Photo courtesy of Yonhap News

 

 

[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Hyundai Motor Group plans to deploy more than 25,000 units of its humanoid robot Atlas across its own manufacturing facilities, leveraging internal demand to scale production while accelerating vertical integration of its robotics value chain.

The roadmap was unveiled during a robotics strategy investor relations event held on May 18 in Boston, where the group outlined plans for Boston Dynamics and its humanoid business.

Hyundai aims to establish an annual production capacity of 30,000 Atlas units by 2028, with the majority—over 25,000 units—initially deployed within Hyundai Motor and Kia plants. The rollout is expected to begin at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in 2028, followed by expansion to Kia’s Georgia plant in 2029.

Industry observers view the strategy as a way to rapidly reduce high initial production costs by securing internal demand. Current unit costs are estimated at $130,000–$140,000, but could fall to around $30,000 as production scales to 50,000 units.

Hyundai is also moving to localize key components. The group plans to begin operating a U.S.-based actuator manufacturing facility by 2028, with annual production capacity exceeding 350,000 units. Actuators—critical components responsible for robot movement—account for roughly 60% of total production costs.

Hyundai Mobis is expected to lead actuator production as a key supplier, leveraging its expertise in automotive components to develop and mass-produce proprietary systems.

The group also introduced a “dual robotics hub” strategy spanning the U.S. and South Korea. Under this model, Boston Dynamics will focus on core robotics technology, product development, and supply chain management in the U.S., while Korean operations will handle application design, manufacturing, cost optimization, and commercialization.

Hyundai affiliates—including Kia, Hyundai Transys, Hyundai Wia, Hyundai AutoEver, and Hyundai Glovis—will each play roles across manufacturing, components, systems integration, and logistics, forming a fully integrated humanoid robotics ecosystem within the group.

 

 

 

Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)

https://www.alphabiz.co.kr/news/view/1065614832008335
This article is based on global economic content from Alphabiz, which distributes English-language news on Korean markets and companies to international audiences.

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