Hyundai has announced a massive investment America totaling $7.4 billion to be spent over the next five years. The plan touches on several key technologies, including electric vehicles, hydrogen power, and even advanced robotics.

Leading the agenda is a push for U.S.-based EV manufacturing. Hyundai plans to start churning out battery electric vehicles in 2022 from its Montgomery, Alabama-based plant. Cars will be made under both the Hyundai and Kia brands, and the factory currently produces Elantra, Sonata, Tucson and Santa Fe models.

The news coincides with the group's recent revelation that a slew of new electric products are coming, including a Prophecy concept-based sedan and an electric variant of its Genesis GV70 luxury crossover, likely to be named the GV70e. Producing EVs in the U.S. will also give Hyundai an edge over, say GM, when it comes to the Biden administration's plan to offer $100 billion in rebates to EVs built in America.

However, despite its aggressive EV agenda, Hyundai isn't giving up on hydrogen just yet. The company will work with the Biden administration to expand hydrogen fueling infrastructure, adding stations, and supplying the government with Nexo fuel cell vehicles.

Hyundai also seeks to expand the use of hydrogen fuel cell commercial trucks. It plans to provide logistics between ports and warehouses using FCV trucks, in addition to collaborating with Cummins to develop and deploy hydrogen-powered fuel systems.

The third part of Hyundai's investment will go toward advanced tech. It wants to create a urban air mobility ecosystem — essentially flying taxis — and will set up a subsidiary company based in D.C. to explore those options. Hyundai will also leverage its 80 percent stake in Boston Dynamics, creator of the robot dog, to further robotics research. And last but not least, Hyundai will continue to develop its autonomous driving technology with the goal of launching a robotaxi with Lyft by 2023.

While plenty of new cars and concepts will debut at the New York International Auto Show this week, it's also a time to learn about other car-related news and major announcements. Hyundai COO Jose Muņoz shared on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, that the automaker is planning to build a factory in the US for electric vehicle assembly and batteries.

The announcement couldn't have been timed better since yesterday the Hyundai Ioniq 5 took home three awards that were announced at the show. It was not only the overall winner of the 2022 World Car of the Year award, but also the winner of the World Car Design award and the first-ever Best Electric Vehicle Award.

According to Automotive News, the newly announced factory is one piece of Hyundai's $7.4 billion investment plans for the US. The plans include electric vehicle production in general, factory upgrades, and the future development of technologies related to smart mobility. COO Muņoz noted that the automaker is aiming to pick a location for the upcoming EV and battery factory later in 2022.

It's also important to note that just a day prior to this announcement, Muņoz shared that Hyundai will produce the all-electric Genesis G70 and the Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid at its factory in Montgomery, Alabama. This means the Santa Fe hybrid, which also comes as a plug-in hybrid, will be the first electrified Hyundai vehicle produced in the States. It will go into production this October 2022, followed by the electric G70 before the end of the year.

Automotive News adds that producing the new Hyundai electrified vehicles in Alabama will require an investment of some $300 million. Muņoz said in an interview that the efforts will lead to 200 new jobs.

After impressing the crowds and taking home three awards at the 2022 New York Auto Show last month, Hyundai Motor Co. has set its eyes on the U.S. for a new EV assembly plant. According to Reuters, the South Korean manufacturer is in advanced discussions with state officials on a dedicated EV plant in Georgia. 25 photos

Anticipated plans to set up a dedicated electric vehicle assembly plant in the U.S. seem focused on the state of Georgia. Hyundai COO Jose Muņoz first announced the plans last month, emphasizing that the automaker plans to build a factory in America focused on EV assembly and batteries.

Georgia is one of America’s largest markets for electric vehicles. According to officials, 50% of all new car sales will be electric by 2030. The state is also working tirelessly to set itself as a leader in implementing a cleaner and sustainable transport future for its residents.

Hyundai confirmed its plans for the new plant but declined to comment on any details, including negotiations with state officials for a site.

The South Korean company isn’t the only automaker setting base in Georgia. EV maker Rivian is also pitching camp in the state. In December, the pioneer EV truck maker confirmed plans to set camp in the state and identified a plot of land (East Atlanta Megasite) that covers close to 1,950 acres.

Sources with inside information told Reuters the new Hyundai EV plant would serve both Hyundai and Kia brands, rolling out the anticipated fully electric Hyundai Ioniq 7 and Kia EV9 aimed for the American market. According to the automaker, it plans to have 14 electric vehicle models by 2027.

The announcement comes as Joe Biden’s administration is pushing for Green energy investment in America, and Georgia is setting itself up as a leader in the region.

As Hyundai finalizes plans to establish its EV base in Georgia, Rivian faces new hurdles after protestors raised concerns about its plant in Atlanta, Georgia. The No2Rivian organization claims Rivian poses environmental concerns sitting on groundwater reserves.

ELLABELL, Ga. (AP) — Hyundai confirmed Friday the company will spend $5.5 billion on a huge electric vehicle plant near Savannah that will employ thousands — a deal Georgia’s governor called the largest economic development project in the state’s history.

Hyundai Motor Group CEO Jaehoon Chang made the announcement with Gov. Brian Kemp at the site of the future factory in Bryan County, where state and local officials purchased a flat, sprawling tract for $61 million last year in hopes of luring a major manufacturer.

“Hard-working Georgians are going to have the opportunity to have a really high-paying, advanced manufacturing job with a great company,” Gov. Brian Kemp said in an interview.

Hyundai said it will employ at least 8,100 workers at the plant near the unincorporated town of Ellabell, where it will assemble electric vehicles as well as vehicle batteries. The company and state officials said they expect suppliers to invest an additional $1 billion.

