Hyundai to Restart Plant in India This Week

Hyundai Motor’s Plant in Alabama of the United States

Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors restarted their U.S. factories on May 4 after a 47-day closure ignited by the spread of the novel coronavirus. Hyundai's Chennai plant in India is also set to resume operations this week. However, Kia Motors’ Mexico plant will remain locked down as the virus is still spreading.

Hyundai’s Alabama plant was locked down on March 18 when the first confirmed COVID-19 case was reported. Kia’s Georgia plant stopped operations on March 19 and 20, and resumed operations, and stopped production again for 35 days from March 30.

The Alabama plant rolled out a total of 335,500 vehicles in 2019. It produces the Avante, the Sonata and the Santa Fe. The Georgia plant turned out 274,000 vehicles in 2019, inclduing the K5, the Sorento and the Telluride. During the lockdown, Kia retooled the plant’s K5 assembly lines to produce the 2020 version.

Hyundai's Chennai plant in India will also resume operations this week. India’s national blockade will continue until May 17, but the Chennai plant has been allowed to resume operations earlier as it meets the conditions set by the Indian government. The Chennai plant has stopped operating since March 22.

Kia’s plant in Mexico has stopped production for almost one month since April 6. “We have decided to extend the shutdown of the plant in accordance with the Mexican government’s policies,” a Kia Motors official said. “The date of the operation resumption has not been set yet.”

Among overseas production bases of Hyundai and Kia, Hyundai’s Brazilian plant will be put on a lockdown until May 26 and Kia’s Andhra Pradesh plant in India remains closed.

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