electric car’Ioniq 7′. Like the luxury brand Genesis, it plans to expand the market by packing electric vehicle product lines.
Ioniq, an electric vehicle that was unveiled by Hyundai Motor Company on the 23rd 5. (Source = Save website.)
–
The Ioniq 5 is the first car model to which Hyundai Motor Company developed a platform exclusively for electric vehicles. All of the electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles (HEVs) that Hyundai has produced so far have been built on platforms designed to make internal combustion engine vehicles. Hyundai Motor Company has independently researched and developed the optimal platform to fully enter the global electric vehicle market, and the first result is Ioniq 5.
As such, it has been evaluated that it is quite symbolic that the SK Innovation battery was installed in the first model Ioniq 5, which was the first exclusive platform that Hyundai Motors gave a lot of strength. SK Innovation has been supplying batteries mainly to electric vehicles of Kia Motors, such as Soul EV and Niro EV. Although SK Innovation batteries were also installed in Hyundai’s Kona EV, it was limited to European production. In fact, it has chosen SK Innovation instead of LG Energy Solution products, which have been deeply related to the group’s next-generation flagship electric vehicles.
An industry insider said, “E-GMP is the modular platform that Hyundai Motors made for electric vehicle optimization in earnest, and the fact that SK Innovation’s battery was installed in the first electric car Ioniq 5 was born here proves that the relationship between Hyundai Motor Company and SK Innovation is stronger than expected. It is” he said.
As Ionic 5 is receiving high attention in the domestic and overseas markets, much attention is paid to LG Energy Solutions and SK Innovation’s battery’quality competition’ that will unfold in the future.
Battery quality is the most noticeable issue in the domestic electric vehicle market. This is because fires are constantly occurring in Kona EV, which Hyundai Motor Company sold 77,000 units. Kona EV has had a total of 15 fires in Korea since the first fire was reported in May 2018.
Although the specific cause of the fire has not yet been identified, Kona EV is equipped with batteries manufactured by LG Energy Solutions, so LG Energy Solutions is not free from fire responsibility. In addition, recently, a fire broke out in the electric bus of Hyundai Motors equipped with the LG Energy Solution battery. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is scheduled to announce the results of the investigation on the cause of the Kona EV fire sooner or later.
The fire issue can be directly linked to personal accidents, so it is inevitable for Hyundai Motor Company to be sensitive. In fact, Hyundai Motor Company announced its position on the Kona EV fire prior to the release of the Ioniq 5. Jang Jae-hoon, President of Hyundai Motor Company, said at a media conference on the 23rd, “I sincerely apologize once again for causing inconvenience and concern to customers due to the recent Kona EV fire issue.” “Efforts are made to come up with fundamental solutions for safety as soon as possible. I am doing it.”
It is known that Hyundai Motor Company and LG Energy Solution have caught up with the replacement of all batteries installed in Kona EV. It is estimated that it costs about 1 trillion won to replace the battery, so additional large-scale expense is inevitable.
Given this situation, some observers observe that the relationship between Hyundai Motor Company and SK Innovation may change significantly in the future depending on the success and quality of the Ioniq 5. It is also an opportunity to build a stronger relationship with Hyundai Motor Company if there is no problem with SK Innovation’s battery as before.
Another industry official said, “It is known that the 3rd E-GMP order has already been decided, and the order battle between LG and SK is already over,” said another industry official. “As it is advantageous for Hyundai to create a competitive structure between LG and SK, Ioniq 5 “Quality will act as an important criterion.”
–
