Hyundai Motor to Open Robot Assembly Plant in the U.S. in 2028

Hyundai Motor Group will begin deploying Atlas, a human-like humanoid robot, in phases at its U.S. assembly plant in Georgia (Metaplant America) starting in 2028, expanding its application to parts assembly processes by 2030 and building a production system capable of turning out 30,000 robots a year. Six years into his tenure, Chairman Chung Eui-sun is accelerating the group's transformation into a 'physical AI company' that shifts its business from finished-vehicle manufacturing to one built on AI and robotics.

Chung personally presented the group's physical AI vision at the AI Summit in San Francisco this July. The plan is to start with the intelligence of individual devices such as cars and robots, extend it to intelligent production spaces like AI factories, and ultimately realize integrated intelligence in which urban infrastructure is organically connected.

At the center of this transformation is Boston Dynamics, the U.S. robotics firm in which the group acquired an 80 percent stake in 2021. Since taking office in October 2020, Chung has singled out robotics as a core pillar of the group's future business and expanded investment, and this year the group is pushing to buy out the remaining stake held by SoftBank. Boston Dynamics has become the key affiliate leading the group's AI robotics business.

Pre-deployment testing is also under way. The group has set up a Robotics Metaplant Application Center (RMAC) in Georgia, where Atlas is repeatedly performing parts arrangement and material transport tasks in an environment simulating a real factory to improve its accuracy and safety. What sets Hyundai's robotics business apart is its massive manufacturing base. The global production facilities of Hyundai Motor and Kia serve both as a proving ground for robot technology and an initial source of demand.

Collaboration with global big tech is also strengthening. The group is expanding cooperation with Nvidia on AI computing infrastructure and digital twin technology, replicating its real plants in virtual space to verify production processes and improve robot learning efficiency. Boston Dynamics is working with Google DeepMind to develop AI models for next-generation humanoid robots.

Hyundai Mobis contributes robot drivetrain component development, Hyundai Glovis brings logistics operations expertise, and Hyundai AutoEver adds software skills — building a system in which development, parts supply, mass production, and operations are all connected within the group.