Hyundai Motor Group, the parent company of Kia, is launching a worldwide automotive challenge to automotive startups: the 2021 EV Open Innovation Challenge. This year’s call to entrepreneurs follows on the heels of the successful EV and Battery Challenge of 2020.

Startups can apply for one project out of nine possible categories: smart charging; bi-directional charging; infrastructure; robotics; in-car payment; battery management system (BMS); service while plugged in; gig economy; and new technology.

The EV Open Innovation Challenge recruits entrepreneurs and startups with dynamic EV-charging products and services that ready to scale in North America. Sponsors include Group organizations Kia Corporation, Hyundai Motor Company, Hyundai Glovis US, New Energy Nexus, and Hyundai CRADLE Silicon Valley.

“We expect this program to be a launchpad for rapidly scaling product offerings in the U.S. charging network,” said Dr. Youngcho Chi, President and Head of Innovation Division at Hyundai Motor Group. “We are excited to launch this open call to discover startups with potential EV infrastructure and service solutions.”

Dave Kennedy is Chief Energy Officer at New Energy Nexus. “We are honored to be working with corporations who see the value in empowering entrepreneurs to catalyze the transition to clean energy,” he said, “and The Group will pave the way for startups in the EV-charging space to launch and scale their future technologies in North America.”