Hyundai Motor has officially broken ground for its upcoming new plant in Ulsan. Located in the heart of South Korea’s automotive industry, the manufacturing complex will span a total of 548,000 square meters and it is designed to be able to roll out an astounding 200,000 electric vehicle (EV) units per year.
The upcoming EV-dedicated Hyundai factory in Ulsan, South Korea will feature advanced manufacturing technologies
This is Hyundai’s first new plant in Korea in 29 years. So for such a massive endeavor, the company is pouring in a total of $1.53 billion (around Php 85 billion) of investments into the project.
Besides its relatively large production capacity goal, the plant will likewise feature advanced manufacturing technologies and human-friendly facilities. Some of these forms of technologies include AI-controlled intelligent systems, robotics, and smart logistics systems.
Collectively, this will form an innovative manufacturing platform designed by the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center in Singapore (HMGICS). As a whole, it will serve to make the facility safer, more efficient, and future-proof.
The new factory will be able to produce 200,000 EVs annually
As mentioned, the Ulsan EV plant will be a human-friendly factory that will feature a unique design inspired by nature. This, according to the company, will help reduce worker fatigue and encourage socialization and human interaction. Plus, the Ulsan factory will make use of natural light. Thanks to these design choices, it is hoped to result in a facility, that will depart from the dreary image that’s often associated with a “car factory.”
On top of all those, the facility will use renewable energy, particularly from solar panels. The facade of the facility’s buildings will be made out of upcycled concrete panels for further reduction of carbon emissions.
For now, the Ulsan EV factory is under construction, and according to Hyundai, it will be finished by 2025. By 2026, the plant will commence mass production for a yet-to-be-named fully electric SUV model under its luxury arm Genesis.
From starting with this concept vehicle in 1974 to building a specialized facility dedicated to EVs. Hyundai has come a long way.
Of note, this is not Hyundai’s only manufacturing facility in Ulsan, South Korea. This very same locale is also home to the Hyundai Motors Ulsan Plant - the world’s largest single automotive plant that spans a total of 5,000,000 square meters. It features its own port that ships cars to other markets including the ASEAN region.
Why the need for a dedicated EV factory in South Korea? Well, do remember that the brand is planning to launch a total of 13 next-generation EVs by 2030. It likewise has the goal of boosting its annual EV sales to two million units within the same time frame. So without a doubt, this future EV-dedicated plant will be pitching in to meet these goals.
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