Hyundai and Kia are unlikely to have solid-state batteries available for electric vehicles until after 2030, according to an executive interviewed by Automotive News on Thursday.
Spencer Cho, head of global product planning for Kia, stated on Feb. 24 at the automaker’s EV Day presentation in Tarragona, Spain, “I don’t think we can commercialize these batteries before 2030.”
The Hyundai Motor Group, which includes Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, is collaborating to develop solid-state batteries internally, Cho revealed. However, the viability of this technology for commercial use remains uncertain.
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“Once our engineers believe that we have credible technologies that we can bring, then we might produce them on our own,” Cho said, emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding the progress of solid-state batteries.
While Hyundai has been actively developing its LFP batteries independently of Chinese suppliers, the cautious approach to solid-state batteries could potentially allow suppliers like SK On to advance their own breakthroughs in the technology.
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Several automaker-supported firms and startups are also actively working on solid-state batteries. Among automakers, Japanese companies seem more confident in this technology compared to Hyundai Motor Group.
Nissan, Honda, and Toyota are pushing forward with their own solid-state battery programs, aiming to revolutionize EVs with smaller battery packs and simplified cooling needs, potentially enabling affordable EVs by 2030.