Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chairman Euisun Chung said Tuesday that the group's humanoid robot, a future growth engine, is "progressing through trial and error," adding that "we are moving in the direction of quickly overcoming errors and rapidly releasing better products."
Chung made the remarks to reporters ahead of a "Lobby Story Town Hall" event held at Hyundai Motor (005380) Group's Yangjae headquarters in Seoul. "The balance between software and hardware and the integration with employees are the most important, so we are paying attention to that area," he said. "Before presenting to customers, we will conduct extensive testing and thoroughly verify the products and technologies internally."
Regarding the entry of Chinese-made electric vehicles from Tesla and BYD into the domestic market, Chung said, "China is extremely fast and has a high interest in technology." He added, "They are moving much faster than us, and we are learning a lot from them." On autonomous driving, an area where Korea is considered to lag behind the United States and China, he said, "Even if slightly delayed, we will focus more on safety." He continued, "If there are problems with functionality, customers may not even want to look at the product, so we are paying close attention to that area."
On the Middle East situation, he said, "There are many concerns," noting that "construction of the Saudi Arabia plant has been delayed and sales in the Middle East region have also declined." Regarding labor relations, Chung said, "There have been ups and downs, but the union is a partner that has lived and worked with us for a long time." He emphasized, "If we choose the right path and move forward wisely, it will be an opportunity for the company to develop efficiently and get ahead on the global stage."
