500 Billion KRW Investment in Autonomous Driving and Electric Vehicle R&D This Year... "Support for Core Technology Development"

The government will invest 500 billion KRW this year in research and development (R&D) for autonomous driving and electric vehicles.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 13th that it will invest 500 billion KRW in R&D and infrastructure this year to secure future car competitiveness, an increase of 56.6 billion KRW compared to last year.

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An official from the Ministry said, "In 2024, despite the global slowdown in automobile demand, our automotive industry achieved export performance exceeding 70 billion USD for the second consecutive year," adding, "To respond to uncertain trade environments, advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous driving technologies, and strengthened eco-friendliness, there is an increasing need to expand technological capabilities and supply chains."

The Ministry will allocate a total of 432.6 billion KRW this year to R&D related to autonomous driving, electric vehicles, and hydrogen vehicles. Of this, 64.4 billion KRW will support new projects. Accordingly, on the 14th, the first round of new R&D support projects will be announced, focusing 38.5 billion KRW on 17 items (40 detailed projects) to secure core technologies in autonomous driving, supply chain improvement, and future vehicles.

In the autonomous driving sector, which is key to future mobility competitiveness, the Ministry plans to actively pursue autonomous driving technology that ensures accident-free, driver intervention-free, and equitable utilization without technological gaps through AI technology integration. To this end, it will support the development of core technologies such as AI semiconductors, autonomous driving software, and cybersecurity.

Technology development to reduce supply chain risks will also be promoted. Currently, most magnets in electric vehicle motors are manufactured using imported rare earth materials. The Ministry plans to stabilize the supply chain and turn crises into opportunities by developing motors with reduced dependence on rare earths.

Additionally, the Ministry will support the development of breakthrough technologies that dramatically improve safety and efficiency, including a battery-integrated high-speed wireless charging system, a dual motor simultaneous drive system, technology that integrates five types of drive and power conversion components into one, development of high-output motors with 12 or more poles, and battery systems that detect abnormal signs before battery fires and delay heat transfer for more than 20 minutes after a battery fire.

Alongside this, 66.5 billion KRW will be invested in infrastructure such as shared equipment construction and prototype production support for commercialization to enhance the innovation capabilities of regional parts companies. To closely support regional parts companies, nine new infrastructure projects will be established at key locations to actively foster a region-led future car industry ecosystem.

R&D support for 2025 will be conducted in two rounds, with the second announcement scheduled for the end of April. Detailed information and application forms for the newly announced future car sector projects in the first round can be found on the Pan-Governmental Integrated Research Support System.

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