Hyundai and Kia revamp R&D

Hyundai Motor and Kia’s research and development (R&D) organisation shifts to become optimised for software defined vehicles (SDV) and new technology development.

The restructure aims to accelerate the electrification transition, SDV advancement and next-generation technology development, while enhancing new business competitiveness, the companies say.

Each technology team will form an Allianced Tech Organisation (ATO) within the revamped R&D organisation to effectively respond to the rapidly changing mobility landscape and meet ongoing changes in global consumer demands.

The Total Vehicle Development (TVD) Division will be reorganised into vehicle classes to streamline new vehicle development of Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands and focus on advancing electrification.

The Vehicle SW Tech Unit to bring together software technologies and advance SDV development, including electronics, infotainment, autonomous driving and vehicle control capabilities.

Mobility Engineering and Tech Acceleration (META) Tech Unit to lead the development of advanced technologies, including innovative next-generation products and platforms.

Independent R&D organisations and Design Centres for commercial vehicles, robotics, batteries, hydrogen fuel cells and design will report directly to new chief technology officer and president Yong Hwa Kim who also oversees the Vehicle SW Tech Unit.

“The new R&D organisation will be fast and flexible, operating with the agility of a start-up, and will enable us to lead in the rapidly changing mobility landscape,” says Kim.

“While the previous organisation was focused on the efficient development of vehicles, the new dynamic structure will meet ongoing changes in global consumer demands and expands the organisation to deliver aligned solutions in future mobility, electrification, software and robotics.”

Executive vice president Heui Won Yang is the TVD Division head.

The EV organisation, including the Electrified Propulsion Engineering Design Centre and Electrified Propulsion Test Centre, now operates directly under the TVD Division.

Dedicated research organisations focused on all-electric driving range and EV safety have also been established.

Hyundai Motor and Kia have high expectations that this organisational restructuring will lead to substantial improvements in the completeness and speed of new model development, with a particular focus on EV lineups.

Based on the Domain Centralised Architecture, vehicle control systems are integrated into four domains. Through this structure, the vehicle control software system will be unified and various vehicle features can receive over-the-air (OTA) updates.

Hyundai Motor and Kia are also developing software and related devices from the perspective of a holistic user experience (Holistic UX), where mobility devices are connected to smartphones under one operating system and a vast amount of mobility data and AI technology can understand user intent so that all experiences are naturally connected.