“It’s going to continue to bring wealth and opportunity to the region,” said Kemp, who predicted a ripple effect that will boost businesses from Savannah’s already booming seaport to restaurants and convenience stores.

The announcement came as President Joe Biden is visiting South Korea. He was scheduled to meet with Hyundai’s CEO in Seoul on Sunday. Jake Sullivan, the president’s national security adviser, told reporters Biden “will have the opportunity to say thank you for this significant investment that will occur in the United States.”

A five-door liftback with extremely obvious design influences from the most famous hybrid of them all, the Ioniq entered production six years ago as a 2017 model. Available with plug-in hybrid and electric-only powertrains, the South Korean challenger will be axed this July.
37 photos

“End of an era” is how the South Korean automaker describes the discontinuation of the award-winning liftback that paved the road for the Ioniq 5. The sub-brand will soldier on with the aforementioned nameplate, followed by the Ioniq 6 and Ioniq 7. All three of them - and their batteries - will be produced in Bryan County, Georgia for the United States market.

Turning our attention back to the Ioniq that doesn’t feature a numerical suffix, the fuel-sipping original made plenty of sense when it launched for the 2017 model year at $23,035 including the $835 destination charge. Not only did it undercut the Prius, but as opposed to its biggest rival, the Ioniq is rocking a dual-clutch automatic that feels much better than an e-CVT.

Another strong point of the Ioniq is fuel economy. The 2022 model is rated 59 miles per gallon by the Environmental Protection Agency, which is 3.99 liters per 100 kilometers if you prefer the metric system. By comparison, the Prius doesn’t exceed 56 mpg (4.2 l/100 km) on the combined cycle.

The Prius Prime, which is the plug-in hybrid’s name stateside, levels up to 133 miles per gallon equivalent compared to 119 MPGe for the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid. On the other hand, the South Korean challenger offers 29 miles (nearly 47 kilometers) of electric range compared to Toyota’s 25 (40).

Something the Prius doesn’t have is an electric-only powertrain, which brings us to the Ioniq Electric that was discontinued last year from the U.S. lineup. Capable of 170 miles (approximately 274 kilometers) between charging stops, the zero-emission variant carried a sticker price of $33,245.

The world’s first production car with three levels of electrification sold 135,692 units in the European market between 2016 and December 2021. Over in the U.S., the Ioniq moved 79,302 units through December 2021.

Hyundai Motor has just topped Samsung to become South Korea’s most profitable publicly-traded company after a successful quarter where its sales and profits rose considerably.

The car manufacturer revealed in its first quarter earnings report that revenue generated from its sales jumped by 24.7% in the last quarter compared to 12 months ago, contributing to an 86.3% increase in operating profit. This came on the back of Hyundai’s sales rising 13.2% globally to 1,021,712 units in the January-March period.

A few reasons explain the jump in revenue. For example, Hyundai’s SUV sales increased while the Genesis brand also went from strength to strength. The brand also sold nearly 66,000 electric vehicles in the first quarter, a 48% increase year-on-year, Korea Times reports.

“Sales in markets outside of Korea were up by 10.7 percent to 830,665 units, while sales in Korea increased 25.6 percent to 191,047 units,” Hyundai noted in its financial report. “The strong sales mainly stemmed from the improvement of production as chip and component supplies stabilized worldwide.”

Hyundai continues to make significant investments in the electric vehicle space. It is moving ahead with plans to establish an EV battery cell plant in Georgia with South Korean’s SK On, the world’s fifth-largest supplier of EV batteries. Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Hyundai Mobis all recently approved the plan having first announced an agreement with SK On in November 2022 with the aim of securing EV battery supplies for the North American market.

Total investment for the joint venture is tipped to hit as high as $5 billion with Hyundai Motor Group and SK On each holding a 50% stake in the company. This battery plant is expected to start manufacturing in the second half of 2025 and will have the capacity to produce 35 gigawatts of EV batteries on an annual basis. That is enough to power 300,000 EVs.

Next year, while you're shopping on Amazon for a case of water, a new set of headphones, and rechargeable batteries, you'll be able to add a Hyundai to your cart. The automaker has partnered with the Internet sales giant to sell its cars on the platform in 2024.

"Hyundai is the first automotive company available for full end-to-end transactions in Amazon’s US store, and this is another example of how we continue to push for ways to elevate the customer journey together with our outstanding retail partners," said President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company Jaehoon Chang at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Here's how it'll work. Dealers will be able to list inventory on Amazon. Customers can search the site and tailor their queries by model, trim, color, and features. From there, buyers will choose their payment and financing options. After completing the sale, a person will be able to decide whether to pick up the vehicle or have the dealer deliver it.Hyundai didn't offer any other specific details about how the vehicle purchase process through Amazon would work. We reached out to the automaker for more info.

Hyundai's relationship with Amazon will also include offering vehicles with Alexa built-in starting in 2025. The functionality will include voice controls for playing media, setting reminders, and checking calendars. Folks with Amazon's smart home equipment will be able to control it from their vehicle.

The program's announcement also notes that while Hyundai is the first brand to work with Amazon like this, it likely isn't the last: "In 2024, auto dealers for the first time will be able to sell vehicles in Amazon’s U.S. store, and Hyundai will be the first brand available for customers to purchase."

This is a big deal and an innovative take on how to offer internet sales while still working within the traditional dealership model. It'll certainly make it easier to buy a car than having to go down to a local dealer, and it'll guarantee the dealer a price, since it's pretty impossible to negotiate for a deal on Amazon right now.