Hyundai Mobis focusing on sustainable material usage ahead of 2030

Global automotive supplier Hyundai Mobis is accelerating the development of new materials for future mobility and achieving diverse research and development (R&D) goals as it tries to position itself to effectively respond to an anticipated tightening of global environmental regulations around 2030.

In a move to demonstrate its adaptability in response to "trade disputes and geopolitical dynamics in the raw materials sector," the Seoul, South Korea-based company has announced three areas for material development: sustainable materials that can meet global environmental regulations; innovative materials that will lead mobility advancements; and digital materials enabled through virtual verification methods.

The company, which claims expertise in sensors and software development for safety and produces various components for electrification, brakes, chassis and suspension, steering, airbags, lighting and automotive electronics, says its material development strategy aligns with the increasing emphasis in recent years on securing independent competitiveness in materials, components and equipment. It adds that it established a stable supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to achieve independent R&D results in new material development.

Recycled plastics and biobased materials

Hyundai Mobis says its commitment to developing sustainable materials involves recycling resources or utilizing biobased materials. It notes that recycled materials primarily are used in plastic components, and the company produces regenerated materials by recovering recyclable parts from household scrap or end-of-life vehicles, processing them and adding additives.

Using this approach, Hyundai Mobis says it successfully has developed a protective cover for the lower arm of a vehicle’s underbody, and despite it containing 50 percent recycled plastic, the product retains the same physical properties as conventional materials. The company notes that the EU currently is moving toward legislation mandating the use of 25 percent recycled materials in plastics for new cars starting in 2030.

Additionally, the company says it is developing more than 30 types of new materials that can be applied to components that extensively use plastics, such as cockpit modules, lamps and airbags. The company also is developing materials that utilize wood to reduce CO₂ emissions while enhancing weather resistance.

Reducing nickel

Hyundai Mobis says it is transitioning its portfolio toward high-value-added products centered on electrification and electronic components and is accelerating the development of new materials that use fewer rare metals, such as nickel, while enhancing performance.

Recently, the company developed a new material that reduces the use of nickel metal in inductors—a key component in power conversion for electric vehicles (EVs). The company adds that inductors typically are made from metal powders mixed with nickel.

Hyundai Mobis says it successfully reduced the nickel content from 50 percent to around 30 percent. “Amid a sixfold increase in nickel prices over the past decade, this new material minimizes raw material price volatility while ensuring electromagnetic properties,” the company says.

The company also has begun evaluating a new material that is nickel-free. It is focusing on developing new materials to enhance competitiveness across all electrification and electronic components fields, including high-speed charging battery cooling technology, electromagnetic shielding materials and surface coating technologies for autonomous driving sensors.

Going digital

The company says it heavily invests in digital materials technology, integrating IT into traditional material fields. It says it improves alignment by virtually simulating and predicting the diverse material characteristics required in automotive components.

Moreover, artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to explore new materials. By quantifying existing data, Hyundai Mobis says it automatically can determine material properties, potentially leading to “groundbreaking changes” in material development through an information platform based on material technology.

The company notes that it has more than 100 R&D professionals in materials science to strengthen its capabilities in new material development. It operates its R&D headquarters in Seoul and has four technology centers in the U.S., Germany, China and India.