Hyundai Motor drives software unit's Q1 sales higher

Record-setting earnings at South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group have driven its vehicle software platform’s sales sharply higher and painted a brighter outlook for its subsidiary Hyundai Autoever Corp.

Robust demand for luxury and electric vehicles such as Hyundai's Genesis G90 sedan and Kia Corp.'s electric EV9 have fueled sales of high-value vehicle applications produced by Hyundai Autoever.

In the first quarter of this year, Hyundai Autoever raked in 145.4 billion won ($110 million) in automotive software sales, up 41.4% from a year earlier.

The revenue includes that from Mobilgene, Hyundai Autoever's auto software platform. Mobilgene technologies were developed based on the AUTOSAR global development standard and customized for Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia cars. AUTOSAR has standardized a set of vehicle software applications.
 
As Hyundai Motor Group speeds up efforts to transform into an autonomous driving carmaker, its software subsidiary is poised to lead the expanding self-driving applications market.

“The sales growth of the Mobilgene platform indicates that automotive design technology is pivoting from hardware toward software,” said an auto industry official.

The Mobilgene platform comprises the Mobilgene Classic division which produces microcontroller units (MCU) installed in combustion engine cars and the Mobilgene Adaptive operation for Level 3 autonomous driving systems.

An MCU is an integrated circuit that performs specific tasks of vehicle systems. Adaptive systems, regarded as high-value vehicle applications, began to post significant sales growth this year, according to the company.

Mobilgene Adaptive applications have been embedded into L3 vehicles such as Hyundai’s luxury flagship Genesis G90 sedan and Kia’s second all-electric vehicle EV9.

On the autonomous driving spectrum, L3 level allows the driver to take their eyes off the road.

Hyundai Motor Group aims to convert all of its models to software-centered vehicles by 2025. That will further boost demand for Hyundai Autoever’s self-driving applications.

Mobilgene autonomous driving apps will likely be equipped in 20 to 30 types of Hyundai Motor and Kia vehicles between 2025 and 2026, Hyundai Autoever said.

BEYOND VEHICLES

Applications of Mobilgene software are expected to extend beyond automobiles. Last month, Mobilgene Adaptive technology was applied to an autonomous operation solution for leisure boats developed by Avikus, an autonomous navigation in-house startup under HD.

HD Hyundai Group is the parent company of Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., the world’s largest shipbuilder. 

Eugene Investment & Securities Co. forecast sales of Hyundai Autoever's software to approach 1 trillion won around 2025.

Write to Sung-Soo Bae at baebae@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article