GM and Hyundai Motor Group, two of the world’s top five largest automakers, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore joint product development, manufacturing, and clean energy tech. Although the memorandum is non-binding, the collaboration will immediately assess opportunities for binding agreements.
This new partnership will leverage the assets, research, and manufacturing of the two conglomerates to reduce costs and develop new technologies that can be brought to market faster. Interestingly, the memorandum specifically mentions the co-development of internal combustion engines in addition to electric, hydrogen, and “clean-energy” technologies for passenger and commercial vehicles alike.
GM’s official statement on the new joint venture highlights the potential for quickly and efficiently transitioning new vehicles and technologies from development to market availability.
“GM and Hyundai have complementary strengths and talented teams,” GM CEO Mary Barra said in a statement. “Our goal is to unlock the scale and creativity of both companies to deliver even more competitive vehicles to customers faster and more efficiently.”
Hyundai’s statements on the partnership show optimism about combining the companies’ strengths to create good outcomes for both.
“This partnership will enable Hyundai Motor and GM to evaluate opportunities to enhance competitiveness in key markets and vehicle segments, as well as drive cost efficiencies and provide stronger customer value through our combined expertise and innovative technologies,” said Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung.
This news comes less than a year after Honda and General Motors canceled their plan to co-develop affordable EVs less than two years after announcing the plan. However, the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX are jointly developed, Ultium-based EVs that were brought to market rather quickly thanks to General Motors and Honda’s cooperation. The two companies even worked together on a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain that’s currently in production. Honda recently touted the success of its brief EV partnership with GM.
The news also comes just months after Toyota joined the Ionna EV charging joint venture alongside General Motors. Collaboration with other automakers has long been part of GM’s business, and it will be interesting to see what comes of the company’s partnership with Hyundai.
Comments
I rarely do this, but Mary gets a point for this one. Especially with GM Korea becoming ever more important. Partnerships will be increasingly important in the coming years, especially after the current bubble explodes, and it will.
Korea in general. The Koreans so far are the only ones that have any chance at competing with the Chinese in battery sourcing and if the relationship with China gets more and more sour, time to start looking for safe alternatives. The Koreans are the answer.
How interesting. This is the third site to report this story, and yet it’s the only site to put the “Specifically noting development of internal combustion engines” little add-on at the end. This is absolutely the case of media making things into something it’s not.
Hyundai and Kia are probably the ones going full-bore into EV. They are bringing out more EV products than nearly anyone than maybe BYD in China. I then read the article on here and nothing stood out to me as this being about ICE development. What gives? Bias?
I’ve seen ICE engines mentioned in all of the articles I’ve read about this. Some other sites have an EV bias, so maybe that’s the problem with ones you’ve read. ICE is much more important near term.
Read the announcement from GM’s own website. This partnership will involve looking into everything EV and ICE.
It says “in addition to electric, hydrogen, and “clean-energy” technologies for passenger and commercial vehicles alike.” It seems like an all-encompassing partnership. Honestly, given Hyundais (and sister company Kia) rise to success this partnership can be beneficial GM and hopefully Hyundai gets something good out of it too provided they don’t allow cultural differences hinder it like the typical Euro-Japanese partnerships do (thinking of you Renault-Nissan and the rocky development of the J29 Supra with friction between Toyota and BMW).
I maintain that the Honda partnership didn’t work out because of cultural differences with the business as well as Japanese regulators weary of a foreign company potentially absorbing a smaller homegrown company after the Nissan debacle.
Hyundai is such a powerhouse in Korea and worldwide that it’s on much more equal (if not higher) footing than GM so this has more long term potential for both.
Well its not like the Japanese have never had partnerships with American companies before. GM/Toyota, GM/Suzuki, Mitsubishi/Chrysler, Ford/Mazda (ok this one probably didn’t help Mazda much). But Chrysler used the Mitsubishi 6G72 V6 for years in their products.
