[TECH One-Week] MOTREX, the Unrivaled Powerhouse in PBV Electronics Platforms Taking on Chinese Smart Cockpits

According to reporter Kim Yong-soo, China's EV camp is accelerating its global push centered on BYD, Geely, and Xiaomi, leaning on smart cockpits built around large displays and value-driven UI. Standing in opposition is the PBV market, which is applied to taxis, logistics, and mobile offices, and is characterized by a full redefinition of the vehicle interior around specific purposes.

But in the PBV segment, hardware integration and in-cabin control that are difficult to replace with generic displays act as barriers. In this environment, MOTREX, a leading PBV electronics platform player responding to Chinese smart cockpits, has emerged as a representative domestic electronics company that has beaten back Chinese competition on the B2B electronics platform front and secured key control over the global PBV ecosystem. MOTREX has also completed a structural shift centered on On-device AI and a total PBV platform.

MOTREX is a leading domestic specialist in automotive electronics parts, founded in 2001. The company has built its growth on IVI and RSE systems. In its early days, it strengthened its foundation by pursuing a strategy of supplying PIO (Port Installed Option) IVI systems to emerging markets.

Since then, MOTREX has carried out a sweeping business transformation beyond the simple supply of terminals. This shift was made in response to the SDV and PBV era, and its goal is to become an electronics platform company based on On-device AI.

MOTREX has emerged as a key player in the PBV market by building an organic value chain with MTR, its PBV-focused development and manufacturing affiliate. MTR holds the status of a special-purpose OEM partner to Hyundai Motor. Leveraging synergies between MOTREX and MTR, the two companies are handling PBV accessory development and installation, special-purpose vehicle conversions, low-volume, high-mix production, and overseas localization. Through this, MOTREX has completed a total solution that covers the entire PBV lifecycle.

Recently, MOTREX has been leading the development of PBV AVNT for domestic and overseas taxis and logistics vehicles. It is also supplying core in-cabin electronics systems for Hyundai Motor and Kia's next-generation PBV lineup, including ST1 and PV5. On this basis, MOTREX has established itself as an indispensable turnkey partner in Hyundai Motor and Kia's PBV business.

Behind this position is MOTREX's core competitive strength, the PBV integrated terminal system (AVNT). This PBV integrated terminal system plays a role in organically synchronizing devices and servers specialized for the vehicle interior.

In particular, B2B logistics vehicles and taxi PBV require more external device integration than regular passenger cars. External devices that must be connected include payment terminals, mobile meters, vacant-light indicators, freezer and refrigeration temperature controllers, and fleet monitoring sensors. These external devices must exchange data with the vehicle's central computer in real time.

MOTREX's PBV electronics platform is based on CAN and automotive Ethernet communication buses, integrating heterogeneous devices into a single modular infrastructure. It also provides vehicle diagnostics through a central control terminal, along with OTA remote wireless updates, Fleet monitoring server integration, and app-specific UX. This central control terminal offers all related functions in one stop.

Chinese low-cost smart cockpits tend to focus on generic functions centered on large displays and basic app operation. By contrast, MOTREX has built technology that flawlessly controls complex hardware interfaces for commercial, logistics, and mobility field use, giving it field-oriented in-cabin integration capabilities.

MOTREX's key differentiating technology is vision-recognition AI based on an On-device AI SoC that is not connected to an external cloud. By linking vehicle-mounted cameras with AI algorithms, the technology has been completed as a vision-assisted solution that detects surrounding hazards in advance in real time when passengers get out of the vehicle and delivers warning alerts.

This architecture was built with On-device AI that does not pass through external servers. As a result, it fundamentally blocks data transmission delays and reduces the risk of passenger personal data leaks.

MOTREX has also built an intelligent SDV digital cabin platform that recognizes user situations and interior environments in real time. Unlike Chinese smart cockpits, which place a heavy emphasis on simple visual functions, this leads to a tailored electronics environment optimized for the purpose of operation, and MOTREX has also secured exclusive in-cabin dominance.

MOTREX is applying a customized in-cabin UX algorithm. Based on the driver's and passengers' purpose, the algorithm automatically reconfigures interior lighting and temperature, display layout, and the sound field. This contrasts with Chinese smart cockpits centered on simple visual entertainment, and the MOTREX platform provides a business environment and a rest environment optimized for the purpose of operation in real time.

At the same time, MOTREX holds proprietary dominance in electronics platforms. As automakers recently began full-scale mass production of customized taxi PBV vehicles, robotaxi PBV vehicles, and PBV vehicles dedicated to last-mile logistics, order momentum for MOTREX's PBV electronics platform is becoming visible along with the expansion of automaker PBV lineups.

MOTREX is structured so that it does not stop at one-off parts supply. It is building in-cabin solutions from the platform design stage of automakers, and as a result, it is creating an effect of locking in both global fleet operators and automakers at the same time.

While maintaining its existing IVI revenue, MOTREX is adding high-value-added PBV-specific electronics terminals, adding On-device AI platform licenses, and combining synergies with its affiliates Jeonjin Construction Machinery Robot and EFM. Accordingly, it is being viewed as having moved beyond a simple consumer-electronics-like parts supplier to a future mobility total solution company, and it is also being seen as having reached an earnings inflection point.

However, MOTREX still faces the task of establishing itself as a top-tier global electronics platform company. A significant portion of its core electronics revenue is concentrated in the supply chains of specific automaker groups and global fleet demand, and quarterly performance may fluctuate depending on changes in the mass-production schedules of upstream automaker PBV programs. Quarterly performance may also vary depending on changes in emerging-market auto sales volumes.

In addition, because the PBV market has a low-volume, high-mix production structure, it needs to maximize mass-production yield in low-volume, high-mix production. In addition, as Chinese display component makers are aggressively cutting prices, it also needs to secure cost competitiveness to offset that pressure.

At the same time, sustained investment in SDV and On-device AI R&D is needed, and expanding the share of proprietary in-cabin software licenses is also required. In particular, the ability to carry out an expansion in the share of proprietary in-cabin software licenses is expected to be a key to improving long-term corporate value.

A mobility electronics sector expert said Chinese companies are using value-for-money displays and generic smart cockpits as their market attack tools. By contrast, the PBV in-cabin platform responds to specialized purposes such as B2B logistics, taxis, and mobile offices, and requires systemic integration across the entire vehicle interior, making it difficult to copy in the short term. The expert added that MOTREX can build competitiveness by providing a PBV total solution based on its On-device AI in-cabin technology and the custom manufacturing capabilities of its affiliate MTR, and said this platform competitiveness at MOTREX will be a factor that determines the future global SDV electronics market.

Source: TECHWORLD · Kim Jun-hyeok
Original: https://www.epnc.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=406853

References

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