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Hyundai announced a major hybrid push at its annual Investor Day this week, including an intriguing 600-mile extended range EV (EREV) coming in 2027.
Its CEO also said the immigration raid at its Georgia plant could delay its progress.
EREVs deliver an “EV-like driving experience,” Hyundai says, through a combination of battery power and a traditional gas tank. But they’re not your average hybrid. The battery always turns the wheels, and the gas tank recharges it like an on-board generator, giving the car the quick acceleration and smooth handling of a full EV.
We don’t have any pictures of it yet, or details about whether it will be a sedan, SUV, or pickup. Hyundai may also choose to launch multiple EREVs in 2027.
EREVs could become a new trend, offering more advanced battery technology without the range anxiety. Ram has an EREV pickup truck on deck, too. Hyundai also plans to launch 18 traditional hybrids by 2030, including several for its upscale Genesis brand.
Hyundai CEO José Muñoz on stage at 2025 Investor Day in New York City (Credit: Hyundai)
The company is going to need a lot of batteries, which is what it plans to make at the Georgia plant where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained 475 workers in early September. The raid will delay construction of the plant by two to three months, Reuters reports.
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Hyundai CEO José Muñoz said at this week’s investor day that the workers were helping to set up the battery production technology at the plant and that he hopes “the US and South Korea can work out mutually beneficial solutions for short-term business travel,” according to Nikkei Asia. CNN reports that he found out about the raid on the news.
Immediately after the raid, Hyundai told us via email that the workers are not directly employed by Hyundai. Documents reviewed by The New York Times confirmed at least six people had valid work visas with the B1 or B1/B2 classification, which is meant for business trips of up to six months. One was working for HL-GA Battery Company LLC, not Hyundai, and had not violated the terms of his stay, according to The Guardian.
However, it’s possible there were some visa issues, as Muñoz called for a new system to facilitate bringing in skilled workers from abroad when companies cannot find them in the US, The Financial Times reports. It’s no secret that the US is behind on battery technology compared with its Asian counterparts, which is why the Biden administration allocated billions to boost the domestic industry.
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The Georgia raid seems to have spooked foreign investors, prompting President Trump to post on social media that foreign skilled workers are welcome in the US.
“When Foreign Companies who are building extremely complex products, machines, and various other ‘things,’ come into the United States with massive Investments, I want them to bring their people of expertise for a period of time to teach and train our people,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If we didn’t do this, all of that massive Investment will never come in the first place — Chips, Semiconductors, Computers, Ships, Trains, and so many other products that we have to learn from others how to make, or, in many cases, relearn, because we used to be great at it, but not anymore.”
The raid also reverberated across South Korea, where 60% of citizens say they were disappointed with how the US government handled it, according to The Chosun Daily. One person reacted by cancelling their order for a US-made Tesla, opting for a Hyundai EV instead.
Hyundai reaffirmed its commitment to US manufacturing this week, announcing a $2.7 billion expansion of its Georgia plant, which will create 3,000 jobs. By 2030, Hyundai plans to produce over 80% of US-sold vehicles domestically and increase its domestic supply chain content from 60 to 80%.
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