"Scratches on the Car Are No Big Deal" Coolly Overlooked... Hyundai Motor Unveils Dream Car Nano Technology

Hyundai Motor Nano Tech Day on the 20th
Self-Healing Vehicle Damage Areas... Nano Coating Technology
Transparent Solar Cells Applicable to Car Windows and Building Glass
Heating Sheet That Warms Only Areas Touched by the Human Body
Radiative Cooling Film That Blocks Scorching Summer Heat

# July 20, 2028. Eunju Lee (pseudonym), an office worker living in Seoul, discovered a scratch while getting out of her car on the way to work. However, she thought little of it and hurried on. She knew that thanks to the 'self-healing' technology applied to the car (a technology that allows the vehicle to repair its own scratches), it would soon return to its original state. Ms. Lee had even forgotten when she last charged her electric vehicle. Not only the roof but all the windows of her car are equipped with highly efficient transparent solar cells. On sunny days, the electric car charges itself with solar power as it drives. When she arrived at the company, the underground parking lot was full, so she parked above ground. Ms. Lee parks her car outside even in midsummer because the transparent radiative cooling film prevents the interior temperature from rising, maintaining a comfortable environment.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia unveiled new nano-material technologies to be applied to future 'dream cars.' One nanometer (nm), which is one-billionth of a meter, is 1/100,000th the thickness of a human hair. By synthesizing materials at the nanometer scale and arranging them differently, new materials with unique properties are created.

The reason Hyundai and Kia focus on nanotechnology is that fundamental material technology is the starting point for all mobility technologies. Hyundai and Kia have been researching materials since the 1970s, and since the late 1990s, they have established organizations focused on advanced materials research, conducting large-scale investments and projects.

A researcher at Hyundai Motor Group's Advanced Technology Research Center is studying self-healing polymer coatings.
[Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

On the 20th, Hyundai and Kia held 'Nano Tech Day 2023' at Community Masil in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul, unveiling six new nano technologies to be applied to future mobility. The six new technologies are ▲ self-healing polymer coating that semi-permanently repairs damaged areas ▲ oil capsule polymer coating with nano capsules that reduce component wear ▲ transparent solar cells applicable to all windows of cars and buildings ▲ mobility-integrated tandem solar cells ▲ pressure-sensitive materials that detect users' biometric signals through pressure ▲ transparent radiative cooling film that lowers the rise in vehicle interior temperature.

The technologies unveiled that day are mature new technologies under consideration for application in upcoming new vehicles. Considering that the typical new car cycle is about five years, it is expected that by at least 2028, Hyundai and Kia new cars equipped with advanced nano-material technologies will be available. Lee Jong-su, Vice President and Head of Hyundai-Kia Advanced Technology Research Center, said, "At the core of technological innovation lies material innovation, which is fundamental and key to industrial convergence," adding, "We will continue to proactively develop advanced material technologies in response to industrial changes and actively apply them to future mobility."

Self-Healing Nano Coating Technology That Repairs Damage by Itself

Let's take a closer look at the technologies developed by Hyundai and Kia. First, the 'self-healing' technology repairs damage to the vehicle exterior or parts by itself. It can recover at room temperature in about two hours without any additional accelerators. Although this technology has been commercialized before, once an accelerator was used, repeated healing was impossible. However, Hyundai and Kia's new technology allows semi-permanent healing. Simply put, small scratches or minor wounds disappear over time, just like human skin.

In autonomous vehicles, even small scratches on critical components such as camera and LiDAR sensor surfaces can cause major problems. Therefore, Hyundai and Kia are prioritizing applying this technology to camera lenses and LiDAR sensor surfaces. Later, they plan to expand the application to vehicle paint surfaces and exterior grilles.

Oil capsule polymer coating developed by Hyundai Motor Group Advanced Technology Institute
[Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

The second technology introduced is the 'oil capsule polymer coating' that reduces component wear using nano capsules. This technology reduces friction and increases durability against wear. When the polymer coating containing nano capsules is applied to the surface of parts, the oil capsules burst each time friction occurs. The lubricant inside flows out, forming a lubricating film.

