South Korea-based steelmaker POSCO has partnered with Hyundai Motor and eight other organisations to develop next-generation electrical steel sheets for electric vehicle motors, POSCO said in a press release.
The 10-member industry-academia-research consortium has launched a national R&D project to develop 6.5% silicon-content wide electrical steel sheets and EV efficiency-enhancing core and drive motor manufacturing technologies.
The project was formally launched at a kickoff meeting held on 11 June at the Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology in Pohang, South Korea, the release said.
POSCO is leading the project as the principal R&D institution. Other partners include Hyundai Motor, SL Corporation, Polepair Electric, RIST, the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, the University of Ulsan, Pukyong National University and the Korea Metal Materials Research Association.
The project is backed by South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and managed by the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology, the release added.
The consortium will work across raw material development, core fabrication, drive motor manufacturing and real-vehicle efficiency validation.
Electrical steel sheets are used in electric motors. Higher silicon content can reduce iron loss during high-speed rotation and improve motor efficiency, although it makes the steel more brittle and harder to process into thin, wide sheets.
POSCO said the project is aimed at strengthening South Korea’s steel and automotive value chains and supporting competitiveness in the global EV market.
Source: POSCO