Hyundai chief doubles down on US with $26b bet through 2028 – hydrogen included
Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun underlined the US as the carmaker’s critical market, pledging to follow through on plans to invest $26 billion in the country by 2028 even as geopolitical uncertainty continues.
In an interview with US-based media outlet Semafor published Monday, Chung laid out the group’s strategic priorities, including its focus on the American market and long-term ambitions in robotics, physical artificial intelligence and hydrogen.
Chung is a member of the Global Advisory Board of the Semafor World Economy, a major gathering of global CEOs in the US organized by the outlet
Chung, said:
The US is a core strategic market for Hyundai Motor Group,
“Our long-term confidence is reflected in our US investment strategy and the $26 billion commitment in America through 2028 that we announced last year.”
The planned investment would build on the approximately $20.5 billion Hyundai Motor Group has already poured into the US since entering the market more than four decades ago.
Chung said the company was reinforcing that commitment at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Georgia, where the automaker is introducing software-defined manufacturing.
He said,
Shifting geopolitical situations today reinforce the importance of our agility,
“By integrating our US operations deeply into our global strategy — including advanced manufacturing and job creation — we can respond flexibly to changing conditions while delivering the highest-quality products and services for our customers.”
He added that the segmentation of the global market had become a reality, with customers, regulations and supply chains increasingly fragmented by region.
The company’s strategy is to combine “global expansion with localized agility,” said Chung, pointing to the carmaker’s Korean factories, the HMGMA plant in the US, the ramp-up in hybrid vehicle production in the US and new production bases in India and the Asia-Pacific region.
The chair further underscored the role of robotics and physical AI.
He said,
Robotics and physical AI are central to Hyundai Motor Group’s evolution beyond mobility
“This is our vision and we are aiming to achieve this by partnering humans with co-working robots, all powered by advanced AI.”
Chung reaffirmed the company’s plan announced in January at CES, deploying Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid robots at the carmaker’s manufacturing facilities by 2028 and producing up to 20,000 Atlas units annually by 2030.
He emphasized Hyundai’s commitment to hydrogen power, arguing that the technology could become critical amid growing energy demand on expansion of AI infrastructure and data centers.
He said,
Energy security is an increasingly important topic we all have to face and at Hyundai Motor Group, we see huge potential in hydrogen as a solution to the world’s energy challenges,
Chung said hydrogen should not be viewed as competing with electric vehicles, but rather as a complementary technology.
He said,
In terms of mobility we see hydrogen as a complementary clean technology alongside our full EVs, giving our customers choice,
“We’re building in optionality. That’s how you compete in an uncertain energy transition.”
READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central
Hyundai chief doubles down on US with $26b bet through 2028 – hydrogen included, sourc