Currently, lubricants are used in many vehicle parts, but some parts cannot use liquid lubricants, such as bearings that must withstand high temperatures. Applying semi-solid lubricants instead of liquids makes refueling, replacement, and cleaning difficult, and cooling effects are reduced. Solid lubricants are expensive.

Hyundai and Kia's oil capsule technology combines the advantages of both liquid and solid lubricants. It is inexpensive and can be applied in areas that must withstand high temperatures and pressures. This technology can reduce rotational loss in electric vehicle motors and reduction gears, improving energy efficiency. Hyundai and Kia are currently developing products aiming for mass production by applying this technology to drive shafts that transmit engine power to wheels. They are also considering applying nano capsules to interior trim finishes to create vehicles that emit fragrance whenever touched.

Improved Electric Vehicle Energy Efficiency with Next-Generation Nano Material Solar Cells

On this day, Hyundai and Kia also unveiled solar cell technology incorporating nano materials. They demonstrated how nanotechnology can contribute to creating electric vehicles that charge while driving and run longer on a single charge. Until now, solar cells were difficult to apply to transparent surfaces such as vehicle glass or building windows. Therefore, solar cells have mainly been installed on vehicle roofs. However, with Hyundai and Kia's new technology, solar cells can be attached to vehicle glass and building windows, enabling power generation.

The transparent solar cells unveiled by Hyundai and Kia use 'Perovskite' materials to increase power generation efficiency and maximize transparency. This material has high photoelectric efficiency, resulting in solar cell power generation efficiency over 30% higher than conventional cells. Additionally, Hyundai and Kia adjusted the thickness of the light-absorbing layer to enhance transparency. Simply put, it means glass windows that function as solar cells can be made.

Notably, this research is significant because it moved beyond small-area cell-level studies to develop large-area (over 200 cm²) transparent solar cells. Developing a 1.5W-class transparent solar cell with excellent performance at the module level is a world first.

Researchers belonging to the Electronic Device Research Team at Hyundai Motor Group's Basic Materials Research Center are developing two-dimensional perovskite solar cells.
[Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

Hyundai and Kia are also developing 'tandem solar cells' by stacking Perovskite on top of conventional silicon solar cells. By stacking two solar cells, they can complementarily absorb different solar spectrum regions, creating products with energy efficiency exceeding 35%.

This technology can be applied to parts of eco-friendly vehicles that receive direct sunlight, such as hoods, roofs, and doors. Combined with transparent solar cells applicable to vehicle windows, the entire vehicle body becomes a solar power generation system. This means Hyundai and Kia can realize carbon-neutral mobility as they emphasize.

Reduced Power Consumption and Comfortable Vehicle Environment through Nano Material Technologies

Pressure-sensitive materials are located between the foam and cover of the seat, and are characterized by transmitting the pressure applied to the seat as electrical signals without the need for separate sensors, helping to detect biometric signals.
[Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

Hyundai and Kia are also applying nano material technologies to reduce power consumption and create a comfortable vehicle environment. The fifth new technology unveiled that day is 'pressure-sensitive material.' When applied, the so-called 'heated seat' only warms the parts of the seat that the human body touches. The material itself senses pressure and heats only the contacted areas, preventing power waste. This also helps extend the driving range of electric vehicles.

The last technology introduced is the 'transparent radiative cooling film' that prevents vehicle interior temperature rise during summer. Hyundai and Kia are the first in the world to develop this film at a scale large enough to apply to vehicle glass. Conventional tint films only block external heat, but the new transparent radiative cooling film also emits heat outward. This means the vehicle interior no longer turns into a sauna under summer sunlight. According to internal tests, the vehicle interior temperature can be lowered by up to about 7°C compared to conventional tint films.

Transparent cooling films can regulate the temperature inside vehicles as well as contribute to carbon reduction.
[Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.