Ding~Dong! A parcel was left at the doorstep. It was a large box with an electric car drawn at the front, and it came with a card. Two words — POSCO and eAutopus — were written on the box, and the card read “e Autopos Unboxing”. Join us for the unboxing of POSCO’s integrated brand of sustainable automotive product & solution, “e Autopos”.

l Mission: Observing the Box

Before opening the box, let’s take a closer look from the outside. “e Autopos” written on the picture of an Electric Vehicle (EV) is POSCO’s integrated brand of eco-friendly automotive product solutions. The brand refers to POSCO’s steel and secondary battery material products used in EVs and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs), and customized solution packages that can be applied to these products. e Autopos is a combination of the words eco-friendly and electrified AUTOmotive solution of POSco.

l Now for the Real Unboxing! eAutopus Car Body

The inside of the box reveals a car body that looks quite solid.

The car body consisting of eAutopos products is light and strong. To protect the environment, cars must be lighter because a heavier car needs more energy and emits more greenhouse gas. EVs are about 200kg heavier than conventional fuel engine vehicles because of the battery pack weight, so reducing weight is an essential task for EVs. However, making a car lighter isn’t as easy as it sounds. Developing a lightweight and strong body is important for the safety of the users because the vehicle body absorbs and distributes shocks in the event of an accident and also prevents battery damage.

Accordingly, POSCO developed PBC-EV (Posco Body Concept for Electric Vehicle), POSCO’s solution for EVs where Giga Steel is applied. Applying more than 45% of Giga Steel, PBC-EV achieved a weight reduction of about 30% compared to conventional fuel engine vehicles of the same size. Giga Steel is more than three times stronger than aluminum, which has recently been applied to automotive bodies and can withstand a weight of more than 100kg per 1mm².

The e Autopos automotive body solution includes many of POSCO’s advanced steel grades because the passenger and battery spaces should be designed to prevent deformation in case of an accident or a collision. Also, the traction motor space in the front, the trunk space in the rear, and the side space should be designed to absorb the collision force.

980XF is applied for the Front Side Member that absorbs shock at the front of the vehicle due to its excellent tensile strength^* and elongation^**. For the Side Sill Inner Reinf, which absorbs shock at the relatively narrower side area, 1180 TRIP product is applied because of its outstanding strength and elongation.

In the event of a collision, the shock is first absorbed in the front, rear, and sides. The remaining energy is then transferred to the passenger and the battery space inside the vehicle. Therefore, it is important to apply a steel product that prevents this. The strength of the steel applied here should be higher than that of the ones used in the areas that receive the shock directly.

The remaining energy after the initial absorption in the Front Side Member is transferred to the Extension Member Front Side Outer Rear, and here comes another important task: this part must sustain the impact without any deformation. Accordingly, since the shape is relatively complicated, a 1.5 GPa-class 1500HPF product was applied to secure formability and collision resistance at the same time. 1500HPF is formed by heating steel plates at a high temperature of 900°C and then cooled down and shaped in a mold.

The Dash Cross Member Outer and Seat Cross Member, which serves to protect passengers by suppressing automotive deformation in the event of a collision, employs 1500MART. 1500MART is a high tensile strength product of 1500MPa and maximizes the prevention of automotive body deformation.

l Eco-friendly Car Chassis Made Complete with eAutopus

▲ The Chassis of an EV

Now let’s take a closer look at the “chassis” which is in charge of driving functions! Connected to the bottom of the car body, the role of the chassis is to enable driving and absorb shock. The chassis is composed of Suspension and Hub Bearing, the essential machine parts required to run a vehicle, and Suspension Spring and Shock Absorber to absorb the shock from the road.

The Giga Steel introduced in the e Autopos automotive body solution is also applied to the suspension. POSCO developed a lighter, longer-lasting suspension with Giga Steel. POSCO Bearing Steel is used for hub bearings that are mounted on automotive wheels to help the wheels rotate. Since POSCO Bearing Steel is used for wheels that are directly connected to passenger safety, its quality is strictly managed and it features high resistance to abrasion, cracking, and deformation.

Tires with e Autopos solution are strong to puncture. This is possible because of POSCO Tire Cord Steel! The Tire Cord Steel supports the weight of the vehicle, maintains the shape of the tire, and extends the life of the tire. POSCO’s Tire Cord Steel is made of high-strength carbon, has excellent machinability and high strength, so it is lightweight and features excellent driving stability.

POSCO’s Spring Steel is applied to the Suspension Spring, which is responsible to secure comfortable rides by minimizing the shock or vibration transmitted from the road. As for the Shock Absorber, POSCO’s Carbon Steel for Machine Structure is adopted. POSCO Spring Steel is stronger than conventional spring steel by more than 200 MPa, yet 15% lighter since the number of coils wound around is minimized, making it suitable for weight reduction. As such, e Autopos solution is applied to all parts of the eco-friendly automotive chassis!

Automobiles are considered one of the best inventions of mankind. And recently, as environmental regulations have been strengthened worldwide, a sustainability-focused wave is trending in the automotive industry as well.

