现代汽车和起亚在欧洲电动车电池健康度调查中排名前二

Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) and Kia (000270.KS) have ranked first and second in battery state of health (SoH) in Europe, beating global automakers including Tesla. The result is interpreted as a sign that not only Hyundai and Kia but also the battery industry supplying them, including LG Energy Solution (373220.KS) and SK On, are overcoming through technology the battery performance degradation and residual value concerns that have long been cited as electric vehicles' biggest weakness.
According to the industry on the 10th, France's EV-focused channel La Chaine EV surveyed 3,055 electric vehicles that were more than two years past their delivery, and Kia ranked first with an SoH of 99%. Hyundai Motor placed second with an SoH of 98%.
The average SoH of the vehicles surveyed was 94.8%. Volvo followed at 96%, Tesla at 93.5%, Peugeot at 91% and Nissan at 90.5%.
SoH is an indicator showing how much performance an EV battery currently maintains compared to when it was delivered. It is calculated through a comprehensive analysis of charging capacity, output and internal resistance, and the higher the figure, the better the driving range and performance are maintained. SoH is a factor that affects an EV's residual value and used-car pricing.
A similar result emerged in Germany. According to EV specialist outlet InsideEVs, in a long-term driving test conducted by the German automobile association, a Tesla Model Y that had driven 140,000 km showed an SoH that had dropped to 86%. In contrast, according to a case disclosed by Hyundai Motor Group on the HMG Journal, an Ioniq 5 Long Range RWD model recorded an SoH of 87.7% despite driving 660,000 km over three years.
The industry views Hyundai and Kia's top SoH rankings ahead of global automakers as proof of their excellence in battery durability and management technology, addressing EVs' chronic weakness. Electric vehicles have the fatal drawback that battery performance deteriorates over time. In particular, since batteries account for as much as 30-40% of a vehicle's price, battery performance degradation leads to a decline in an EV's residual value and has been cited as a factor hindering market expansion.
According to The Wall Street Journal, one in 12 electric vehicles produced between 2011 and 2016 had its battery replaced. According to data analytics firm Recurrent, if the entire battery is replaced after the warranty period ends, the cost consumers must bear is up to $16,000 (about 24 million won).
The industry views this result as proof, beyond the competitiveness of the automotive brands, of the technological prowess of LG Energy Solution and SK On, which supply batteries to Hyundai and Kia. In the European market, Hyundai sells the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and Ioniq 9, while Kia sells electric vehicles such as the EV3, EV4, EV6 and EV9. Among these, the EV3, EV4 and Ioniq 6 are fitted with LG Energy Solution batteries, while the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 9, EV6 and EV9 carry SK On products.
In particular, Korea's battery industry is evaluated as favorably positioned for future customer diversification, as it has secured production bases within Europe. LG Energy Solution is producing batteries supplied to European automakers' plants based on its Wroclaw plant in Poland (86 GWh). SK On has secured a total production capacity of about 47.5 GWh in Hungary.
"In Europe, purchasing vehicles through leasing is widespread, so used-car value and lease economics are very important in the market," an official from the battery industry said. "Companies that have proven battery longevity and quality reliability will secure a greater competitive advantage over the medium to long term."