Hyundai Motor Group is introducing Atlas robots from Boston Dynamics at its flagship Metaplant America plant in Georgia, part of a $21 billion automation effort, Interesting Engineering reports.
Atlas is a next-generation bipedal robot capable of performing tasks typically assigned to humans. Hyundai already uses four-legged Spot robots for inspections, as well as specialized machines that remove and replace car doors on the assembly line.
It is not yet known exactly how many Atlas robots will be deployed and what functions they will perform, but the company has already announced plans to purchase tens of thousands of robots for its operations around the world.
Hyundai acquired Boston Dynamics in 2021 from SoftBank, and sees the acquisition as key to advancing mobile robotics in manufacturing. The investment program includes $6 billion, aimed directly at automation, innovation and partnerships. The impetus for such changes was also the trade tariffs that the Donald Trump administration imposed on imported cars.
Hyundai sold 1.9 million vehicles in the U.S. last year, up 4% despite a global sales slump. The company plans to produce up to 300,000 electric and hybrid vehicles annually at the new plant, eventually increasing capacity to 500,000 units.
Overall, Hyundai expects to produce 1.2 million cars per year in the US, which is 70% more than in 2024. There are also plans to expand production in Alabama.