As actions to ban combustion engine vehicles have been accelerated from Europe to other countries, such as China and Japan, experts forecast that the annual production of eco-friendly vehicles worldwide, such as electric vehicles (EV) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), will increase from 6 million in 2020 to 39 million units in 2030.

In preparation for the advancing era of sustainable mobility, the sensible alternative for automakers is to develop EV or FCEV. Then what is POSCO doing in line with the paradigm shift in the automotive market? Of course, it has its own share of plans — responding with the integrated brand for sustainable mobility, “e Autopos”!

l POSCO Has It All Figured Out

sustainable mobility isn’t just a concern for the automotive industry. The steel industry also needs to develop materials appropriate for application in eco-friendly vehicles that are powered by secondary batteries or hydrogen fuel cells rather than engines.

Since POSCO is the top global automotive material manufacturer supplying automotive steel plates to top automakers in Asia, America, and Europe for over 50 years, what does it have to do with eco-friendly automotive materials?

POSCO already developed and currently supplies various solutions, including the ultra high-strength “Giga Steel” for EV body, chassis, and battery pack, high-efficient “Hyper NO Electric Steel” for EV traction motor, which is a key component of EV, and “Poss470FC Stainless Steel” for the bipolar plate for FCEV that requires to be highly conductive, corrosion-resistant, and durable.

Also, together with POSCO Chemical, POSCO is the only Korean company supplying materials for secondary batteries, the heart of electric vehicles, from raw materials, such as lithium, nickel, and graphite, to cathode and anode materials.

Supplying automotive materials is only possible if knowledge of automobiles is sufficient. POSCO has accumulated technology and know-how for more than 50 years and has established a strong global partnership, thus making it the front player in the era of sustainable mobility. And “e Autopos” will be a brand proving its capabilities.

l “e Autopus,” POSCO’s Own sustainable Mobility Brand

On January 27, POSCO launched “e Autopus,” an integrated brand of eco-friendly automotive products and solutions to lead the eco-friendly automotive market.

“e Autopos” is a combination of the words eco-friendly and electrified AUTOmotive Solution of POSco, and it intends to pioneer the eco-friendly automotive market through innovation that comprises eco-friendliness, collaboration synergy, and future orientation.

As mentioned earlier, major solutions include high-strength steel for EV body and chassis, battery pack steel, energy-efficient steel for traction motors, bipolar plate for FCEV, cathode and anode materials for secondary batteries. Together with POSCO Chemical, POSCO International, and POSCO SPS, POSCO plans to provide steel products for eco-friendly automotives and secondary battery material products, and customized application solutions for clients as a whole package.

With the launch of “e Autopos”, POSCO plans to pioneer the eco-friendly automotive market in the future with its partner companies under the slogan “Drive Green Future, Together,” and aims to provide products and solutions to global eco-friendly automakers. POSCO will also establish a systematic sales infrastructure to increase client satisfaction.

POSCO Newsroom plans to introduce various solutions of “e Autopos” that are expected to drive sustainable mobility, such as EV body & chassis steel plates, energy-efficient steel plates for traction motors, steel for battery packs, battery materials, and bipolar plate for FCEV — all made with POSCO’s technology.

On January 27, POSCO (CEO Jeong-Woo Choi) held the launch event of ‘e Autopos’, an integrated brand of eco-friendly automotive products and solutions, with clients.

‘e Autopos’ is the second integrated brand of products and solutions of POSCO following ‘INNOVILT’, its premium brand of steel products for construction launched in 2019. e Autopos is a combination of the words eco-friendly and electrified AUTOmotive solution of POSco, and it intends to pioneer the eco-friendly automotive market through innovation that comprises eco-friendliness, collaboration synergy, and future orientation.

POSCO’s marketing division manager Tak-Jeong said, “POSCO will focus the group’s competence on creating high-quality, high-value-added products and innovative solutions that meet the needs of the market, and will pioneer the eco-friendly automotive market through shared growth with clients.”

The main products of the ‘e Autopos’ brand include high-strength steel plates for automotive bodies and chassis, steel for battery packs, energy-efficient steel plates for motors, metal separators for hydrogen EVs, and cathodes & anodes for secondary battery materials. POSCO plans to incorporate the capabilities within group companies, including POSCO Chemical, POSCO International, and POSCO SPS, to provide steel products for eco-friendly automotives and secondary battery material products, and customized application solutions for clients as a whole package.

In response to the rapid changes of the automotive market triggered by carbon neutrality and the hydrogen society, POSCO established an eco-friendly automotive sales division in 2019 and launched the brand this year to stay ahead in the eco-friendly automotive market and expand sales. The market for eco-friendly automotive, like electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles, is expected to grow from 6 million units in 2020 to 39 million units in 2030, and the market of related materials is also predicted to show rapid growth alongside.

POSCO plans to add the ‘e Autopos’ category to its official website to provide information regarding products and customized application solutions. The company also plans to co-develop eco-friendly automotive with clients adopting ‘e Autopos’ and conduct joint marketing by participating in exhibitions together.

▲ The logo of ‘e Autopos’, an integrated brand of eco-friendly automotive products and solutions