Completion of Charging in 5 minutes? Hyundai Motor to Develop Detachable Battery for Electric Vehicle

Hyundai Motor Begins New Challenge
Try to develop a Detachable Battery
A shortcut to expanding the electric vehicle distribution

On the 16th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport launched the Mobility Innovation Committee. It proposed measures to ease regulations that could suggest a new direction for the South Korean mobility industry. A detachable electric vehicle model that replaces the electric vehicle battery with a fully charged battery is scheduled to be developed. Existing electric vehicles take about 4-7 hours for a standard charge and about 20-40 minutes for a fast charge. However, with new removable batteries, A fully charged battery can be replaced in about 5 minutes. This is expected to impact the spread of electric vehicles significantly.

No Production Standards Yet in Korea
Hyundai Motor Develops and Produces Test Vehicle

Hyundai Motor has taken advantage of the Mobility Innovation Committee’s special regulatory provisions and was tasked with developing and producing a vehicle with a safely detachable battery. The act of detaching an electric car’s battery can only be done by a registered repair business, and there are no proper development and production standards yet. Hyundai Motor has the opportunity to develop and manufacture a new detachable battery test vehicle through permission from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

The distribution of electric vehicles in the domestic automotive market is increasing more than before, showing a positive trend. However, the charging facilities and maintenance infrastructure still have a long way to go. A severe shortage of electric vehicle charging facilities in apartments, public institutions, and supermarkets is causing a charging crisis.

It is likely to bring about innovation in charging infrastructure
There are also doubts as to whether the detachable will be successful

However, some people are worried about the emergence of new electric vehicles with detachable batteries. Some cite the phenomenon of mobile phone batteries changing from removable to built-in batteries, and several opinions point out the limitations of design and technical elements.

On the other hand, some people view it positively, hoping it will go through initial trial and error and settle into stable commercialization. They cited shortening the charging time as the biggest advantage. It is believed that if a simpler and more convenient method of battery replacement is introduced, it will have a greater impact on the expansion of electric vehicle distribution and relevant market formation.

South Korean Government attempts to ease mobility regulations
Promoting competitiveness not only domestically but also overseas

With the Mobility Innovation Committee’s announcement of deregulation measures and the government’s 2024 electric vehicle purchase subsidy reform plan also revealed, consumer interest in electric vehicles is increasing. The competitiveness of South Korean companies in the United States and China, where the battery-replaceable electric vehicle market is already active, is also something to pay attention to.

In the second half of this year, the South Korean government plans to specify further the battery exchange charging service plan for operators who frequently drive long distances and promote it as a special regulatory exception. It is expected to promote innovation and growth in South Korean and international markets through the government’s relaxation of mobility regulations.