Hyundai investing $338M in Alabama for next-gen engines
31 May 2018
Hyundai will invest $388 million to construct a plant in Alabama dedicated to manufacturing engine heads and enhance existing operations to support production of new models of Sonata and Elantra sedans.
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) is preparing for the next-generation Hyundai engine, which requires new technologies and components as a part of its assembly process. The capital investment will be spent on equipment for the engine head machining plant and updating technology in an existing engine plant.
It will cost approximately $40 million to construct the 260,000-square-foot building that will house the head machining equipment. Construction on the engine head machining plant is scheduled to be completed in November 2018. This project will free up space to expand engine assembly lines in one of HMMA’s existing engine plants.
The new engine head machining facility will be operational by mid-2019. HMMA produces engines for Sonata and Elantra sedans and the Santa Fe crossover utility vehicle. HMMA’s two engine plants are capable of producing approximately 700,000 engines per year to support the vehicle production at both HMMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia in West Point, Georgia.
Under Trump and the Republicans the U.S. is becoming the carbon capital of the World; so, no wonder all this investment in ICEs instead of EVs.
Posted by: Lad | 31 May 2018 at 10:55 AM
Low performance (1X to 2X), high weight/volume and very high price of current batteries are slowing the switch to EVs. Higher subsidies ($10k to $20K) are required to convince more buyers.
Alternatively/simultaneously, a progressive monthly increase in Fed Tax ($0.05/gallon/month) for the next 50 to 100 months would help to offset EV subsidies, fix roads and bridges and help to pay for some of the damages done by ICEVs.
Posted by: HarveyD | 31 May 2018 at 02:09 PM