South Korea’s battery and automotive sectors are moving toward tighter vertical integration as Samsung SDI and KG Mobility formalize a new memorandum of understanding to co-develop advanced battery pack technologies for electric vehicles, centered on Samsung SDI’s 46-series cylindrical cells.
The partnership focuses on battery pack architectures designed specifically for KG Mobility’s upcoming generation of electric models, with an emphasis on improving energy density, charging performance, and durability. For battery suppliers, this type of early-stage collaboration with automakers has become increasingly important as vehicle efficiency gains are now largely determined by pack-level design choices, including thermal management, structural integration, and power electronics, rather than incremental improvements in cell chemistry alone.
Samsung SDI positions its 46-series cylindrical cells as a response to rising market demand for longer driving ranges and faster charging without compromising safety or lifespan. The cells use high-nickel NCA cathode materials paired with Silicon Carbon Nanocomposite anodes, a configuration aimed at increasing capacity while controlling swelling, a known challenge for silicon-enhanced anodes. According to the company, this material combination is intended to sustain performance over extended cycling and across a wide operating temperature range, a critical requirement for mass-market EV deployment.
A notable design feature of the 46-series is its tabless structure, which reduces internal resistance and improves current flow. In practical terms, lower resistance can translate into higher power output and shorter charging times, provided that heat generation is effectively managed. Samsung SDI says it has reinforced thermal management at the cell and pack level, alongside updated production processes, to address these constraints and improve overall reliability.
For KG Mobility, the agreement offers access to next-generation battery technology while allowing closer alignment between vehicle engineering and battery system design. As automakers face pressure to shorten development cycles and manage costs amid volatile raw material markets, such partnerships can reduce integration risks and help standardize components across multiple vehicle platforms.
The memorandum also extends beyond near-term vehicle programs. Both companies plan to exchange views on medium- and long-term trends in the global battery market and pursue joint research and development initiatives. This signals recognition that battery competitiveness will increasingly depend on coordinated roadmaps that account for evolving regulations, supply chain constraints, and shifts in vehicle demand profiles across regions.
