 |
| Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group |
Chairman visits Alabama to check EV production line: source
By Baek Byung-yeul
Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun made his first trip to the United States recently after taking over the top spot at the conglomerate in October 2020, in what is seen as a move to seek clarity on U.S. President Joe Biden's push to boost an "eco-friendly" car industry.
Hyundai said Sunday that Chung, using his private jet, visited the U.S. for seven days ― with Los Angeles being the first destination ― and returned home Saturday.
The trip came as Korea's No. 1 carmaker has been considering establishing a production line for its latest electric vehicle (EV), the IONIQ 5, in the U.S.
Chung visited the Los Angeles local subsidiary of the group and Alabama where Hyundai Motor operates a manufacturing plant; although a company official said, "It is hard to confirm the chairman's schedule."
A source said the chairman visited the Alabama factory to check on whether the production line there was suitable for the carmaker's IONIQ 5, its first electric only vehicle. It is essential for carmakers to establish EV production lines in the U.S., as President Biden plans to come up with sales rebates and tax incentives for the purchase of EVs manufactured there.
The Biden government's energy policy is centered on boosting clean energy research and development, and making investments in low-carbon infrastructure to create jobs on a large scale.
Hyundai debuted the IONIQ 5 early this year with expectations that it will compete against popular EVs such as Tesla's Model 3. The IONIQ 5 is manufactured using Hyundai's EV-only Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP).
 |
| Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun, right, poses with Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun while test driving the group's IONIQ 5 electric vehicle at its R&D center in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, Feb. 18. Yonhap |
During a conference call giving results for the fourth quarter of 2020, Hyundai Motor said Europe would be the first major market for the launch of the IONIQ 5, as stricter CO2 emission regulations have been applied there since last year; while it would to launch the EV in the U.S. in the second half of the year. But, it has not revealed whether the company will establish a new production line for the EV or realign an existing one.
The chairman's U.S. visit schedule also reportedly included a meeting with golfer Tiger Woods, who is recovering from a car crash in Los Angeles.
In February, Woods was in a car accident in a suburb of Los Angeles while driving a GV80 SUV from Hyundai's luxury brand Genesis. The vehicle was loaned to the golfer by Genesis, which hosted the PGA Tour Genesis Invitational event. The golf superstar joined the event as a host.
