Hyundai Motor Group announced that on the 30th of last month, the Slovenian economic delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon, visited the Namyang Research Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.
The Slovenian economic delegation was introduced to the current status of Hyundai Motor Group’s future mobility development, including electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and autonomous vehicles, and experienced electrification and autonomous driving new technologies.
Accompanying Deputy Prime Minister Tanja Fajon were Minister of Economic Development, Tourism and Sport Matjaž Han, Rob Capel of the Business Development Agency, and Slovenia’s Ambassador to Korea Jernej Müller, while Hyundai Motor Group representatives included Kia President Song Ho-sung and Hyundai Motor Group CTO Kim Yong-hwa.
Deputy Prime Minister Tanja Fajon and her delegation first received a comprehensive introduction to the Namyang Research Center, a core R&D hub for Hyundai Motor Group, in the design building. They discussed the development status of Hyundai’s electric and hydrogen vehicles and autonomous driving technology, exchanging broad views to expand future mobility.
Following this, Deputy Prime Minister Tanja Fajon and her party boarded the Solati (large passenger van) robo-shuttle, moving from the design building of the Namyang Research Center to the Kia Design Center.
The Solati robo-shuttle is equipped with core Level 4 autonomous driving technology capable of perceiving and controlling the vehicle based on driving situations.
While moving in Hyundai Motor Group’s autonomous vehicle, Deputy Prime Minister Tanja Fajon and her party naturally experienced the group’s autonomous driving capabilities.
At the Kia Design Center, they observed the dedicated electric vehicle platform ‘E-GMP’ from Hyundai Motor Group, along with core components for electrified vehicles such as motors and batteries, and experienced cutting-edge eco-friendly technologies and new materials applied to the globally acclaimed ‘EV6’ and ‘EV9’.
The Kia flagship electrified SUV EV9 is equipped with a 99.8kWh large-capacity battery and features such as a 3D under-cover, aerodynamic wheels, and front bumper air curtains, achieving the longest range of 501 km on a single charge among Kia’s electric vehicle lineup. (※ Based on the 19-inch wheel 2WD model certified by the Ministry of Industry)
The economic delegation expressed their agreement on Hyundai Motor Group’s efforts and commitment to pursuing a sustainable future not only in the operation of vehicles but also in the production process, as they examined eco-friendly and recyclable materials made with bio-polyurethane and plant-based materials used in the EV9.
To allow the economic delegation to directly experience the tangible performance and high marketability of the group’s core electrified vehicles, Hyundai Motor Group arranged for them to test drive the EV6 GT and EV9 at the Namyang Research Center’s driving test site.
The economic delegation remarked that despite being a large SUV, the EV9 possessed smooth driving performance and described its design as robust yet sophisticated. They especially noted being impressed by the advanced driver assistance systems applied to the EV9.
Regarding the EV6 GT, they evaluated it as a vehicle that delivers thrilling driving enjoyment with explosive engine performance and dynamic handling.
The EV6 has continued to receive praise from numerous global media sources and customers, including being the first Korean brand to win ‘European Car of the Year’ and the 2022 ‘German Car of the Year’ in the premium segment. Among the EV6 lineup, the EV6 GT achieves 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 260 km/h, making it the fastest vehicle in Korean automotive history.
A representative of Hyundai Motor Group stated, “Through the Slovenian economic delegation’s visit to the Namyang Research Center, we explained our future mobility technologies, such as electrification and autonomous driving, and also provided the delegation the opportunity to directly experience future technologies. Based on this, we exchanged broad views on future cooperation possibilities,” he said.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr