LG Electronics, Magna International to jointly develop autonomous driving technologies

The goal is to develop prototypes for autonomous driving systems, leveraging LG Electronics’ infotainment technologies and Magna’s specialty in the active safety system.

LG Electronics and Magna will jointly develop a prototype for an autonomous driving system. [LG ELECTRONICS]

LG Electronics and auto part supplier Magna International will jointly develop autonomous driving technologies, the electronics maker said Wednesday.

The goal is to develop prototypes for autonomous driving systems, leveraging LG Electronics’ infotainment technologies and Magna’s specialty in the active safety system.

The two companies are taking part in the upcoming CES 2023 tech fair, which is to kick off on Thursday, and plan to discuss potential cooperation with global carmakers.

Ontario, Canada-based Magna has been working with LG Electronics for electric vehicle (EV) powertrain business.

In 2021, the two companies formed a joint venture, LG Magna e-Powertrain, which is building a $100-million EV component plant in Mexico.

LG Electronics specializes in in-vehicle infotainment systems for connected cars, which involve various technologies and services such as telematics.

A telematics system is a telecommunication device and software to store and transmit data in a vehicle.

LG Electronics represented the largest share, or 23 percent of the global telematics system market in the third quarter last year, said the electronics company citing data from Strategy Analytics.

Infotainment services are one of the three pillars of LG Electronics’ auto part business. Other core businesses involve EV powertrains and vehicle lights.

Magna supplies auto parts, from powertrains to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for autonomous driving. The Canadian company recently acquired Sweden-based Veoneer’s active safety business for $1.53 billion.

“With the expansion of cooperation with Magna, we expect to provide unique consumer experiences for not only global carmakers, but also for both drivers and passengers on vehicles,” said Eun Seok-hyun, head of the vehicle component division at LG Electronics.

LG Magna e-Powertrain’s 25,000-square-meter (6.17 acres) factory, located in the city of Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, is scheduled to begin commercial operation in 2023.

It will produce inverters, motors and on-board chargers to support production at General Motors factories.

LG Magna e-Powertrain is running production plants in Incheon, and Nanjing, China.

JoongAng Control's booth at the CES 2023 tech fair [LOTTE DATA COMMUNICATION]

JoongAng Control (JAC) also said Wednesday that it will display its EV chargers at CES 2023.

JAC, a subsidiary of Lotte Data Communication, will introduce its latest ultra-fast charger for EVs at the tech fair.

The charging system can be powered by solar energy and supports power sharing and plug-and-charge technology, according to the company.

JAC specializes in EV charging systems, from manufacturing to installation. It introduced its Evsis charging system brand in August last year.

In April 2021, the company signed a supply contract with BTC Power, a U.S. EV charging system manufacturer.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]