Spectators look at a concept EV car model made with magnesium steel, a new EV car material, on display at the Global EV Material Forum 2017 at the POSCO Global R&D Center in Songdo, Incheon, on Oct. 31.

POSCO Chairman Kwon Oh-joon. (Photos: POSCO)

POSCO is accelerating preparations to supply a key material of electric vehicles (EVs), being highlighted as the car of the future.

POSCO hosted the Global EV Material Forum 2017 to explore ways of maximizing synergetic effects among the business portfolios related to EVs, and to cultivate them as future growth engines at the POSCO Global R&D Center in Songdo, Incheon, on Oct. 31. 

The event was held under the theme “Rising to EV Total Solution Provider.” It attracted about 380 people from some 150 EV material client companies. Executives and staff members from POSCO subsidiaries presented the current status of POSCO’s EV businesses and showed off their capabilities related to key EV technologies. 

A workshop adopted a problem-solving approach to enhance efficiency, in which researchers and R&D executives from customer companies presented the needs of EV customer companies, market trends and the current status of development in three categories ? lightening materials, drive motors and batteries, and POSCO researchers subsequently announced POSCO’s preparations, value-added products and solutions. 

POSCO displayed products related to the workshop’s themes, including “POSCO’s GIGA STEEL and Utilization Solution”; “Development Trends of Drive Motors”; and “Technology Trends of EV Batteries” at a venue of the forum to enhance participants’ understanding.  POSCO is now at the forefront of reducing the weight of automobiles with the development of GIGA STEEL, which is lighter and stronger than conventional automotive steel sheets. 

POSCO has become the first Korean company to produce lithium for EV batteries, which had been imported from foreign countries. 

POSCO Daewoo produces a high-efficient EV drive motor with the Hyper NO, the highest-grade non-oriented silicon steel material and supply it to major automakers. 

POSCO ESM and POSCO Chemtech produce and supply key materials for positive and negative terminals, while POSCO ICT is the sole Korean total provider of services ranging from EV charging infrastructure supply, installation & operation, membership management and value-added services. 

POSCO President Oh In-hwan said, “POSCO will establish itself as a steadfast partner for customers by aggressively participating in the building of an EV ecosystem with high-quality EV materials solutions designed to enhance customer value.”