**[Interview] Kim Dong-geon, Head of Battery Cell Development at Hyundai Motor**
Hyundai Motor’s electric vehicle lineup now features its largest battery capacity. They have integrated a Battery Management System (BMS) capable of detecting fires and even reporting them. They have developed technology to ensure seamless driving and charging even in extreme cold conditions.
**[Edaily’s Lee Dawon]** “Hyundai Motor has been considering what kind of batteries customers need, and with the IONIQ 9, we have presented the result,” says Kim Dong-geon, head of Hyundai’s battery cell development department, in a recent interview with Edaily where he expressed the company’s commitment to a ‘customer-oriented’ battery development philosophy and technical capabilities.
**Hyundai Motor recently launched its first flagship electric SUV, the IONIQ 9, in the Korean market in February.** Noteworthy aspects include its robust body, befitting a flagship electric SUV, and a 110.3 kWh battery – the largest capacity used in Hyundai’s electric vehicles – allowing the IONIQ 9 to achieve over 500 km on a single charge in all its trims.
The battery in the IONIQ 9 stems from the question, “What kind of electric vehicle battery do customers want?” The battery cell development team saw a need for batteries that could offer long driving ranges, fast charging times, and safety. This required integrating more capacity into a single battery than before.
A ‘battery cell’ is responsible for storing energy directly in the battery. The capacity and efficiency of the cell determine vehicle driving range, output, and even safety. These cells come together to form a battery module, and these modules are combined to create a battery pack mounted in the vehicle. Hyundai has already showcased superior battery cell capabilities, as evidenced by the performance of vehicles based on the dedicated electric vehicle platform ‘E-GMP’.
Instead of altering battery cell designs, adding more cells to a single battery was deemed more effective. Kim explained, “By improving system density, we managed to insert up to 48 additional cells and optimized electronic components to ultimately enhance driving range.”
**Safety has also been secured.** The IONIQ 9 is the first electric vehicle to pass the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s battery safety pre-certification. Kim stated, “Through the BMS wireless update feature, battery performance, status management, vehicle cooperation control, and safety diagnostics can be continuously updated.” He added, “Future BMS updates will strengthen the high voltage battery status diagnosis function and proactive fire prevention, with plans to expand an emergency dispatch linkage system that notifies fire departments if there’s a potential for a fire.”
The ‘Battery Heating System’, a thermal management control system, attracts attention in terms of maintaining optimal battery conditions during charging and driving in winter. This system uses a heater attached to the inlet to heat the coolant and elevate the battery’s temperature. Kim noted, “We have designed a logic that allows charging even in severe cold conditions of around -30 degrees and prevented the battery from discharging during heating,” stating, “Even if the battery is completely depleted, charging is possible just by attaching the charging cable.”
Kim’s ultimate goal is to create a battery that satisfies all customers. He said, “Current battery technology is unpredictable with diverse research underway,” and added, “Hyundai Motor Group will focus all technical capabilities to provide the best battery to our customers.”