Guess Who Has Just Built Its 100 Millionth Vehicle
Not all milestones in the auto industry have the same significance, especially the ones that few others have also achieved.
Hyundai yesterday built its 100 millionth vehicle since the company’s foundation 57 years ago, making it one of the fastest automakers to do so. It previously reached 50 million vehicles manufactured as recently as 2013.
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A special ceremony was held at the Ulsan Plant in South Korea. Hyundai delivered the first of its next 100 million vehicles, an IONIQ 5, directly to a customer, hence the big celebratory display commemorating ‘100 million and 1.’
“Reaching global cumulative production of 100 million vehicles is a meaningful milestone that was possible thanks to our customers around the world who have chosen and supported Hyundai Motor since the very beginning,” Hyundai President and CEO Jaehoon Chang said. “Taking on bold challenges and being in constant pursuit of innovation has enabled us to achieve rapid growth and will empower us to take ‘one step further’ toward another 100 million units as a mobility game changer.”
Ulsan manufactured the country’s first mass-produced independent model, the Pony, in 1975. Nowadays, it’s become a central hub for electrification with a dedicated EV facility. Hyundai also has vehicle plants in the U.S., Turkey, Czechia and India.
Last year, Hyundai established a brand new Global Innovation Center in Singapore. The innovative manufacturing platforms and advanced technologies developed there, including artificial intelligence (AI), robots and smart manufacturing, are set to be introduced to future production factories such as the so-called Metaplant America in Georgia, which will soon begin assembling hybrids and EVs including the IONIQ 5 and upcoming IONIQ 9.