Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) Group has said it will not deploy its humanoid robot "Atlas" at domestic production plants. The automaker plans to break ground next year on a "multi-platform" factory that can produce internal combustion engine, electric and hybrid vehicles after consolidating aging plants in Ulsan.
According to industry sources on Monday, Hyundai Motor conveyed its production process plans during a meeting on Friday with Yun Jong-o, a lawmaker from the Progressive Party.
Hyundai Motor said it would utilize Atlas primarily at overseas production sites, including its North American plants. Specifically, the company is reviewing a plan to deploy Atlas for unloading operations at its North American plants in 2028 before expanding the robot's use to some production lines starting in 2030.
The meeting was held to address concerns from Hyundai Motor's labor union that a full-scale deployment of Atlas would rapidly replace production workers. The Korean Metal Workers' Union's Hyundai Motor branch had earlier declared its opposition, stating that not a single robot could enter domestic production sites without a labor-management agreement.
Hyundai Motor also unveiled plans to demolish Ulsan Plant 1 and Plant 4 Line 2, and construct a new facility capable of producing internal combustion engine vehicles, electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles. The decision is interpreted as a response to the difficulty of adapting to sudden demand shifts if only EV-dedicated lines were installed. The automaker is targeting groundbreaking in the second half of next year and expects completion around 2031. Once construction begins, production volumes currently handled by Plant 1 (Ioniq 5 and Kona) and Plant 4 Line 2 (Porter) will be transferred to other plants.
Hyundai Motor said it would shift approximately 200,000 units originally planned for domestic production this year to the United States, but added that the impact on domestic production would not be significant. "The transferred volume is at the level of losses incurred due to delays in localization, and there will be no reduction in domestic production," the company said. "We expect overall sales volume to actually show a net increase."
