Hyundai Motor revealed on Thursday (January 20th) that it has signed an agreement with IonQ, an American quantum hardware and software company. The partnership enables companies to develop next-generation batteries for vehicles.
According to The Korean Herald, together with the team, Hyundai Motor will be able to use IonQ’s quantum computers to create innovative, high-quality lithium batteries that will offer better energy efficiency. The objective is also to produce high-performance batteries at a lower cost.
The South Korean automaker said quantum energy simulation is expected to significantly improve the quality of its lithium batteries by working on improving the devices’ charge and discharge cycles. They will also work to improve product durability, capacity and safety.
“This creative collaboration with IonQ is expected to bring innovation in the development of core materials in the virtual space for various parts of future mobility,” said TaeWon Lim, Executive Vice President of Hyundai Motor Group and Head of Center for engineering and materials, in a press release. Press release. “We are excited to enter the coming quantum era and take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead with more efficient battery power.”
The company added that its collaboration with IonQ is an important part of helping to achieve Hyundai Motor’s strategic goals for 2025. It mentioned that one of the goals is to sell 560,000 units of electric vehicles per year. It also aims to introduce more than 12 models of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) to customers.
With IonQ, the automaker is also looking to take an important step in tackling the threat of climate change, as electric vehicles play an important role in meeting its global sustainability goals. IonQ will also provide Hyundai Motor with faster processing of composite molecular structures and chemical reactions on quantum computers.
Also, Reuters reported that having better battery technology is the answer to expanding and advancing the use of electric vehicles. Many researchers and experts in the field also believe that quantum computers could surely run millions of times faster than existing supercomputers in use today.
