Hyundai’s R&D headquarters in Namyang that has 12,000 personnel recently went through a significant reorganization as the automaker prepares for the next stage of the electric era. As reported by Business Korea, the changes include shutting down the engine development center, signaling the end of new ICE units for production vehicles.
The engineering team that used to work on the development of new engines has been transformed into an R&D team for electric vehicles. In fact, all ICE-related centers have been reportedly converted to electrification-related units, alongside the new Battery Development Center that has been established in Namyang.
Read Also: Hyundai And Kia Partner With Factorial For Solid State Batteries That Extend Range By 20-50 Percent
Hyundai wants to shorten the R&D time for new electric cars by unifying different departments. An example is the Project Management Team and the Integrated Product Development Team which are now forming a single unit working on a vehicle from its initial design all the way to production.
The electrification of the Hyundai Group has already started with several new models from Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis planned to be underpinned by the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). More specifically for Hyundai, the Ioniq 5 that was launched earlier this year is expected to be followed by the Ioniq 6 in 2022 and the Ioniq 7 in 2024. Besides EVs, Hyundai is also working on hydrogen fuel-cell technology as an alternative for the future.
Last week, Hyundai announced the retirement of Albert Biermann from the role of the President and Head of the Research and Development Division for the Group. The German engineer, who will now work as an Executive Technical Advisor for the firm, played a pivotal role in the driving characteristics of Hyundai products including the performance-oriented N department. Despite his retirement, Biermann will utilize his experience in supporting the development of electrified performance vehicles.
