Hyundai WIA sets up independent TMS unit for EVs

[Courtesy of Hyundai WIA]

Hyundai WIA has created a separate and independent unit, TMS Division, to develop electric vehicle thermal management systems. The head of the company’s development organization was also promoted from the executive level to a higher-ranking managerial position. These moves aim to strengthen efforts in developing thermal management systems that play a crucial role in determining the driving range of electric vehicles.

According to sources on Monday, Hyundai WIA launched the division earlier in January 2024. This separate, dedicated research organization was formed by separating TMS Development Center from the company’s vehicle parts research center.

Thermal management systems in vehicles are considered a crucial technology for the competitiveness of EVs. In traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, thermal management was confined to regulating heater and air conditioning performance. However, battery performance is directly affected by external temperature fluctuations in EVs, significantly impacting the vehicle’s driving range, and enhancing battery performance via thermal management is thus considered a core technology for EVs. Tesla Inc., for example, noted a 9.3 percent increase in driving range with the inclusion of the third-generation thermal management system in the ‘Model 3 Long Range.’

The EV thermal management market has traditionally been dominated by manufacturers specializing in vehicle air conditioning systems. Denso from Japan has a market share of around 30 percent, while Hanon Systems holds about 17 percent. For its part, Hanon Systems has been supplying its ‘third generation electric vehicle thermal management system,’ known as the heat pump system, to Hyundai Motor Group and three German automakers since 2014.