Hyundai Motor Group said Tuesday it will continue to consolidate its global EV leadership position and transition to electrification through “evolved EVs”, as it focuses on software-centred systems.

The South Korean company, owner of the car brands Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors and Genesis, held its first face-to-face New Year meeting with employees in three years on 3 January.

“In 2023, we will continue to develop and provide innovative vehicles to solidify our leadership position in the global EV market and continue the shift to electrification,” says Chung.

Several EV models ranging from light to flagship, such as Kia’s EV9 electric SUV as well as Ray EV and Hyundai Kona EV, will be launched this year, Kallanish reports. The aim is to expand opportunities for providing diverse EV experiences to customers while strengthening the group’s top-tier position in the global EV market, he adds.

In the first half of the year, the Kia EV9 should feature the Level 3 autonomous capability known as Highway Driving Pilot function in Korea. The group is also planning to commercialise robotaxis with Level 4 capability in North America, though the Motional JV with Aptiv. This partnership is expected to see car-sharing companies, including Uber, operating IONIQ 5 robotaxis in the US without driver engagement.

“We will not fear risks and only be reactive to changes. Instead, we will lead the future by being one step ahead and create opportunities out of crises,” says Chung. “To this end, 2023 will be the year we establish ‘trust by taking on challenges and making a new leap through change’ to overcome the difficult business environment and move forward together toward a better future.”

The executive shared optimism regarding the pandemic: “We are nearing the end of this long tunnel of Covid-19.” He noted impacts including increased interest rates, inflation and exchange rate fluctuation, as well as ongoing geopolitical risks, are leading to greater economic uncertainty.

The group plans to only sell zero-emission vehicles in major markets by 2040.

Separately, Hyundai Motor Company said its electrification journey accelerated last year thanks to strong sales of the IONIQ 5 and the recently launched IONIQ 6. The carmaker sold over 100,000 units of the models last year worldwide. In the coming months, it will provide further details on the launch of its first high-performance BEV, the IONIQ 5 N.

Hyundai is targeting a 9.5% increase of its overall sales this year. In 2022, the carmaker sold 3.94 million cars – a marginal increase of 1.4% y-o-y. It didn’t disclose EV-only data.