[News Article] Hyundai Motor kick-starts year at Korea’s first EV-only factory
Hyundai Motor kick-starts year at Korea’s first EV-only factory By Moon Joon-hyun,
The Korea Herald - Hyundai Motor Group kick-started the year with a New Year's
address on Wednesday at Kia AutoLand Gwangmyeong, South Korea’s first dedicated
electric vehicle factory, with Executive Chair Chung Euisun and other top
executives sharing the company's vision and commitment to electrification and
future mobility. The Hyundai chief
reaffirmed the group's focus on "constant change" and
"sustainable growth" as key strategies to thrive amid global
uncertainties and intense industry competition. He emphasized the importance of
the Gwangmyeong factory in spearheading Hyundai’s electrification journey,
starting in Korea and expanding globally. “Starting the year
at Gwangmyeong, our first dedicated EV plant, is symbolic. We’re eagerly
anticipating the waves of electrification innovation that will ripple from here
to Ulsan, the US and beyond,” he said. Plant 2 in Kia
AutoLand Gwangmyeong, a historic site in Korea's automotive industry since 1973
in Gyeonggi Province, is transitioning into a fully dedicated EV facility in
the first half of this year. This transformation coincides with Kia's 80th
anniversary and the 50th anniversary of its first passenger car, the T-600. This shift
represents a significant step in Hyundai Motor Group's strategy to become one
of the top three global EV manufacturers by 2030. The factory is set to produce
a more affordable lineup of two new EV models -- the compact crossover EV3 and
the midsize sedan EV4 -- with an annual capacity of 150,000 units for both
domestic and international markets. Sustainable growth
and social responsibility were also at the heart of Hyundai Motor Group's
vision that Chung presented. “Sustainability
isn't just a buzzword for us; it's about survival. We're doubling down on
carbon neutrality and the circular economy to grow sustainably alongside
humanity,” he said. This vision includes
advancing a hydrogen ecosystem, promoting clean energy solutions, and
spearheading recycling initiatives, especially for EV batteries. These
initiatives align with the group's broader environmental commitments, targeting
carbon neutrality by 2045. Hyundai E&C, for
instance, has been expanding its renewable energy trading business, while
Hyundai-Kia is actively reducing carbon emissions in its manufacturing
processes, partly by adopting solar power systems across its facilities. In addition to
environmental considerations, Chung emphasized not to lose sight of the
fundamental role of product and service quality in winning customer trust. “Quality is our
cornerstone. It’s always about delivering more than expected,” Chung said. Kia Motors Corp. CEO
Song Ho-sung detailed the innovations at the Gwangmyeong EV plant, such as
streamlining logistics through automated control systems and reducing carbon
and hazardous emissions. Worker-friendly
measures are also a priority, he said, with the implementation of low-load and
low-noise equipment to minimize physical strain and noise pollution. For
pre-checking safety risks, Boston Dynamics' Spot robot will navigate through
the plant, identifying potential hazards and ensuring safety protocols are
maintained. “Armed with such
cutting-edge technologies, we anticipate AutoLand Gwangmyeong to be a key
player in popularizing EVs, with our EV3 and EV4 models leading the charge,”
said Song. At the address,
other executives like Shin Jae-won, head of the advanced air mobility division,
discussed plans to launch its urban air mobility unit Supernal’s vehicles in
the US market by 2028 and called attention to Supernal's upcoming showcase of
its urban mobility vehicles at CES 2024 next week. Head of the Global
Strategy Office, Kim Heung-soo, expressed commitment to developing humanoid
robots capable of real-time environmental adaptation for future adoption in
factory sites, showing a video of Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot, Atlas,
handing a work tool to a human. Source: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240103000686
2024.01.04
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