Hyundai Motor reveals concept car ‘Mobility Ondol’

Hyundai Motor Group has revealed its concept car named ‘Mobility Ondol’ with a special seat structure and a heat conduction system similar to ondol, a Korean floor heating system, on its HMG Tech website. The group announced that it applied on Friday for a patent for the technology to be used in the concept car.

Mobility Ondol is designed for passengers to freely use the space inside the car for their convenience. The car is equipped with full flat seats, which allow passengers to take multiple positions, such as basic, relax, and full flat.

Passengers can sit back with their legs up and read a book using a foldable desk in the relax position or lie horizontally for sleep in the full flat mode. The front and back seats face each other for easy communication. The floor has a sliding door with storage space underneath, which allows passengers to get in the car barefoot.

“Passengers can use a safety blanket, which serves as a seat belt, when using the bed mode for sleep,” said a member of Hyundai Motor Group. “Many considerations were made for passengers’ convenience, such as storage spaces to store pillows and blankets.”

The car’s heating system uses the heat conduction principles of ondol. The heat from batteries generated during an electric vehicle’s driving warms up pipe underneath seats. Mobility Ondol’s distinctive seat structure and heating system using battery heat are patent pending in the U.S., Japan, China, Europe, and etc.

“We plan to build an optimal heating system by applying the heating system of Mobility Ondol using the residual heat from batteries, as well as the ‘radiant heat warmer’ technology, which warms up the car floor with a heating element of radiant heat,” said Hyundai Motor Group.


Jae-Hyeng Kim monami@donga.com