Hyundai Mobis Co. has developed the world’s first nickel-free inductor material that is expected to sharply cut the inductor manufacturing cost, the South Korean automotive parts maker said on Tuesday.
The unit of Hyundai Motor Group is conducting the verification test of the new material that replaces nickel with silicon. Inductors are components of power transformers for automobiles. They are made of iron-nickel alloy powder.
Soaring nickel prices were blamed for higher manufacturing costs of vehicle components as the rare metal became a core ingredient for electric vehicle batteries. Over the past 10 years, nickel prices have shot up about sixfold.
Hyundai Mobis has also developed an inductor material with 30% nickel content, down from the previous 50%. It is slated for its commercial production, the company said in a presentation for its automobile parts materials development strategy.
It is shifting toward sustainable and innovative materials to comply with global climate change goals.
For sustainable materials, it is developing a lower arm protective cover, a product that prevents scratches in the lower part of cars, made of recycled plastics.
It is also working on about 30 new materials for various automotive components made with plastics, including cockpit modules, lamps, and airbags.
The European Union is seeking to mandates new vehicles to be equipped with recycled plastics amounting to at least 25% of their pastic materials from 2030.
By Jae-Fu Kim
hu@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article
