Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor America in association with Hyundai America Technical Center, announced a $51.6 million expansion project for a new Safety Test and Investigation Laboratory (STIL). The laboratory is planned to be operational during the last quarter of 2023 and will be supported by 160 employees.
The STIL was developed in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) based on a 2020 Consent Order which required an investment in a safety facility of $25 million. Hyundai increased its required investment by more than $26 million, a press release from the company noted.
The investment is focused on enhancing Hyundai’s safety commitment to identifying vehicle field issues, preventing crashes and keeping passengers safe. The lab will feature a field crash investigation lab, high voltage battery lab, forensics lab, 500m track and a Vehicle Dynamics Area pad. In addition, IBI Group and BCCG have been selected for the architectural design and construction of the building expansion.
The announcement ceremony was attended by José Muñoz, President and Chief Operating Officer, Hyundai Motor Company and President and Chief Executive Officer, Hyundai and Genesis Motor North America and Hyundai Motor America, Brian Latouf, Chief Safety Officer, Hyundai Motor North America and John Robb, President, HATCI, along with Government officials including Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II.
Muñoz said that safety is the topmost priority for the company. “The new laboratory will enable us to even more effectively protect our customers and enhance our world-class safety organization,” he added.
Dingell said, “This investment by Hyundai is critically important not only to Southeast Michigan, but to our entire country.” She noted that traffic fatalities are at an all-time high in the nation, and each of the elected officials, along with the automakers, have a role to play in addressing this urgent, preventable crisis.
Gilchrist II said, “Michigan put the world on wheels, and I am grateful for Hyundai’s partnership in building on that tradition with a $50 million investment in Superior Township.”