Hyundai Motor Group introduces its humanoid robot Atlas during its CES press conference. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — Hyundai Motor said it has begun testing humanoid robots at its automobile production facilities in the United States, marking a significant step in the company’s broader effort to integrate robotics and artificial intelligence into manufacturing.
The automaker disclosed Thursday that it has been conducting proof-of-concept trials of the humanoid robot unveiled at CES 2026 at its U.S. factories since late last year. The testing is aimed at validating how the technology could be deployed in real production environments.
Lee Seung-jo, Hyundai’s chief finance and planning officer, said during the company’s 2025 earnings conference call that the trials are underway at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Georgia. The proof-of-concept phase is designed to collect operational data on robot control and performance ahead of potential commercialization.
Hyundai has previously outlined plans to deploy Atlas, the humanoid robot developed by its robotics subsidiary Boston Dynamics, at the Georgia facility beginning in 2028. Initially, the robots would be used for parts sorting, with their role expanding to assembly tasks from 2030.
Hyundai Motor Group’s Atlas humanoid robots are on display at the group’s booth at the CES technology show, one of the world’s largest IT and home appliance trade fairs, in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 6, 2026, after the four-day event opened with about 4,500 companies taking part. (Yonhap)
The company is also advancing its smart vehicle strategy, another pillar of its future mobility roadmap. Lee said Hyundai is developing a smart-car demonstration model, with a limited release possible as early as the second half of this year. The automaker aims to introduce a fully software-defined vehicle platform in 2028.
As both humanoid robotics and smart vehicles move closer to practical implementation, Hyundai expects rising demand for high-performance computing. The company previously agreed to procure 50,000 of Nvidia’s latest Blackwell graphics processing units, though Lee said no firm timeline has been set for their deployment.
Hyundai also addressed the financial impact of U.S. auto tariffs, estimating that the effect on operating profit this year would be similar to last year’s total cost of roughly 4.1 trillion won.
In 2025, a 25 percent tariff was imposed from early April through late October, before being reduced to 15 percent following bilateral trade negotiations. Even after the reduction, the company continued to bear higher tariff costs as existing inventory subject to the earlier rate was sold off.
Tariff-related expenses eased in the fourth quarter, falling about 20 percent from the previous quarter. Lee said Hyundai recovered roughly 60 percent of last year’s tariff burden through contingency measures and expects similar cost-mitigation strategies to remain in place this year.
The disclosures highlight Hyundai’s dual challenge: investing aggressively in next-generation manufacturing and mobility technologies while navigating ongoing trade-related uncertainties in its largest overseas market.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
