[Exclusive] LG and Hyundai Motor to deepen automotive electronics cooperation, moving beyond batteries to SDVs [Future Business 'Alliance and Integration']

LG Group has been confirmed to have held a closed-door "LG Tech Show" at Namyang Research Institute, the research and development (R&D) heart of Hyundai Motor Group, showcasing a full range of future mobility parts and materials. LG executives reportedly focused on broadening the scope of cooperation between the two companies by proposing all of the group’s capabilities related to future vehicles, including automotive electronics and batteries, in a package format.
According to LG Group and Hyundai Motor Group on the 5th, LG’s automotive electronics affiliates held the closed-door "LG Tech Show" at Namyang Research Institute in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, on the 17th of last month. The event introduced the group’s entire automotive electronics portfolio, including electric vehicle batteries, infotainment systems, in-vehicle cameras and communication modules, and vehicle displays. A large number of key executives and officials in charge of LG’s automotive electronics business attended. At Namyang Research Institute, Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D base, the two sides are said to have discussed concrete cooperation on future technologies beyond a simple product presentation.
LG Group and Hyundai Motor Group are seeking partners for cooperation across the board in response to the transition to software-defined vehicles (SDVs), often called "smart cars." The Tech Show is seen as accelerating collaboration between the two companies to build integrated cooperation from the early design stage of automotive electronics technology.
An official from the auto industry said, "Demonstrating technologies at an automaker’s R&D base is part of exchanges aimed at securing advanced technologies," adding, "But a group-wide proposal like this can be seen as a sign that the scope of cooperation is expanding."
LG Group’s top executives are concentrating their capabilities on the future mobility business. Under Vice Chairman Kwon Bong-seok, the so-called "One LG team" for the automotive electronics sector is currently in operation. The group is actively pursuing "automotive electronics sales" by visiting global automakers such as Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai Motor Company, Toyota, and General Motors (GM) in person. Since starting with Mercedes-Benz in March 2024, LG has continued holding closed-door tech days at the headquarters of major automakers. It has also expanded its cooperation base by holding similar technology briefings for key clients such as Hyundai Motor Company, Honda, and Toyota.
The "One LG" strategy in the automotive electronics sector is already producing visible results. A representative example was last November, when Mercedes-Benz Chairman Ola Källenius visited Korea and the heads of four LG automotive electronics affiliates — LG Electronics, LG Display, LG Energy Solution, and LG Innotek — gathered to discuss cooperation. Interest from global automakers in LG continues as well. Recently, an executive in charge of BMW’s vehicle software platform visited Korea and shared trends in connected vehicle technology with LG Electronics Vehicle Solution Division, reportedly exploring possibilities for broader cooperation across automotive electronics technologies.
Industry observers expect the scope of cooperation between the two companies to widen further following the closed-door event at Namyang Research Institute. Until now, cooperation has mainly centered on hardware supply chains, such as joint ventures for EV batteries. Going forward, however, the partnership could expand across the entire automotive electronics field.
An electronics industry official said, "The significance is greater when a group holds a 'Tech Show' rather than simply proposing a single component," adding, "By packaging and offering its automotive electronics portfolio, LG is signaling its intent to present a solution optimized for Hyundai Motor's SDV transition." The official continued, "This reflects a trend in which cooperation, which had been centered on batteries, is expanding across the full range of automotive electronics."
soup@fnnews.com Im Su-bin Kim Dong-chan Kim Jun-seok Reporter