Hyundai in Nošovice produces five-millionth car and continues the modernisation and transformation of production

• The five-millionth vehicle rolled off the production line at Hyundai’s Nošovice plant – a Tucson Hybrid in the special GO Czech edition.
• More than 650,000 electrified vehicles have been produced since 2020, and they now account for more than half of total production in Nošovice.
• Hyundai continues to invest in automation and the sustainability of its manufacturing operations.

On Thursday, 29 January, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech (HMMC) produced its five-millionth vehicle. This significant milestone symbolically confirms the long-term stability, technological maturity, and strong position of the Nošovice plant within European automotive manufacturing.

The anniversary vehicle was a Hyundai Tucson Hybrid in the GO Czech N Line specification, personally handed over to a Czech customer from the VISTA car dealership directly at the plant premises. The customer had the unique opportunity to follow the production of their vehicle on the assembly line through to final completion and to symbolically take part in its finishing, for example by installing the steering wheel or applying the Hyundai emblem. The symbolic key was presented to the customer by HMMC President Sanghoon Yoon, while Martin Saitz, CEO of Hyundai Motor Czech, handed over a smartwatch serving as a digital key, along with a voucher for free servicing and one year of Bluelink PRO services.

The Tucson model has long dominated production at the Nošovice plant. Its third generation, produced from 2015 to 2020, surpassed 1.1 million units, and the current generation continues to build on this milestone. Together, these two generations account for nearly half of the plant’s total production since operations began.

The i30 model is now in its third generation at Nošovice. Since 2008, nearly 1.5 million units have rolled off the production lines, including the sporty N variant, which also saw two limited editions – Project C and Drive N. Other models produced at the plant that have reached global markets include the ix35, ix20, and the Kia Venga.

Since production began, vehicles from Nošovice have been exported to more than 90 countries, with the majority going to European markets. However, these cars also find customers in the Middle East, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America.

A significant milestone in the plant’s history came in 2020, when electrified vehicle production began. Since then, over 650,000 electrified vehicles have been produced, highlighting the plant’s gradual transformation toward sustainable mobility. The Kona Electric became the first mass-produced electric vehicle in the Czech Republic.

This step was followed by the conversion of the hall originally used for manual transmission production into a Hyundai Mobis battery assembly facility, focused on producing battery systems for electric vehicles. The first phase of operations began in autumn 2022, with full operations starting in August last year. The facility currently has an annual capacity of 360,000 batteries, set to increase to 450,000 units by June. With more than 600 employees, the plant supplies battery systems not only for vehicles produced at HMMC but also for Kia’s sister plant in Žilina.

Over the years, HMMC’s involvement in the development of new models and its independence from the parent company in Korea has grown significantly. While the Nošovice plant was only involved in the testing phase for the third-generation Tucson just before production line trials, it now participates from the drawing board stage.

For the current generation of the Kona Electric, whose production started in 2023, HMMC contributed approximately 50% of development. For the new model scheduled to roll off the production line this autumn, this share is expected to reach around 75%.

Plans for 2026

A major milestone for this year will be the launch of a new model, scheduled to begin rolling off the production lines in November. This marks the start of a gradual renewal of HMMC’s model portfolio in line with the brand’s long-term manufacturing and product strategy. Further details will be announced as the company progresses with its plans.

At the same time, Hyundai continues to invest in modernizing and making its production more sustainable. At the beginning of the year, a new photovoltaic power plant with a maximum capacity of 5 MWp was completed on the plant premises. In the first half of the year, 118 charging points for electric vehicles will also be put into operation in parking areas for employees and visitors.

As part of its long-term strategy, HMMC continues to advance the automation of its production processes. In January, technologies for automatic positioning of windshields on the assembly line and automated measurement of door and hood panel alignment in the body shop were introduced. In the second half of the year, the plant plans to implement automated paint defect detection in the paint shop.

The production plan for 2026 targets nearly 265,000 vehicles, with electrified vehicles expected to maintain a share of approximately 50% of total output.

Employment and Wage Growth at HMMC

The Nošovice plant has long been one of the region’s most significant employers, offering above-average compensation and a wide range of employee benefits. In 2025, the average monthly salary for production workers reached CZK 58,767.

As of 1 January 2026, base wages were increased by an average of 4.8%. For the most common position, Operator OP3, the base salary rose by CZK 2,100 to CZK 45,500, with the monthly bonus increasing by an additional CZK 1,000 to CZK 4,000. Employees will also receive a special one-time bonus of CZK 30,000 in their February salary. HMMC employs nearly 2,900 people, 94% of whom are Czech nationals. The average employee is 40 years old and has been with the company for more than 10 years, reflecting both experience and long-term loyalty within the workforce.

New HMMC President

As of 1 January 2026, Sanghoon Yoon has been appointed president of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech (HMMC). Mr. Yoon joined Hyundai Motor in 1995, beginning his career in production management at the Ulsan plant. From 2002 to 2007, he worked at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) in the United States, and later held senior positions at Hyundai’s headquarters, focusing on business strategy. In 2025, he was responsible for the Business Planning sub-division at the company’s headquarters. Mr. Yoon succeeds Changki Lee, who served as HMMC president for three years after joining the company in 2019. Starting in January, Mr. Lee has been promoted to Senior Vice President and appointed head of the production division overseeing Hyundai’s five plants in Ulsan.

2025 Year in Review

In 2025, the Nošovice plant produced a total of 276,175 vehicles. The Tucson remained the dominant model, accounting for 76% of production, followed by the Kona Electric at 13% and the i30 range at 11%. More than half of the vehicles produced were electrified – hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants of the Tucson represented 38% of output, while fully electric Kona models accounted for an additional 13%.

Diesel vehicles made up 6.6% of production, gasoline-powered vehicles 80.7%, and fully electric vehicles 12.7%. The popularity of automatic transmissions continued to grow, equipping 74% of vehicles, while manual transmissions dropped to 13%, with the remaining 13% being single-speed transmissions used in the electric Kona.

The three most popular body colors – Ecotronic Grey, Abyss Black, and the standard Atlas White – together represented approximately 50% of all vehicles produced. Around half of the production was exported to key European markets, primarily the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, and Italy, with the Czech Republic ranking eighth among export destinations with over 11,000 vehicles.