How Samsung will make Kia and Hyundai electric cars even more connected

Gone are the days when cars did not have the slightest electronics on board. Because now, today’s cars are becoming real smartphones on wheelswith the development of numerous embedded technologies.

A brand new collaboration

We obviously think of Tesla, which was one of the pioneers in the field, but which is gradually being overtaken by its competitors. This is particularly the case for Chinese manufacturers, who excel in this area, but more traditional brands are also gradually getting into it. As Hyundai Motor Groupwhich combines the two Korean giants, Hyundai and Kia. The firm, which is one of the largest automotive groups in the world, is increasingly interested in embedded technologies.

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And if the two firms had until now a little late in the fieldit’s now ancient history. In a press release just published, the Seoul-based manufacturer indicates that it has signed a partnership with Samsung Electronics. The goal? Collaborate around SDV (Software Defined Vehicle). A term that may seem a little barbaric, but which in fact simply designates an ultra-connected car, designed around the technologies on board.

A concept also studied by Renault, whose first vehicle of its kind should see the light of day in 2026 in the form of an electric utility vehicle. The advantage of this electronics-centered strategy is to be able to keep a car level and at a distance without needing to touch the hardware. But unlike the diamond brand, which works with Google, it is with its rival Samsung that Hyundai and Kia are now collaborating. And this partnership should first give birth to a brand new infotainment system, which should arrive in 2026.

The latter will have the particularity of integrating the SmartThings platform developed by Samsung. If the latter is normally dedicated to the connected homeit can also be perfectly adapted to the automobile, for example to open or close the car or even check the remaining autonomy. This is also why Samsung partnered with the Smartcar startup in 2020… just like Tesla, but only to manage the American brand’s domestic batteries. Kia and Hyundai could therefore be among the first car manufacturers to benefit from it.

Become a leader in mobility services

Concretely, the objective of this new collaboration is to‘offer a set of personalized services to motorists, through the integration of shared application programming interfaces (API). If all the functionalities have not yet been detailed, it will for example be possible to locate your car directly using SmartThings. This technology will work using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), which allows you to not depend on cellular coverage and therefore works everywhere.

The infotainment system will also be linked to Samsung Electronics user accounts, allowing provide truly personalized servicesdepending on the lifestyle of the drivers. Song Chang, President and Director of the manufacturer’s Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) division explains that “ our goal is to enrich the mobility experience of Hyundai Motor and Kia customers by offering personalized services that extend beyond transportation, seamlessly integrating vehicles with smartphones “.

This new open mobility ecosystem is also co-developed in partnership with Hyundai Motor Group’s global software center, 42dot. But the objective of this collaboration with Samsung is also to “ secure a leading position in the mobility services ecosystem » to the two Korean giants, while competition is getting tougher. For its part, Kia has just taken a new step by offering a major OTA update (over the air) remotely to its cars, with more than 150 new features.