A space-saving electric vehicle structure designed by Hyundai and Kia engineers is geared to cut weight and make more room for the crucial battery, per published reports.
It's a blueprint that could help to increase EV range while solving a design conundrum facing many EV makers, as noted by Tesla owner Elon Musk in 2022.
"We could have made a 600-mile Model S 12 months ago," he said in a post on X at the time. Musk added that the extra battery mass would have made overall vehicle performance worse. The post was shared in a Sustainability by Numbers article.
But schematics and patent details from South Korea have been making headlines as a solution, according to Top Speed and Green Car Reports.
The innovation is unique because it integrates the battery assembly into the vehicle structure. This is different from traditional builds that feature two separate but connected pieces. Space-consuming material overlaps reduce room for battery cells, which limits range, all per Top Speed.
"The photos included in the patent application show a floor pan, side rails that appear to extend all the way to the rear wheel openings, and an upright firewall at the front. Down low and in the middle is where the battery cells get installed, the commonsense place to keep a vehicle's center of gravity as low as possible, though it'd be hilarious to see an EV with the battery pack mounted in the roof," Top Speed's Craig Cole wrote.
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Green Car added that the batteries would be placed underneath the floor in voids between crossmembers.
EVs already weigh on average 30% more than gas-burning rides, according to Kevin Heaslip, director of the University of Tennessee Center for Transportation Research, per The Globe and Mail.
The report cited a 2024 Hyundai Kona as one example. A gas version weighs 3,053 pounds, while the battery-powered one tips the scale at around 3,758 pounds, a 23% increase.
Other experts in South Korea are working to incorporate energy storage into the structure of buildings and vehicles, too. And Medium reported that Tesla is also tinkering on similar tech.
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"Now, a completely separate battery assembly could, in theory, make maintenance easier because technicians can unbolt the pack from the bottom of a vehicle and lower it to the ground, though it's unclear if that would be the case with Hyundai and Kia's much more integrated design. Serviceability could be an issue with this new configuration if the battery cells aren't easily accessible without ripping half the vehicle apart," Cole wrote.
Greater EV range can help to expand a growing market. Sales for both new and used EVs stateside were up 30% year-over-year, Cox Automotive reported.
The growth is important as we continue to shift to cleaner rides, helping to limit harmful, heat-trapping exhaust. The fumes are linked by NASA to increasing risks for severe weather, which is a detriment to public safety and even property insurance coverage and availability.
It's a great time to buy an EV, as tax breaks worth up to $7,500 are still available. Plus, you can save up to $1,500 a year on gas and maintenance costs.
As for the Korean carmakers' patent, readers had some barbs to go with the laurels in the comment section.
"Structure battery just means it is expensive to repair after accidents which would be a scrap and cause insurance rate to rise," one reader said.
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