Hyundai Motor Group's U.S. eco-friendly car factory, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), has unveiled its operations. Hyundai Motor Group plans to reduce the burden of tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration, which will take effect starting April 2, by producing 300,000 pure electric and hybrid vehicles annually at this facility.
Hyundai Motor Group held a groundbreaking ceremony at HMGMA in Ellabell, Georgia, on the 26th (local time).
The ceremony was attended by key U.S. government and Georgia officials, including Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, U.S. Congressman Buddy Carter, and Georgia Institute of Technology President Ángel Cabrera. From Hyundai Motor Group, approximately 500 people attended, including Chairman Chung Eui-sun, Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company José Muñoz, President and CEO of Kia Song Ho-seong, and HMGMA staff.
Chairman Chung Eui-sun emphasized in his welcoming speech, "HMGMA represents something more important than innovative manufacturing capabilities. What we focus on is the future of mobility, and we will pave that future together here."
◇ U.S. production scale expands to 1 million units
This factory is the third production facility in the U.S., following the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) and Kia Georgia factories. It started operations in October last year, two years after breaking ground in October 2022.
HMGMA began production of the Ioniq 5 last year and has started mass production of the Ioniq 9, a large electric sports utility vehicle (SUV), this month. Next year, Kia models are also set to begin production, with plans to expand the lineup to include Genesis vehicles. By adopting a mixed production system, production of both electric and hybrid vehicles will commence next year.
With the establishment of HMGMA, Hyundai Motor Group has built a production system capable of producing 1 million units in the U.S. Additionally, there are plans to expand U.S. production to 1.2 million units by adding another 200,000 units.
◇ Advanced manufacturing technologies developed at the Singapore Innovation Center applied
HMGMA applies advanced manufacturing technologies developed and tested at Hyundai Motor Group's Singapore Global Innovation Center.
It has been implemented as a software-defined factory (SDF) that digitizes data throughout the entire production process based on the latest automation, AI, and IT technologies. This allows quality management using data collected from automated inspection equipment, and AI analyzes large production data to detect anomalies in advance, ensuring high-quality vehicle production.
It is also notable that advanced robots are responsible for high-weight, high-risk processes or inspections that require complex checks, providing a human-friendly workspace.
HMGMA utilizes the world's first fully automated robotic process for high-weight vehicle door installations and provides rapid and accurate feedback on paint quality through a robotic vision system that captures and analyzes around 50,000 images per vehicle body.
The four-legged robot Spot, from Hyundai Motor Group affiliate Boston Dynamics, will be used to precisely check the complex specifications of vehicle bodies. The humanoid robot All New Atlas is expected to be piloted in the future.
◇ Four times the size of Yeoui-do… forming a future car cluster in collaboration with partners
The total area of HMGMA is 11.76 million square meters, about four times the size of Yeoui-do. The site includes not only a completed vehicle production plant but also key automotive component affiliates and a joint battery cell plant. Additionally, it is linked with nearby domestic partners supplying parts, forming an "advanced future car cluster."
Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai GLOVIS, Hyundai Steel, and Hyundai Transys operate factories within the HMGMA site.
Hyundai Mobis produces 300,000 battery systems and component modules annually to supply to HMGMA, making it the largest of its global production bases. Hyundai GLOVIS operates an integrated logistics center and a finished vehicle management center on-site. Hyundai Steel processes ultra-high-strength steel plates for vehicles that meet both lightweight and crash safety standards at the Georgia Steel Service Center within the site, supplying it to HMGMA. Hyundai Transys provides seats and seat frames to HMGMA.
In addition, a joint battery cell factory between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution, with an annual capacity of 30 gigawatt-hours (GWh), is under construction on-site, aiming for completion next year. Additionally, an investment of $8 billion is underway for the establishment of a factory for completed vehicles and affiliates.