Hyundai resumes production of local plant after 4-week suspension

This photo provided by Hyundai Motor shows the IONIQ 5 crossover vehicle at a local charging station. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Hyundai Motor Co. said Monday it has resumed production at one of its seven domestic plants after a four-week suspension to prepare for the production of an electric vehicle.

Hyundai halted the Asan plant from July 13 to Aug. 6 to upgrade the facilities before it begins production of the IONIQ 6 midsize sedan later this year.

The 300,000-unit-a-year Asan plant produces the Sonata sedan and the Santa Fe SUV.

In February, the maker of the Sonata sedan and the Palisade SUV unveiled the IONIQ5 all-electric model embedded with its own EV-only electric-global modular platform (E-GMP) in line with rival carmakers' electrification push.

Hyundai plans to introduce the IONIQ 6 next year and the IONIQ 7 large SUV in 2024. It will begin using alphanumeric names like its bigger rivals, such as BMW, whose models are named Series No. 1-8.

It has seven domestic plants -- five in Ulsan, one in Asan and one in Jeonju -- and 10 overseas plants -- four in China and one each in the United States, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Russia, India and Brazil. Their combined capacity reaches 5.5 million vehicles. (Yonhap)