Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) recently completed its 100-millionth vehicle, the production milestone occurring after 57 years since the company was founded in 1967. The milestone vehicle was an IONIQ 5 made at the Ulsan plant in Korea.
To celebrate the occasion, HMC invited the lucky customer who was allocated the EV to the shipping centre at the plant located on the southeastern corner of Korea. The new owner received his vehicle at a special ceremony where there was also a display entitled ‘100 million and 1’. This symbolizes HMC’s commitment to pushing one step further with its past accomplishments as the foundation.
“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,” said Jaehoon Chang, President & CEO of Hyundai Motor Company. “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.”
The Ulsan Plant, which began operations in 1968, holds significant historical importance as the ‘birthplace of the development of the Korean automobile industry’. Notably, the plant produced Korea’s first mass-produced independent model, the Pony, in 1975.
Currently, the Ulsan Plant is a central hub for electrification, and the company is establishing a dedicated electric vehicle (EV) facility at the site. Last year, it produced around 1.5 million vehicles for the domestic and export markets.
The company’s global footprint has expanded with production facilities in, contributing to record achievements including surpassing 50 million vehicles manufactured in 2013.
Besides factories in Korea, HMC also has major production sites in countries such as Turkey, India, the USA and the Czech Republic. Last year, the automaker also opened the Hyundai Motor Group Global Innovation Centre Singapore as a new concept of a smart urban mobility hub. The innovative manufacturing platforms and advanced technologies developed there, including artificial intelligence, robots, and smart factories, are set to be introduced to future production factories.