Hyundai Mobis is accelerating the internalization of automotive semiconductors. Five years after acquiring the semiconductor business from Hyundai Autron in 2020, it is increasing the number of mass production success cases of its own designed automotive semiconductors. The result is enhanced competitiveness in controllers and core components equipped with the directly designed semiconductors.
Hyundai Mobis announced on the 18th that it has completed research and development and reliability verification of semiconductors for key components such as electrification, electronics, and lamps, and will start mass production this year. While Hyundai Autron previously focused on developing semiconductors for internal combustion engine drive systems, Hyundai Mobis has expanded the scope of its semiconductor research and development to key order items.
The major semiconductors being mass-produced this year include power integration chips that combine power control features for electric vehicles and semiconductor drivers for lamps. The battery management integrated circuits (ICs) already being supplied are accelerating the development of next-generation products. This semiconductor monitors the charging status of electric vehicles and contributes to stability.
Hyundai Mobis has been committed to research and development of automotive semiconductors as a core technology component to lead future mobility over the past few years. Not only has the number and type of self-designed semiconductor items increased, but there have also been significant achievements across the entire fields of production, process technology, quality, and procurement. To achieve this, Hyundai Mobis is currently operating a separate organization responsible for the semiconductor business and has reportedly secured approximately 300 specialized personnel.
The background for Hyundai Mobis’ push for the internalization of automotive semiconductors is the rapid advancement of electrification in the mobility industry. According to a global research organization, it is known that there are up to 3,000 semiconductors in vehicles currently in mass production. As autonomous driving and electrification technologies are increasingly applied, the required quantity is also surging.
Hyundai Mobis is also working to improve its semiconductor supply response capabilities in collaboration with major corporations, partners, and research institutions. The strategy is to build a domestic automotive semiconductor ecosystem, contributing to the competitiveness of finished vehicles and also enhancing supply chain stability.
Following the acquisition of Hyundai Autron, Hyundai Mobis has restructured its portfolio and clarified its research and development direction by choosing to focus on two areas: power semiconductors and system semiconductors.
First, Hyundai Mobis aims to complete the electrification value chain through the internalization of power semiconductor design. Power semiconductors enhance the driving range and performance of electric vehicles. Currently, Hyundai Mobis is mass-producing power modules, which integrate multiple power semiconductors and add cooling functions.
Hyundai Mobis is aiming to have a complete lineup of electric vehicle drive systems, including power semiconductors, power modules, inverters, motors, and PE systems. Since power semiconductors are a key factor that determines performance and cost, internalizing them can enhance competitiveness in next-generation drive systems.
System semiconductors perform various functions such as power, drive, communication, sensing, and networking. As the number of controllers necessary to implement autonomous driving and software-defined vehicles (SDV) increases, semiconductors are emerging as a core component's competitiveness.
Hyundai Mobis aims to strengthen its independent semiconductor design capabilities for strategic product semiconductors while enhancing the semiconductor supply response capabilities by establishing a separate ecosystem for other semiconductors. The strategy is to expand the range of customized new technologies provided to clients through its ability to design not only hardware and software but also semiconductors in a one-stop manner.
In accordance with its mid- to long-term semiconductor research and development strategy, Hyundai Mobis is concentrating its research and development capabilities on mass production of silicon-based high-power semiconductors (Si-IGBT) next year, and on next-generation battery management ICs and silicon carbide-based power semiconductors (SiC-MOSFET) in 2028 and 2029, respectively.
This year, Hyundai Mobis will strengthen collaborations with global semiconductor corporations and establish a specialized research base in Silicon Valley to secure outstanding talent from overseas. The Silicon Valley research base will be operated in a two-track system alongside domestic research centers. Tailored semiconductor design technologies will be developed in both domestic and overseas to suit local circumstances.
Park Cheol-hong, executive director in charge of the semiconductor business at Hyundai Mobis, noted, "By establishing a research base in Silicon Valley, we plan to expand the automotive semiconductor ecosystem and increase the number of research and development collaborations with major foreign corporations" and added, "Through this, we will accelerate the independent development of key semiconductors for electrification and electronic components."
Meanwhile, Hyundai Mobis invested $15 million in Elevation Microsystems, a North American system semiconductor startup, in the fourth quarter of last year and is focusing on securing advanced semiconductor technologies.
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