Prime Highlight
- Hyundai Motor and Kia will invest ₩1.2 trillion ($816 million) to build their first battery-dedicated R&D facility, the Future Mobility Battery Anseong Campus.
- The campus aims to strengthen Korea’s competitiveness in the global electrification market and serve as a central hub for battery innovation.
Key Facts
- Covering 111,000 square meters, the campus will handle the full battery development process, from material research to vehicle-level integration.
- The facility, scheduled for completion in 2026, will feature an AI-based testbed to analyze battery data and enhance product quality.
Background
Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia announced on Friday that they will invest ₩1.2 trillion ($816 million) to build their first battery-dedicated research and development facilities, marking a major step toward expanding their in-house battery capabilities. The facility, called the Future Mobility Battery Anseong Campus, is under construction in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, and is scheduled for completion in 2026.
The companies held a ceremony to mark the safe progress of the project, attended by senior Hyundai-Kia executives and government officials, including Yang Heui-won, head of Hyundai-Kia R&D, and Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong-yeon. Yang said the campus will serve as a central hub for Korea’s battery sector, helping connect industries and accelerate technological growth. He added that the facility will strengthen Korea’s competitiveness in the global electrification market.
Covering 111,000 square meters, the campus will handle the full battery development process. Hyundai and Kia plan to integrate facilities that support everything from material research and cell production to module packaging and vehicle-level integration. The companies said the site will also feature an AI-based testbed, designed to analyze battery data and improve product quality.
Until now, Hyundai and Kia have focused only on early-stage battery work, such as basic cell design and material research. Their new campus will allow them to develop high-performance lithium-ion battery cells for electric and extended-range electric vehicles, with long-term plans to expand into robotics and advanced air mobility.
Industry analysts say the move shows growing confidence in the automakers’ internal battery capability. Park Cheol-wan, an automotive engineering professor at Seojeong University, said the campus reflects their readiness to compete with major cell makers. He noted that the project also signals stronger competition in Korea’s battery sector.
Construction began in January after months of industry speculation. Experts believe the initiative will help Hyundai and Kia gain more bargaining power and open new opportunities beyond electric vehicles.
