Hyundai Motor to take Korean ondol heating system to GV90

In the era of autonomous driving, the definition of the space inside a car is expanded into a moving living space, and Hyundai Motor Co. aims to take it to the next level by laying a traditional Korean heating system on the floor.

The top South Korean automaker on Sunday unveiled a new mobility concept inspired by the Korean floor heating system, ondol, to allow passengers to get some rest on the move as if they were lying in bed at home.

In a traditional Korean house, ondol, or heated stone slabs, is an underfloor heating system that allows people to enjoy being on the floor barefoot.

Hyundai Motor said its new mobility concept, dubbed Mobility Ondol, to be installed on a future electric vehicle, will use heat from batteries generated while driving to warm up the floor and inside of the car.

The floor will have a storage space where passengers can put their shoes and then get in the car barefoot, according to Hyundai.

“We’re working on energy harvesting technology to capture ambient energy for use in our EVs,” said a Hyundai official.

The automaker said it has applied for a patent for its Mobility Ondol system in the US, Japan, China and Europe.

In line with its fully autonomous future mobility concept, the company said seats will be arranged to face each other and to accommodate a range of comfortable postures inside the vehicle, similar to what a luxury reclining chair or a bed could offer.

When seats are converted into the bed arrangement mode, they extend completely to a fully reclined position. When passengers want to take a nap in the car, a blanket that has buckles works like a seat belt, ensuring safe relaxation, according to Hyundai.

Hyundai didn’t say which cars will have the Mobility Ondol system, but industry watchers said the GV90, a flagship sport utility vehicle under the premium Genesis brand, will be equipped with the system.

Hyundai plans to launch the GV90 by 2026.

Write to Il-Gue Kim at Black0419@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.