The competitiveness of Hyundai-Kia’s electric vehicles starts at the Namyang Research Center. The Ioniq 5 starts its relentless test runs on a machine that resembles a treadmill for driving tests. In the wind tunnel testing ground, simulations are being conducted for the Axient hydrogen electric truck, adjusted to the local climate conditions of the export markets.
On the 27th, with the signs of spring in full bloom, I visited the core facilities for electric vehicles at Hyundai’s Namyang Research Center. Researchers were sweating buckets to achieve carbon neutrality within these key electric vehicle facilities. At the time of the visit, it appeared as if new research buildings were being built, fitting together like Tetris blocks.
The first stop was the electric vehicle power meter laboratory. This laboratory conducts tests on the development of next-generation high-performance electric vehicles and the acceleration performance of motors. The laboratory conducts tests using 1-axis, 2-axis, and 4-axis setups, each in its dedicated space.
The 1-axis power meter test experiments with motors and inverters to develop motor performance and efficiency, reading the flow of current. The 2-axis power meter test experiments with a system identical to that of electric vehicle drive systems, made up of motors, inverters, and reducers. In the 2-axis tests, a focus is placed on analyzing the cooling and efficiency of the electric vehicle’s driving system. Finally, in the 4-axis lab, the Ioniq 5 is connected to driving robots, suspended in mid-air. Moreover, this Ioniq 5 is equipped with a robotic driver that simulates driving conditions to conduct braking and driving experiments on various road surfaces.
Next, we moved to the battery analysis room. In the era of future mobility, electric vehicle batteries are the most crucial component. Here, there are designated rooms for battery charging and discharging tests, a dry room, and precision analysis equipment.
The battery charging and discharging test room evaluates the fundamental performance of cells and their lifespan under various charging and discharging conditions. Accompanied by the chief of the battery analysis room, I visited the battery disassembly room. The chief mentioned, “This was created to minimize the risk of fire during cell disassembly.” Additionally, the chief added, “Even in the event of a fire, firefighters are stationed in each building to ensure immediate fire suppression.”
The collected samples are moved to the pretreatment room, where cutting and sampling operations are conducted within a glove box. When work is carried out inside the glove box, one must be cautious as these samples are sensitive to oxygen and moisture, which can damage the sampling process. The sampled materials are then transferred to the main analysis room for precision analysis.
Afterward, I moved to the commercial system testing space. This space boasts an enormous size of 4,400 pyeong (approximately 14,500 square meters) within the Namyang Research Center. All commercial vehicles from Hyundai and Kia undergo rigorous testing here before release. A long corridor extends where robots conduct various experiments. In one area, a robot continuously opens and closes the back door of the Hyundai Solati at a consistent speed.
As I walked down the corridor, there was a space high up with only a steering wheel and a seat. This is precisely where steering tests for the commercial vehicles are conducted. Researchers sweat profusely to create vehicles with robust durability, capable of handling harsh driving conditions.
The NVH dynamometer anechoic chamber within the commercial system testing section features a space of 7.5 meters in height, surrounded by over 13,000 sound-absorbing materials. Amidst this setup stands the Universe bus. Here, external noise is blocked to conduct rigorous noise testing for Hyundai and Kia buses and trucks.
The grand finale of the Hyundai Research Center tour is the wind tunnel laboratory for commercial vehicles. A large number of monitors fill the space, as the Axient hydrogen electric truck greets journalists. Experiments in this wind tunnel are conducted in accordance with driving conditions of the export regions.
Inside the laboratory, solar equipment has been installed. The temperature set by the solar equipment is 36 degrees Celsius, which is hotter than a typical midsummer day. A massive wind direction device stands in front of the truck, constantly blowing air to simulate real driving conditions.
Additionally, the temperature can be adjusted from -40 degrees to 60 degrees Celsius, allowing simulations that reflect the climates of extreme environments where Hyundai’s hydrogen electric commercial models are expected to be exported, such as Northern Europe and the Middle East.
Lee Kang, head of the commercial vehicle fuel efficiency development department, emphasized, “Customers from export regions, such as the United States, the Middle East, and China, come to our wind tunnel laboratory and are amazed by the stringent testing standards unique to the Namyang Research Center.” He added, “Domestic customers include transit bus company owners and delegations from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the SK Hydrogen Energy Business Group.”
This transitional period from internal combustion engines to electrification vividly demonstrates that the time left until the declaration of carbon neutrality is not far off, through the electrification development facilities at Hyundai’s Namyang Research Center.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr