A subsidiary of the Hyundai Motor Group, Hyundai Kefico specializes in mobility electronic control systems. Founded in 1987 with the mission of "domesticating electronic control parts" Hyundai Kefico achieved a significant milestone by successfully mass-producing the country's first fuel injector in 1989. By expanding its R&D facilities, including technology research institutes and application technology centers, Hyundai Kefico has developed and manufactured a variety of control systems for internal combustion engine drivetrains, surpassing its initial goal of parts domestication to secure national technology through independent innovation.
Now, Hyundai Kefico is poised for a new leap as a specialist in electric vehicle integrated control and power/charging control. To this end, it is developing electric two-wheeler drivetrains, power conversion control systems, and electric vehicle chargers, among others. Specifically, Hyundai Kefico's fast and ultra-fast electric vehicle charger, Super-fast EV charger is designed for the era of electrified mobility. Similar to how the domestication and mass production of electronic control parts have led to the qualitative and quantitative growth of domestic automobiles, high-quality domestic chargers are expected to contribute to the rapid expansion of South Korea's electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Hyundai Kefico initiated the development of fast and ultra-fast electric vehicle chargers in 2021, starting with the advanced development of core components such as power modules, charging cables, and PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). The development process encompassed both the charger system and mass-production-ready products.
Considering heat dissipation characteristics, Super-fast EV charger features a design that separates the charging post from the power bank. The charging post, which facilitates stable charging through communication upon vehicle connection, is also equipped with a touchscreen for user authentication and payment, making it user-friendly and intuitive.
Upon connecting the charging cable to a vehicle, the PLC controller within the charging post utilizes charging communication to gather information such as the battery's State of Charge (SoC). Before commencing the actual charging process, an insulation tester checks the charging cable for leakage. If no issues are detected, the charging post activates the power bank to deliver the necessary power to the vehicle, proceeding with the charging process. The power bank, composed of several power modules arranged in parallel, serves the role of converting AC power into DC power suitable for the vehicle's battery system.
In developing the Super-fast EV charger, Hyundai Kefico prioritized the safety of both operators and users. Given the device's characteristic of charging hundreds of kW of power in a short span, every aspect, including installation, usage, and maintenance, has been meticulously designed for safety. For instance, during system design, high and low voltage areas were segregated to prevent direct interference from high voltage areas to low voltage ones.
System control follows a similar principle; By collaborating with each component, the insulation state is constantly monitored, and a logic is in place to instantly cut off power in the event of abnormal voltage/current or overheating. Safety is further enhanced by utilizing a power module developed in-house. A distinctive feature is the use of a dedicated driving semiconductor for the power semiconductor, a crucial component for power conversion, enabling the hardware to cut off power within 2 microseconds (millionths of a second) irrespective of software control.
Hyundai Kefico's Super-fast EV charger stands out for its entirely domestically developed core components, allowing for the incorporation of innovative designs that address the shortcomings of existing chargers. The design of the power module also diverges from traditional models. Hyundai Kefico's in-house developed power module, with a base unit of 30kW, is bundled into 120kW units for use. Although existing power banks also utilize 30kW power modules, they employ a single circuit breaker when designed for 240kW or 200kW configurations. Consequently, if a power module malfunctions and triggers the circuit breaker, the entire system becomes inoperative. However, Hyundai Kefico's power bank utilizes two circuit breakers, allocating one for each 120kW unit, thus allowing the charger to remain operational with the remaining power modules even if one fails. This is highly advantageous as it provides an opportunity to address the malfunction while maintaining charging operations.
Moreover, by combining power modules, chargers with higher outputs can be assembled. Connecting power modules in parallel enables the achievement of higher outputs. Hyundai Kefico plans to operate 240kW and 360kW chargers based on a 240kW power bank and intends to expand the capacity up to 400kW in the future.
The quality of the charging cable is also a critical aspect of Hyundai Kefico's Super-fast EV charger. For stable high-capacity power supply, cooling of the charging cable is crucial. Hyundai Kefico has developed a charging cable with enhanced cooling performance in collaboration with LS Cable. The cooling specifications for the air-cooled charging cable were developed in-house, securing performance equivalent to or better than existing imported charging cables. Safety measures, such as the use of insulating cooling fluid, were also thoroughly implemented.
Furthermore, Super-fast EV charger's PLC controller was developed in-house, applying charging communication technology. Hyundai Kefico is also concurrently mass-producing and developing the Vehicle Charging Management System (VCMS), responsible for managing charging communication in electric vehicles, giving it an advantage in optimizing communication technology between vehicles and chargers. This highlights how 35 years of accumulated controller technology shine in the charging business. Hyundai Kefico is also continuing its advanced research to respond to the development of V2G (Vehicle To Grid) and wireless communication technologies. V2G technology, which requires bidirectional communication, involves transmitting power from the vehicle battery to the power grid during peak power times when the infrastructure needs power.
Hyundai Kefico's Super-fast EV charger boasts high quality, high efficiency, cost competitiveness, and convenience. Importantly, it can be manufactured and used at a lower cost than existing chargers distributed in Korea. This was made possible by platforming the charger system and standardizing and commonizing parts through in-house development and part domestication, thus reducing material costs.
Hyundai Kefico has established its own reliability and quality verification standards for Super-fast EV charger, in addition to obtaining KC safety test type approval, undergoing more stringent verification than other chargers. To ensure manufacturing quality, a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and smart assembly history management have been established to operate an optimal production foundation.
Efficiency is also crucial for electric vehicle chargers; The lower the loss rate when transferring power to the electric vehicle, the more energy can be saved. 240kW Super-fast EV charger achieves a transmission efficiency of up to 96% when charging a Hyundai Ioniq 6 at its maximum rating (800V/300A). It can deliver power to charge the electric vehicle battery from 10% to 80% within 18 minutes while maintaining a low loss rate, making it attractive from an operational standpoint.
Another consideration for charger operators is maintenance and management. Hyundai Kefico has equipped a maintenance control service to monitor the charger's status in real-time, enabling rapid on-site measures in case of a malfunction. It also implements preventive measures before malfunctions occur by setting internal management standards for monitoring items and managing the lifespan of each component to determine the accurate timing for part replacement. Hyundai Kefico currently has the capacity to produce 750 units of the Super-fast EV charger annually. It plans to operate production lines flexibly according to order situations and respond to different electric vehicle charging types and certifications by country.
The future mobility envisioned by the Hyundai Motor Group utilizes electric and hydrogen energy. The emergence of various next-generation means of transportation, from personal mobility to large-scale mobility that realizes smart logistics, is imminent. To welcome the era of free movement using electric vehicle-centric mobility and robotics technology, the establishment of infrastructure is essential. It is hoped that Hyundai Kefico's developed Super-fast EV charger will contribute to the stable expansion of charging infrastructure.
HMG Journal Operation Team
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