Hyundai’s e-SUV roll out from TN by year end

NEW DELHI: South Korean auto major Hyundai Motor Group on Thursday said it is looking to expand the annual production capacity across Hyundai and Kia brands in India to 15 lakh units per year, as part of its mid-to-long-term strategy in the country.

Outlining the company’s strategy for the India market, Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) executive chair Euisun Chung said the automaker plans to roll out more EVs, while also using the country as an export hub for the neighbouring countries.

Hyundai Motor Group is expanding its manufacturing footprint in the Indian region with the establishment of an annual production system of 1.5 million vehicle units for Hyundai Motor India and Kia India combined. it stated.

It is currently making improvements to the facility to create a production hub capable of building more than 200,000 units annually. With the addition of the production capacity of 824,000 units, Hyundai Motor will have an annual production capacity of over one million units when combined with the Pune plant, it added. Besides, Kia India’s yearly production capacity will also be expanded to 431,000 units within the first half of this year.

Combined together, Hyundai Motor Group will have the ability to produce approximately 1.5 million units annually in India, HMG said. The group also plans to expand its EV lineup and create an EV ecosystem to accelerate customer uptake and expand charging infrastructure. HMI plans to unveil its first locally produced EV in India next year, it said.

Starting with the mass production of its first electric SUV model at the Chennai plant at the end of 2024, the company plans to further produce five EV models by 2030, it added.