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Hyundai Motor (KRX: 005380): All-Solid-State Battery EV Adoption
The automaker playing the long game on solid-state batteries — building its own pilot line while rivals chase 2027 launch dates.
Who they are
Hyundai Motor is South Korea's flagship automaker and the core of the wider Hyundai Motor Group alongside Kia and Genesis. On solid-state batteries specifically, Hyundai has taken a noticeably more conservative public stance than Toyota, Honda, or Samsung SDI — while still building the in-house R&D infrastructure to compete if and when the technology matures.
What they do
Hyundai opened a pilot production line for all-solid-state EV batteries at its Next-Generation Battery Research Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi-do, in early 2025 — built to prove out cell designs internally rather than to manufacture at any real volume. Its most concrete public technical milestone so far is a 60Ah A-sample cell built in partnership with Solid Power, an early-stage prototype format that precedes the B-sample and C-sample stages needed before a cell can go into a production vehicle.
How they make money
None of this generates revenue yet — Hyundai's actual business is selling roughly 4.1 million vehicles a year (2024 figure) and the batteries inside them today are conventional lithium-ion, sourced from LG Energy Solution, SK On, and, as of April 2026, a first-ever supply deal with Samsung SDI (prismatic P6 cells for the European market, 2026–2032). The solid-state program is R&D spend aimed at not being left behind if a rival's ASSB cells prove cost-competitive sooner than Hyundai currently expects.
Where it sits in the value chain
Hyundai sits in Automotive OEM Adoption — the tier that ultimately decides whether any of this technology ships in a car people can actually buy, and that funds pilot lines and A-sample programs to find out. It's one of three automakers (alongside Toyota and BMW) actively road-testing or pilot-producing ASSB cells today, though on a visibly slower public timeline than the other two.
The bigger trend
Hyundai and Kia have been explicit that they don't expect solid-state EV batteries until 2030 at the earliest — a sharp contrast with Toyota (2027–2028) and BYD/CATL (both eyeing 2027 for a first launch). That gap isn't necessarily a sign Hyundai is behind technically; it reads more like a deliberate hedge against the well-documented pattern of battery breakthroughs slipping past their announced dates, while Hyundai keeps improving conventional LFP and NMC chemistries in the meantime. The April 2026 Samsung SDI supply deal is a useful data point in the other direction, though: it's a conventional lithium-ion deal today, but it puts Hyundai and one of the industry's most aggressive ASSB developers in a closer commercial relationship right as both companies' solid-state timelines start converging on the early 2030s.
What to watch
- Whether Hyundai's 60Ah A-sample program with Solid Power progresses to B-sample or C-sample status, which would be the clearest signal its 2030 target is actually on track.
- Whether the new Samsung SDI supply relationship (currently conventional lithium-ion) eventually extends into a solid-state supply agreement, given both companies' overlapping 2027–2030 development windows.
- Whether competitive pressure from Toyota's and BYD's more aggressive 2027–2028 timelines pushes Hyundai to accelerate its own public roadmap.
Related companies
FAQ
When will Hyundai put solid-state batteries in production cars?
Hyundai has said it doesn't expect solid-state EV batteries to be commercially viable until 2030 at the earliest, a more conservative timeline than Toyota's 2027–2028 target or BYD's stated 2027 launch plan.
What has Hyundai actually built so far?
A pilot production line at its Uiwang, Gyeonggi-do research center (opened early 2025) and a 60Ah A-sample solid-state cell developed with partner Solid Power — an early prototype stage, not yet a production-ready battery.
Does Hyundai's new Samsung SDI deal involve solid-state batteries?
No. The April 2026 supply agreement covers conventional prismatic lithium-ion cells (Samsung SDI's P6 model) for Hyundai's European EV lineup from 2026 through 2032. It's a separate, conventional-battery relationship from Hyundai's in-house solid-state pilot program.