AD #4205 – Hyundai Will Put Robots in Its Plants; Mercedes Competes with Tesla FSD; EV Growth Expected to Slow This Year

This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.

HYUNDAI WILL DEPLOY ROBOTS IN ITS PLANTS
The Hyundai Group is investing billions over the next 5 years to deploy tens of thousands of humanoid robots. It’s opening what it calls a robot Metaplant in the U.S. this year that it hopes will be capable of turning out 30,000 humanoid robots a year by 2028. Metaplant is the same name Hyundai uses for its new manufacturing facility in Georgia, so the robot plant could be nearby. The robots themselves are based on the Atlas humanoid from Boston Dynamics, which Hyundai acquired in 2021, and they’ll be deployed throughout the Group’s global production network. Atlas will start working at the Georgia plant in 2028, first doing things like parts sorting, but by 2030 it will upgrade to more repetitive tasks, lifting heavy loads and other jobs that have safety or quality benefits. That’s got to make you wonder, how many human workers does Hyundai expect its robots to replace? Plus, that won’t be limited to the auto industry. The robots will be trained to perform many tasks and Hyundai will sell them to other companies.

MERCEDES LAUNCHING LEVEL 2 SYSTEM FOR THE CITY
Mercedes is going to start competing with Tesla’s Supervised FSD in the U.S. Later this year it’s launching a Level 2 system that’s capable of navigating city streets, not just the highway. It features 10 cameras, 5 radars and 12 ultrasonic sensors that feed into a powerful supercomputer. But this is not a hands-off system. It requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheels at all times. However, driver inputs do not disengage the system, so Mercedes claims it operates more collaboratively, rather than fighting against each other. The company started offering the same feature in China at the end of 2025 and I’ll be interested to see what it’s going to charge customers to use it.

HONDA & SONY REVEAL NEW SUV
The joint venture between Honda and Sony revealed a new SUV concept. It’s called the AFEELA Prototype 2026 and is the preview of a production model that could launch in the U.S. as early as 2028. Like the sedan, the SUV will offer autonomous driving, an advanced AI assistant and a host of infotainment features. While Honda and Sony plan to sell vehicles directly to consumers, they’re also building showroom and delivery hubs. At least in California, where AFEELA first goes on sale later this year. But there’s also plans to expand into Arizona and ship them to Japan in 2027.

EV GROWTH EXPECTED TO SLOW IN 2026
Sales of electric vehicles, including plug-in hybrid and range extended EVs, are expected to grow globally this year but the pace will slow compared to 2025. According to BloombergNEF, automakers will sell 24.3 million passenger EVs this year, up 12% from last year but slower than the 23% increase in sales in 2025. Sales are expected to slow because of the U.S. and Europe rolling back EV policies as well as China lowering subsidies for EVs. But while EV growth will likely slow this year, the Boston Consulting Group says that EV sales should rebound in 2027 and 2028.

LUCID, UBER & NURO SHOW PRODUCTION ROBOTAXI
Lucid, Uber and Nuro unveiled the production version of the robotaxi that will be used in their global service. It’s a modified Lucid Gravity SUV with cameras, lidar and radar sensors integrated throughout the vehicle’s body and in what they’re calling a “roof-mounted halo.” In addition to housing sensors, the halo also features LEDs to help riders identify the vehicle. The companies began testing the vehicle last month in the San Francisco Bay Area and are aiming to put it into production later this year at Lucid’s plant in Arizona. And if all goes to plan, the companies are aiming to launch their robotaxi service in the Bay Area by the end of the year.

RAM BRINGS BACK TRX TRUCK
Ram is bringing back its TRX truck, which it claims will be the fastest and most powerful gas-engine street-legal pickup in the world. Power comes from a 6.2L supercharged HEMI V8, which cranks out 777 horsepower and 680 lb-ft of torque. The TRX is able to move from 0-60 MPH in 3.5 seconds and has a top-speed of 118 MPH. The new TRX goes on sale in the second half of the year in the U.S. with a price of more than $102,000 including destination charges.

RAM GIVES CUSTOMERS DIESEL POWER WAGON
Ram also announced that it’s adding a new diesel to the Power Wagon’s lineup. It’s a 6.7L, inline 6-cylinder Cummins engine, which produces 430 horsepower and 1,075 lb-ft of torque. The diesel-powered Power Wagon goes on sale in the second half of 2026 with a starting price of more than $88,000 including destination.

GEELY TO ENTER U.S. MARKET
And don’t forget to check out our coverage of CES. Yesterday we learned that Geely is considering coming to the U.S. market in the next 2-3 years and is showing off some of its vehicles for people to experience in Las Vegas. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Geely is eyeing the U.S. after the Trump Administration is gone. But if it did enter the market, it says it would approach Volvo, which Geely owns, about using its plant in South Carolina. And says it would also have to make changes to meet current laws and regulations.

But that brings us to the end of today’s show. Thanks for making Autoline a part of your day.