Hyundai Motor Group is accelerating its transition into a smart mobility and physical AI powerhouse. Unveiling its aggressive mid-to-long-term roadmap at the "2026 CEO Investor Day" held at the Conrad Seoul hotel in Yeouido, the company announced groundbreaking partnerships and strategic milestones centered on Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs), autonomous driving, and industrial robotics.
Collaborating with NVIDIA for 2028 SDV Mass Production
A centerpiece of Hyundai's announcement is its strategic alliance with NVIDIA. Hyundai plans to mass-produce its first Level 2+ SDV equipped with high-performance NVIDIA computing chips by 2028. Level 2+ technology enables advanced "hands-free" driving capabilities on highways, allowing drivers to temporarily take their hands off the steering wheel under specific conditions.
To secure a competitive edge in autonomous driving, Hyundai is concurrently developing its proprietary end-to-end (E2E) artificial intelligence solution, named "Atria AI". Starting later this year, the company will deploy test vehicles embedded with Atria AI in Gwangju and other regions to gather vast amounts of edge-case driving data from real-world environments. Following the 2028 NVIDIA-powered rollout, Hyundai will progressively scale Atria AI integration across its lineup, ultimately striving for fully autonomous Level 4 capabilities.
Park Min-woo, President of Hyundai Motor and Kia’s AVP (Advanced Vehicle Platform) Division, emphasized the importance of data-driven learning: "In the AI era, competitiveness is determined by who can gather vast real-world driving experiences, distill meaningful insights, and rapidly feed them back into AI learning. We project that our cumulative data scale will outpace our competitors by around 2033."
Expanding Autonomous Vehicle Foundry and Waymo Partnership
Beyond traditional vehicle manufacturing, Hyundai is aggressively expanding its autonomous vehicle foundry (contract manufacturing) business model. Building on its manufacturing prowess, the company confirmed plans to supply Ioniq 5-based robotaxis produced at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) to autonomous driving leader Waymo, starting as early as the fourth quarter of this year. This venture solidifies Hyundai's position as a trusted manufacturing partner for global autonomous technology leaders.
Humanoid Robot 'Atlas' to Enter U.S. Factories by 2028
In the realm of robotics, Hyundai is fast-tracking the commercialization of manufacturing AI robots alongside its subsidiary, Boston Dynamics. The all-electric humanoid robot "Atlas"—capable of handling heavy payloads, navigating complex industrial spaces, and operating continuously with automated battery-swapping—is scheduled for initial deployment at the HMGMA plant in Georgia by 2028.
Hyundai aims to construct a specialized robot production facility with an annual capacity of 30,000 units by 2028, having already secured an initial supply volume of 25,000 units, a significant portion of which will be integrated internally across the group's manufacturing ecosystem.
Robust Growth and Profitability Targets for 2030
Amid these technological pivots, Hyundai Motor remains steadfast in its core automotive business. The company reaffirmed its vision to launch over 100 new vehicle models globally and achieve 5.55 million units in annual sales by 2030. Out of these upcoming launches, more than 18 models will target entirely new vehicle segments ("white spaces") where the brand has historically lacked presence. Bolstered by cost-reduction initiatives and expanding high-value offerings, Hyundai has revised its consolidated operating profit margin target upward to over 9%.
Through these multi-faceted innovations spanning AI chips, autonomous driving data flywheels, and physical robotics, Hyundai Motor Group is redefining itself from a conventional automaker into a comprehensive future mobility innovator.
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