Hyundai Mobis has developed an in-house 160-kilowatt Power Electric system for general-purpose electric vehicles, joining its existing 250-kW unit. A 120-kW system for compact mobility is due by mid-2026, completing a three-model lineup covering all EV segments. The supplier is targeting global automaker orders for proprietary drive systems.
Seoul, South Korea-based automotive supplier Hyundai Mobis (KRX 012330) has completed in-house development of a 160-kilowatt (kW) Power Electric (PE) system for general-purpose electric vehicles, and intends to finish a 120-kW version aimed at small mobility vehicles by the end of the first half of 2026. The two units will sit alongside the company’s existing 250-kW high-performance PE system to form a three-model lineup designed to cover all electric vehicle segments.
A PE system is the EV equivalent of an internal-combustion powertrain, combining a motor, inverter and reduction gear. Hyundai Mobis previously mass-produced PE systems to customer specifications, but says it has now secured the design technology for each component through its own R&D programme and is unveiling proprietary drive models for external sale.
The 160-kW unit delivers a maximum output equivalent to 215hp in internal-combustion terms, a level the company describes as suitable for the majority of electric vehicles currently in mass production. Installing two units, one on each axle, doubles peak output. Specific power – power output per unit of weight – has increased by around 16% versus previous designs, while overall system volume has been cut by close to 20%. Hyundai Mobis attributes the gains to extensive modular design, standardised components and a new cooling structure for the motor, along with a power module built around energy-efficient power semiconductors.
Standardisation has focused on the drive motor stator, the inverter and the power module, with the resulting system-level reference design intended to be applied across multiple vehicle programmes in a platform-like manner. The company contrasts this with the conventional approach in which automakers work with individual suppliers to develop component technologies for each new powertrain.
The forthcoming 120-kW system, targeted at compact cars, is being engineered for minimised size and weight, and is positioned with price competitiveness for emerging markets in mind. The 250-kW system, completed in 2025, was developed to compete on maximum output, motor torque and cooling structure.
Hyundai Mobis plans to actively propose the new PE systems to global customers and says some overseas automakers have already shown significant interest. The supplier had previously secured battery system orders from global accounts, and this development extends its electrification portfolio from energy storage into drive systems. The company expects an improvement in profitability as it can now handle both design and series production of PE systems internally.
