Hyundai localises more than 1,200 parts and EV battery packs

CHENNAI: Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) is localising more than 1,200 parts as well as battery packs as part of its manufacturing strategy, the company announced at the ongoing Bharat Mobility Expo in New Delhi.

The company, which has already achieved up to 92% localization in manufacturing, has with Mobis India commenced local assembly of battery packs at a newly commissioned facility within HMIL’s Sriperumbudur manufacturing facility.

The Hyundai CRETA electric is the first model to come equipped with locally assembled battery packs from the plant. The Korean company’s localisation efforts have led to forex savings of $672 million (Rs 5,678 crore plus) since 2019 creating direct employment opportunities for over 1,400 people. HMIL is working with around 194 vendors to localise more than 1,238 parts at its Chennai manufacturing facility.

Gopalakrishnan Chathapuram Sivaramakrishnan, whole-time director and chief manufacturing officer - HMIL, said, “Commissioning of the HMIL and Mobis India’s battery pack assembly plant is a key milestone in our localization and EV roadmap.”

In phase 1, the plant has an annual assembly capacity of 75,000 battery packs. The plant can assemble a diverse range of battery packs, including NMC (Lithium-Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt Oxide) and LFP (Lithium-Iron-Phosphate) batteries. The battery pack assembly plant will help optimize battery costs for HMIL and streamline battery availability for its EVs produced in India, the company said in a statement.

HMIL, through strategic partnerships with its supply chain, has achieved 100% localization for key components such as alternator, alloy wheels, disc brakes, catalytic converter, clutch assembly, shark fin antenna and Reverse Parking Assist Sensors (RPAS) among others. The company “intends to deepen its localised supplier network” by adopting an indigenisation strategy at its recently acquired manufacturing plant in Talegaon, Maharashtra.