Hyundai, Kia Partner With Korean Giants on EV Safety

Hyundai Motor and Kia have signed a memorandum of understanding with LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, and SK On to jointly develop next-generation EV battery safety technologies.

The agreement, announced at Hyundai and Kia’s R&D center in Hwaseong, South Korea, follows a year of collaborative research that began after a major EV battery fire in 2024 raised public safety concerns. The partnership marks a shift in South Korea’s EV ecosystem—from competitive secrecy to open collaboration—reflecting the rising cost of safety compliance and the need for industry-wide standards. The five priority projects include: Development of safety-related patents, a digital battery passport system for transparency, enhanced design and manufacturing quality and advanced firefighting technology for EV incidents.

Key Highlights

• Hyundai, Kia sign EV safety MoU with LGES, Samsung SDI, SK On
• Focus on safety patents, digital battery passports, and firefighting tech
• Collaboration driven by stricter global EV battery regulations

The initiative is being supported by South Korea’s transport and industry ministries, underlining its national significance. Globally, EV battery failure rates have dropped from 1 in 200,000 (2006) to 1 in 10 million today, but even these rare failures create risks when scaled to millions of vehicles. The collaboration aims to eliminate these risks by covering the entire lifecycle of battery safety, from design and production to emergency response.

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The timing coincides with tightening global regulations, including China’s new GB38031-2025 rule (effective July 2026), which requires EV batteries to withstand thermal runaway events for at least two hours. By pooling resources and sharing patents, Korean automakers and battery giants aim to stay ahead of regulations while maintaining competitiveness against Chinese rivals.