LS ELECTRIC says RAPIEnet runs Hyundai Ulsan EV plant network
The industrial Ethernet protocol is used for equipment I/O control at Hyundai's new Ulsan EV plant and on Kia's PV5 line, LS ELECTRIC said.
LS ELECTRIC announced on 13 نوفمبر 2026 that its RAPIEnet industrial Ethernet protocol has been applied to the main communication network controlling equipment I/O at Hyundai Motor's new Ulsan EV plant, and to the PV5 production line at Kia Autoland, according to dailysecu.com.
RAPIEnet is an industrial Ethernet protocol that exchanges control signals between PLCs and field I/O devices, and corresponds to IEC 61158 Type 21. According to the company, it also supports Safety I/O, handling safety-related input and output signals.
The protocol supports Ethernet/IP and Modbus TCP so existing equipment can be connected. Renesas and Texas Instruments supply chips that support RAPIEnet, and LS ELECTRIC said it is distributing modular solutions built on them.
Field variant for serial replacement
LS ELECTRIC also introduced RAPIEnet Field, which can communicate up to 1 km at 10 Mbps, as a replacement for existing serial communication.
The company said it plans to disclose RAPIEnet-related patents and solutions and to widen participation by suppliers, users, testing and certification bodies and educational institutions through the K-ICS council. A leader from LS ELECTRIC presented at a summit where about 70 OT security managers from public institutions and companies attended, the report said.
Questions over foreign PLC supply and slow overseas technical support, including disruptions to Japanese PLC supply after the Great East Japan Earthquake, have previously prompted calls for domestic alternatives.
Quick answers
What is RAPIEnet?
It is LS ELECTRIC's industrial Ethernet protocol for exchanging control signals between PLCs and field I/O devices, corresponding to IEC 61158 Type 21.
Where has RAPIEnet been applied?
LS ELECTRIC said it is used in the main control network at Hyundai Motor's new Ulsan EV plant and on Kia's PV5 production line at Kia Autoland.
What is RAPIEnet Field?
A variant LS ELECTRIC introduced as a replacement for existing serial communication, capable of communicating up to 1 km at 10 Mbps.