Image: HyundaiAs early as last year, Hyundai confirmed it would produce its latest electric model at its Turkish plant in İzmit. Series production of the Ioniq 3 is now set to begin in August. Hyundai Motor Türkiye has shared further details about the associated investment in battery assembly.This investment is part of a €715 million package, of which €55 million is allocated to the battery facility. The plant is currently being constructed on a 30,000-square-metre site within the factory premises. In collaboration with Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Motor Türkiye will automate battery pack assembly using 27 robots. However, human labour remains essential: in an initial phase, more than 300 new jobs are expected to be created.Hyundai expects to produce 27,000 units of the Ioniq 3 this year, with output set to rise to over 40,000 vehicles next year. In the long term, the battery assembly line is also intended to support additional electric and hybrid models, though Hyundai has not provided further details.This marks the South Korean manufacturer’s first venture into producing battery-electric passenger cars at this location. Simultaneously, Hyundai will become the second manufacturer of purely electric vehicles in Turkey after the domestic producer Togg – and the first foreign manufacturer in this segment. To date, models such as the i20 and the Bayon, both conventionally powered, have been produced at the İzmit plant. According to company figures, around 3.3 million vehicles have been built there since production began in 1997.For Hyundai, the Ioniq 3 is particularly important for the European market. The model was developed for European customers and is based on the E-GMP platform in a 400-volt configuration. As previously reported, the Ioniq 3 shares many technical specifications with the Kia EV2 (read our test drive review here), but features a more aerodynamic body. Hyundai describes this concept as an ‘Aero Hatch’. As a result, the Ioniq 3 achieves greater ranges than its Kia counterpart despite similar technology.At its premiere in April, Hyundai announced two battery sizes: 42.2 kWh for the Standard-Range variant and 61 kWh for the Long-Range version. Depending on the variant, the WLTP range is up to 334 and 496 kilometres, respectively. Hyundai uses two different cell chemistries and supply chains for the batteries. The suppliers have not been named, but Hyundai has stated that the LFP batteries for shorter-range variants are sourced entirely from China, while the NMC cells are expected to come from Hungary.hyundai.com (in Turkish), dailysabah.com
