Woory Industrial to supply Daimler with PTC heaters
Deal worth 320 billion won
South Korean automobile component maker Woory Industrial has signed a 320 billion won to supply PTC heaters for electric vehicles to Daimler.
Mercedes-Benz has been using PTC heaters on its premium diesel cars and is expected to apply the heaters to future electric vehicles as well, people familiar with the matter said.
In July, the automobile brand announced that all its new car models will be electric up to 2025.
Tesla and Hyundai Motor are also planning to replace PTC heaters with other heaters as it consumes too much electricity, the people said.
But currently, there isn’t a practical alternative to PTC heaters, so major automobile brands are continuing to use them on electric vehicles, they added.
PTC heater uses ceramic semiconductor devices. Electric resistance increases when the temperature increases to a certain threshold, which reduces electric current that leads to less heat.
It doesn’t react to oxygen and doesn’t emit carbon dioxide, which is an advantage.
Woory Industrial is currently supplying its PTC heaters to Hyundai Motor, Kia, Tesla, Fiat Chrysler, Rivian and other brands.