All-out to Secure Source Technology for Future Vehicles
The number of patents held by Hyundai Motor Group’s three major affiliates at home and abroad is close to 50,000. The trio -- Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Corp. and Hyundai Mobis -- have been actively securing source technologies for future vehicles such as electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and hydrogen vehicles.
The trio held a combined 48,340 patents as of the first half of 2021, according to their semiannual reports released on Aug. 30. This is an increase of 3,610 patents compared to the end of 2020.
In detail, Hyundai Motor's domestic and foreign patents totaled 31,642 as of the first half of 2021, up 1,536 from the January to June period of 2020. Kia held 11,397 patents, up 1,146, while Hyundai Mobis had 5,301 patents, up 928. The number of patents owned by the three affiliates is expected to cross 50,000 for the first time at the end of the year.
Hyundai Motor Group is putting a spur to securing patents as the future mobility industru such as electric vehicles, self-driving cars, and hydrogen fuel cells are emerging in honest. In fact, Hyundai Motor's patents increased 44.3 percent (9,244 patents) compared to the end of 2015, and those of Kia Corp. 75.1 percent (4,396) during the same period. "We are strengthening the securing of advanced patents related to autonomous driving, mobile-linked services, hydrogen fuel cells and electric vehicles in order to dominate the future technology sector," Hyundai Motor said.
Hyundai Motor Group plans to invest about US$87 billion (100 trillion won) in electrification and future mobility by 2025. The figure is the highest among major global carmaker. Hyundai Motor Group is planning to release 23 types of E-GMP-based electric vehicles and derived electric vehicles under Hyundai Motor, Kia Corp. and Genesis brands by 2025. The IONIQ 5 and the EV6 are already on sale. The GV60, Genesis' first electric vehicle, is also about to be released.
In addition, in the field of hydrogen-powered vehicles, which are emerging as a hot new business item, Hyundai Motor Group has the world's best technology capabilities, including the world's first successful mass-production of hydrogen electric vehicles. Sales of the second-generation hydrogen-electric vehicle Nexo ranked first in the world in the first half of 2021. The Korean automotive group is also prominent in the hydrogen-electric truck market. Following self-driving cars and urban aviation mobility (UAM), its robot business is also beginning in earnest with the takeover of Boston Dynamics famous for its robot dog.