Hyundai to build two new car plants in China

Beijing Hyundai Motor Company (BHMC), a 50-50 joint venture between Hyundai Motor Company and Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co, has said it would begin building its fourth and fifth plants in China next year to respond to surging demands in the world’s largest automobile market.

BHMC will build its fourth plant in Cangzhou, Hebei province, and its fifth plant in Chongqing, with an annual production capacity of 300,000 units per plant. With the completion of the two plants by 2018, BHMC will have the capability to produce up to 1.65 million cars per year in China.

BHMC plans to open the fourth plant with an initial annual capacity of 200,000 units in the second half of 2016, and later add capacity to reach the expected 300,000 units per year. The plant in Hebei will be built on a 2.095 million square metre site with a floor space of 221,000 square metres, featuring vehicle production facilities such as stamping, welding, painting, assembly and module lines.

Construction of its fifth plant in Chongqing will begin in the third quarter of 2015 and once completed, it will also have an annual capacity of 300,000 units.  Built on a 2 million square metre site, the plant will have 274,000 square metres of floor space, featuring complete vehicle and engine production facilities. Small and mid-size models specifically designed for the Chinese market will be rolled out from the plant, starting from the first half of 2017.

Hyundai established BHMC in 2002, opening its first plant in China. It added a second factory in 2008, doubling its annual production capacity to 600,000 units. In 2012, with the addition of the third plant, the total annual production capacity reached more than 1 million units per year. The new plants are expected to further reinforce the company’s presence as a leading automaker in the Chinese market.

Hyundai Motor today has eight manufacturing bases including one in Chennai, India, and seven design and technical centres worldwide and in 2013, sold 4.73 million vehicles globally.