Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) restarted manufacturing operations in the US this week after more than a month of shutdowns after it introduced measures and policies to safeguard its staff against the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The Hyundai assembly plant in Alabama and Kia factory in Georgia both restarted production on Monday, 4 May, albeit on a reduced and more flexible basis due to the ongoing virus threat and also because of weaker market demand.
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Production at the Alabama vehicle and engine plants had been suspended for six weeks, from 18 March, when one of the employees tested positive for COVID-19.
The Kia plant in Georgia had been closed since 30 March, initially in response to a shortage of engines from Hyundai.
HMG reported a 39% drop in combined Hyundai, Genesis and Kia vehicle sales in the US to 66,479 units in April, compared with 108,410 units a year earlier, while year to date sales were down by almost 15% to 339,254 units from 396,793 units previously.
Hyundai Motor America national sales VP Randy Parker said “the COVID-19 global pandemic significantly disrupted the US auto industry in April. We look forward to supporting our dealers and customers as cities, counties and states slowly reopen, and we begin returning to work after this tragic pandemic”.
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By GlobalDataHyundai has seven vehicle assembly plants in South Korea and 10 overseas, including four in China and one in each of the US, Czech Republic, Turkey, Russia, India and Brazil, for a combined annual production capacity of 5.5m.
Kia, owned 34% by Hyundai, has eight plants in South Korea and seven overseas including three in China and one in each of US, Slovakia, Mexico and India, for a combined annual capacity of 3.84m units.
While operations in China have already restarted, other plants across the world continue to be affected by the global pandemic.
HMG said previously it planned to suspend production at several Korean plants in April and May for various periods to adjust to lower demand while a number of overseas plants in Mexico, Brazil and Europe remain closed.
