Automotive Exports December 2021

Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc joins
advanced battery research consortium
As automotive lead batteries are set to
receive an energy boost through new
research unveiled in their new Technical
Roadmap, the Consortium for Battery
Innovation (CBI) announce their newest
member, Hyundai Motor Group.
One of the world’s leading car companies,
Hyundai Motor Group, joins through
its North American design, technology
and engineering arm, Hyundai
America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI).
Headquartered in Michigan with operations
in California and production facilities in
Alabama and Georgia, HATCI supports
development activities for the Hyundai, Kia,
and Genesis brands.
The exciting partnership which brings
together innovation on both sides of
the automotive sector – research and
development – comes at a pivotal time for
the global lead battery industry.
Ramping up research efforts to deliver
next-generation advanced lead batteries,
CBI’s new Technical Roadmap has identified
key research pathways for the technology,
widely used in start-stop and microhybrids.
Another growing automotive
application identified in the Roadmap is the
use of low-voltage lead batteries in electric
vehicles (EVs).
“As Hyundai Motor Group and HATCI
continues to strive for an eco-friendly
mobility future, we see significant value
in joining the Consortium for Battery
Innovation,” said John Robb, president,
HATCI. “Combining resources, knowledge
and testing scenarios will positively
influence our industry efforts during a
pivotal time in moving towards world-class
electric vehicle propulsions.”
Director of CBI, Dr. Alistair Davidson,
said: “Having Hyundai’s Technical Center
on board is a giant step forward for the
industry in collaborating with the biggest
market for advanced lead batteries: the
automotive sector. “By working together
with CBI’s global membership, which
spans the entire lead battery value chain,
Hyundai can really benefit from the latest
in technology advancements and be able
to integrate the technology into their
products.”
Working with the automotive industry
is a key pillar of CBI’s work and covers
the entire automotive application space,
from 12V batteries used in conventional,
start-stop and micro-hybrid vehicles to
low-voltage EV batteries. Micro-hybrids
are predicted to represent 60% of new car
sales globally by 2030.
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