Hyundai Reaches Manufacturing Milestone in Europe
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LONDON – July 19, 2013: Hyundai Motor has completed the expansion of its European manufacturing plant in Turkey, increasing the company’s new-car production capacity in the European region to 500,000 units per annum.
Built in 1997, Hyundai Assan Otomotive Sanayi (HAOS) in Ízmit, Turkey, is Hyundai’s longest-operating manufacturing facility outside Korea. Originally capable of producing 60,000 units per annum, a new shift was introduced in 2007 which saw this rise to 125,000 cars per year. This latest investment will increase capacity further, to 200,000 vehicles annually by 2014. The upgrade will allow the facility to build the forthcoming New i10 in addition to New i20.
The success of HAOS, in which Hyundai has invested more than AU $1.42 billion (€1 billion ) in total, led to the construction of Hyundai’s second European facility, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech.
Located in Nošovice, Czech Republic, the factory produced 114,000 vehicles in its first year. Production has steadily increased since that time, and the facility now operates around the clock at full capacity, producing 300,000 vehicles per annum. Hyundai Motor Company Australia sources its i30 SE 3-door and i30 Tourer, plus the ix35 SE, from HMMC.
Of all Hyundai vehicles sold in Europe, 95% of them are designed and developed in the region. This latest investment in Hyundai’s Turkish facility ensures that by the end of the year, 90% of vehicles sold in Europe will also have been built in the region.
Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe, commented: “The expansion of the plant in Turkey and our manufacturing capacity in the region demonstrates Hyundai’s increasing commitment to Europe. Our European factories will allow us to build the right cars for the region and to continue supporting communities and suppliers throughout Europe.”
The expansion of Hyundai’s factory in ĺzmit, Turkey has created a further 2,804 jobs at HAOS and at its supplier companies.
Hyundai has a further 150,000 units of annual production capacity at its plant in St Petersburg, Russia, supplying the domestic market and Eastern Europe.