Korean culture also strikes me as more western than Japanese. They tend to be more flexible while the Japanese tend to be more set in their ways. In some ways, it shows in their automobiles and pop culture.
85Zingo: Why do you say Ford/Mazda and it probably didn’t help Mazda much? I work at a Mazda store and once again, Mazda is struggling to be around and stay relevant. I’d say much the opposite, that Ford is exactly why Mazda is still here today. Now, I’m not much of a Ford fan, so I’m not saying this out of bias. But everything I’ve seen/read and heard is that Ford had a 51% (or something just over 50%) stake in Mazda. This gave Mazda a lot of product and kept them going when otherwise they may have died. Again, not saying factual, but my understanding is that Ford got tired of pumping money into Mazda and them not wanting to follow Ford’s lead. Thus they sold their share (or most of it) back to Mazda.
Now Mazda is totally in bed with Toyota. I’d much prefer Ford.
Really? I feel like their best products have started coming after the partnership ended. Their latest products are phenomenal. Rented a CX-9 when I was in Nova Scotia and was blown away by what an excellent vehicle it was. I can only imagine how awesome of a car the CX-90 must be. They can’t be doing that bad. I see their latest cars everywhere especially the CX-90.
Mazda developed most products individually from Ford. Basically, Ford gave Mazda money (and the highly successful
C2 platform first gen Mazda3) and used their 4 cylinder engines, and platform for the first gen Fusion.
I like how you seem to think all Mazdas were rebadged Fords. They only used the C2 platform and it was their first successful product in many years. They manufactured the vehicles based on it themselves with their own engines.
I’m not saying the Mazda’s during the Ford time were something I liked that much, but the current line of vehicles are so over-rated it’s not even funny. I will say that the CX9 was my favorite in the Mazda line for SUV’s and the Mazda 6 for the cars. However, the CX90 (and CX70) that replaced the CX9 are horrible. We have been seeing them in for tons of issues. They drive terrible with a jerking and surging feeling in all of them, but especially in the PHEV’s. The range is pathetic at 26 miles on EV, but nobody is getting anything close to that. What I’m seeing when taking them on deliveries all over the place is about 15 real EV miles. They are huge, heavy and cumbersome. The 2.5L 4 cyl that Mazda uses in nearly everything is so outdated and has terrible MPG. They have oil consumption issues, especially on the turbo which is the only engine that gives you adequate power. Shut the doors on any Mazda and it sounds like they are made of soda cans. I could go on, but Mazda is so lost right now and their going “upscale” is not working well.
What I will say is that Mazda must get back to the basics and who/what they used to be. If that was under the direction of Ford or before or after doesn’t matter.
Mazda makes great vehicles! Absolutely loved my Gen 1 and Gen 2 Mazda5s – awesome vehicles with no competitors (yes, I know they’re Ford Focus based).
But what I really love is my 2024 MX-5 Miata! OMGOSH if you haven’t driven one you don’t know what you’re missing. Again, an incredible Mazda with no competition!
As much as I love my new Miata, I’m keeping my also-awesome Z3!
Didn’t help Mazda much? You mean funding their survival after the asset bubble burst?
Yeah, Ford screwed up. They should’ve let Mazda go bankrupt. That’s what you’re saying.
GetReal: Not sure if you were commenting to me or someone else. My opinion and from anything I’ve read and seen is that Ford saved Mazda. But in typical Japanese fashion, Mazda took and took but then didn’t want to take any real direction from Ford. Again, just my understanding. But it seems Ford finally said enough and pulled out, selling most or all interest in Mazda.
I still think Mazda is a better company that Toyota, but that’s not saying much. Kind of like saying Bin Laden wasn’t as bad as Hitler. However, since Mazda is now totally in bed with Toyota, does it matter? There was little chance before that I’d buy a Mazda even though I work with them. There’s ZERO chance that I will buy one now with Toyota involved. I’ll stick with my GM products as long as they offer what I want. My Chevy Bolt is superior to anything I ever drive in the Mazda line.
