Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation have inked an agreement with Samsung SDI to develop high-performance batteries designed specifically for robotics. The joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed at Hyundai Motor Group’s Uiwang Research Center, marks a strategic move aimed at significantly boosting energy density, output, and operating time for robot applications.
At the signing event, Dong Jin Hyun, Vice President and Head of the Robotics LAB at Hyundai Motor and Kia, outlined the partnership’s vision: “By integrating our advanced robotics expertise with Samsung SDI’s state-of-the-art battery technology, we aim to set a new benchmark in battery performance—ensuring enhanced supply stability and price competitiveness through market expansion.” Hans Cho, Executive Vice President and Head of the Strategic Marketing Team at Samsung SDI, echoed these ambitions, emphasising the collaboration’s potential to introduce differentiated technologies and high-quality products into the burgeoning robot battery market.
Currently, many service robots rely on batteries originally intended for power tools or light electric vehicles—a compromise that limits output capacity due to design constraints. The new initiative will focus on creating batteries optimised for the limited space available in robotic systems, ultimately delivering extended usage time and improved efficiency.
Under the MoU, Hyundai Motor and Kia’s Robotics LAB will rigorously assess the performance of the newly developed batteries, focusing on key metrics such as maximum charge and discharge rates, operational duration, and overall durability. Meanwhile, Samsung SDI is set to innovate with high-capacity materials and refined design strategies, aiming to enhance both battery efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
The collaboration also includes joint marketing initiatives to further drive the robot battery market forward. In a strategic showcase, Hyundai and Kia plan to display their service robot ‘DAL-e’ and Mobile Robot ‘MobED’ at Samsung SDI’s exhibit during ‘InterBattery 2025’ in Seoul, offering a glimpse into the future of robotics powered by this cutting-edge battery technology.
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