330,890 cars rolled off the production line last year

• Despite lower demand for electric vehicles, Hyundai’s Nošovice plant managed to meet its production target.

• As in previous years, the largest share of production – over 70% – was made up by the Tucson SUV.

• This year, the carmaker expects a decrease in the number of vehicles produced.

The Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech (HMMC) plant in Nošovice produced a total of 330,890 cars last year. The carmaker thus continued its series of successful years, having previously overcome the impacts of the pandemic, disrupted supply chains, and the semiconductor crisis, with 322,500 cars produced in 2022 and 340,500 the year before.

“The demand for electric vehicles in Europe hasn’t grown as expected, which also affected our production results. Thanks to our highly efficient manufacturing, continued interest in internal combustion and hybrid vehicles, and the skills of our employees and suppliers, we were able to manage the challenges and meet our planned production target for the year.”

Changki Lee, President of HMMC

The Tucson, the flagship model of the Nošovice plant and Hyundai’s best-selling vehicle in Europe, accounted for almost 72% of total production last year. The share of hybrid versions continues to grow, with every third Tucson featuring this type of powertrain. The i30 lineup made up 16.5% of the production. Both models underwent a facelift in the past year. The fully electric Hyundai Kona Electric represented 10% of the output. The remainder of the production was made up by the Hyundai i30 N sports model, which has been produced exclusively for Australia since spring.

To Europe and Beyond

The largest recipients of vehicles from the Nošovice plant include the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, and Poland—together, these countries accounted for over 46% of last year’s total production. The Czech Republic ranks 6th, with more than 16,000 cars delivered.

Beyond Europe, cars from Nošovice are also exported in large numbers to the Middle East, Mexico, and countries such as Morocco, Colombia, and Australia. More exotic destinations that received dozens of vehicles include Martinique, French Guiana, Barbados, and Curaçao. The three most popular body colors were Atlas White (basic white), Ecotronic Gray, and Abyss Black. Together, these made up approximately 45% of all vehicles produced in Nošovice.

Diesel-powered vehicles represented over 7% of production in 2024. The share of manual transmissions dropped to 21%. Due to long-term declining demand, manual gearbox production was discontinued in February last year after more than 15 years. Most employees from the Transmission Shop were reassigned to other roles within the company. This summer, the repurposing of the gearbox production hall will be completed, transforming it into a Mobis facility focused on battery system assembly for electric vehicles.

Lower Production Planned for This Year

In 2025, Hyundai Nošovice plans to produce approximately 295,000 vehicles, which is fewer than last year. The final outcome will depend on the economic situation in key European markets and the demand for electric vehicles. A crucial factor will also be how well customer demand can be aligned with stricter emission limits, and whether, or when, the legislation on emission limits and related penalties might be revised.

Due to the planned reduction, the company expects to implement several non-production days and reduce the line speed from 66 to 60 vehicles per hour. The number of employees is expected to decrease by about 100, mainly through natural turnover and a reduction in agency staff. As of the end of December 2024, HMMC employed 3,051 people.

Hyundai’s Nošovice plant offers above-average salaries within the Moravian-Silesian region. In 2024, the average monthly wage for production workers reached CZK 57,064. This represents a 20% increase over the past two years. Salary conditions for the upcoming period have not yet been decided; the current collective agreement is valid until the end of March 2025.

New Head of Administration Division

There have also been changes in the top management of HMMC. As of January this year, Petr Michník, previously the Head of the Administration Subdivision, has become another Czech Head of Division at HMMC.“We have many plans and new projects ahead of us, for example in the areas of employee care and energy savings. At the same time, we must respond to the challenges posed by new European regulations. My goal is to continually strengthen HMMC’s position as a top employer, while also improving our competitiveness and the company’s positive impact on the surrounding community. I believe that, thanks to the excellent team I have the honor to work with, we will succeed,” said the new Head of the Administration Division. Following Martin Klíčník, who has been leading the Production Division since April 2024, Petr Michník is the second Czech division head at HMMC.