With Honda teaming up with Nissan for cheap evs, I can see cheap evs for developing markets.
Well this is better than partnership with Honda
GM and Hyundai are the two biggest investors in SES Lithium metal batteries. The battery expected to become Ultium 2.0.
Hyundai makes a complete range of trucks including Class 7 and 8 that GM does not make. Hyundai has one model of Class 8 truck with Twin Front Steering axles, perfect for moving heavy equipment in the oil patch. One engine they offer has 440 HP with 3000 Nm torque which is 2,213 pounds feet of torque
GM is partnered with Navistar on large trucks
Well this sucks, because so does Hyundai. They don’t know how to make any passenger vehicles that aren’t completely falling apart after 5 years.
The only voice of reason, downvoted to oblivion. That’s about right.
Hyundai can’t make a tin can without 186 recalls, 32 park outside orders, 19 class action lawsuits and 1 whistle blower mysteriously disappearing.
Mary is insane.
HAHA, I had the same thought. GM’s v-8’s lately have bad lifter troubles, and some bearing troubles.
I don’t know what happened at KIA/HYUNDAI, but they have trouble making an engine last over 50,000 miles.
Since these collaborations end up both of the companies copying each other’s worst mistakes, all that is left is EVs….
Unless they decide to only make HYDROGEN propulsion, which no one in California can refuel, so seems to be kind of a joke in any event.
And the hydrogen play is still a bit of a pipe dream (no pun intended)…commercially viable way to mass produce hydrogen doesn’t currently exist.
Yeah, they can make Hydrogen at a reasonable cost from Steam Reformation, but then it wouldn’t be as ‘GREEN’ as they want…. 4th generation Nuclear Reactors also intrinsically dissociate water into H2 and O2, but they won’t make one of those in my lifetime.
If the powers-that-be didn’t try to shove the FICTION of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) being a ‘pollutant’, down everyone’s throats all day every day, the simplest form of ‘Green’ fuel would be either Electric vehicles running from Coal fired plants, or Natural GAS (CNG or LNG) vehicles running from the gas lines already economically in people’s homes.
If they would have come up with a reasonably reliable 3,600 PSI compressor for home use (PHIL was close but it needed too much maintenance), I would have purchased a CNG car years ago (either HONDA or the CHEVY CNG TRAX), and there were other GM options – namely a DUAL FUEL IMPALA that ran around the first 80 miles on CNG and then quietly reverted to its gasoline tank. I believe that for one year there was also a Dual Fuel Silverado.
Hydrogen vehicles are just too much of a PITA to get working when there are much cheaper alternatives currently. As someone said “Hydrogen Vehicles will always be 50 years in the future”.
All these Natural Gas (substantially CH4) things were IN PRODUCTION. In this case I think it was a shame that nationwide the American Gas Association (AGA), and/or my local utility – didn’t support and advertise this much more.
Honda – EXPERT in small engine design and manufacture, could have used their ALREADY IN PRODUCTION 1 hp methane powered engine – which provided a small amount of waste heat and a small amount of electricity generation for household heating, recouping almost all the initial heat value of 1020 British Thermal Units per Cubic Foot of Gas…
With my Hot Tub I have a need for a small amount of continuous heating year-round. A 1 hp Natural Gas powered compressor would have overall efficiency of over 90% – also recouping the heat of compression prior to discharge to the vehicle, besides the engine’s jacket heat and exhaust.
Seeing as Natural gas is 1/4th the cost of electricity in my locale, since a CNG vehicle would be over 30% efficient, and provide free heat I could always utilize, my total utility bills woud drop sharply – using somewhat more cheap gas, but having essentially no Hot tub heating expense, and 3 electric cars’ less usage of electricity, since they’d all run (along with the gas engine compressor) on cheap Natural Gas.
TL;DR
Winner!!! Dumbest idea ever!!!