Newly emerging hot competition between top-ranked automakers of S. Korea and Japan

Top-ranked automakers of South Korea and Japan are in a fierce competition race toward preemptive release of in-vehicle semiconductors, an area considered as one of current hottest industrial realms for the next-generation smart car business.

Japanese top-ranked car maker Toyota began its development steps for such semiconductors in the late-1990s, being one step ahead of Hyundai Motor in the vehicle semiconductor field. But Hyundai Motor, which joined the development in 2012, is rapidly snapping at the Japanese carmaker’s heels by increasing investment in research and development (R&D). The expectations are high that the gap will be narrowed soon, given the fact that Korea has considerable expertise in the semiconductor field.

Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday it would build an R&D center for developing vehicles’ electronic management and in-vehicle semiconductor in Dangjeong, Gunpo city, Gyeonggi province from the second half of this year. The new center will reportedly be based in a location near the headquarters of Hyundai KEFICO, which is in charge of the group’s electronic management. “We aim to fully build the center by the first half of next year with an estimated 100 billion won (about $97.9 million) investment in the construction,” said an official at Hyundai Motors.

Hyundai Motor Group recently noted that it would build an R&D center for developing vehicles’ electronics management and in-vehicle semiconductors in Dangjeong, Gunpo city, Gyeonggi province from the second half of this year. The new center will reportedly be based in a location near the headquarters of Hyundai KEFICO, which is in charge of the group’s electronic management. It aims to fully build the center by the first half of next year with an estimated 100 billion won ($97.9 million) investment in the construction.

Meanwhile, the strong rival Toyota has already developed and decided to embed silicon carbide (SiC), a compound of silicon and carbon, in power control components of hybrids.

 
 
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