Kia deploys Atlas robots in US factories by 2029, cuts EV target while expanding hybrids

Kia to Use Atlas Robots in US Plant, Develop First Software Car

Kia Corp. will begin using humanoid robots in its US factories from 2029 and is developing its first software-defined vehicle as the South Korean carmaker ramps up investment in new-generation cars and manufacturing technology to better compete with global rivals. The affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co. plans to complete development of its first software-defined vehicle by the end of 2027, it said Thursday in its 2030 strategy. The car will have Level 2 driving automation capability that allows it to operate on highways, with Kia planning to launch a more advanced version capable of operating on regular roads in early 2029. Meanwhile, Kia also said it will deploy the Atlas robot, developed by Hyundai's Boston Dynamics unit, at its Georgia facility in 2029. Initially, the robot will take on simple manufacturing tasks to improve safety and productivity, before using AI learning to expand into higher-value processes. Carmakers are increasingly looking to software -- in-car infotainment, advanced-driving assistance and over-the-air updates to improve performance -- as well as manufacturing efficiency to help them weather an uncertain consumer outlook, particularly for electric cars. Software-defined vehicles are a rapidly growing part of the auto market. The sector is worth around $250 billion to $300 billion, with the potential to exceed $1 trillion over the next decade, KPMG wrote in a report in February, citing industry estimates. For Kia, the SDV transition will allow the company to generate continuous revenue throughout a vehicle's lifespan via software subscriptions, significantly increasing per-unit profitability and lowering repair-related costs, said Samsung Securities Co. analyst Esther Yim. Kia will invest more than $500 million to strengthen its physical AI capabilities and vision-language-action models, as well as deepen strategic partnerships with technology companies like Google's DeepMind and Nvidia Corp. The carmaker's technology push is part of a broader recalibration of its sales outlook, as Kia joins other major brands in shifting their EV plans. Kia cut its annual EV sales target to 1 million units by 2030, from the goal of 1.26 million it set last year. It will expand its hybrid lineup to 13 models, with an aim to sell 1.1 million units by 2030 -- a slight increase on its previous estimate of 1.07 million. The carmaker's total global sales target is now 4.13 million units, down from the 4.19 million it previously projected. It's looking to sell 1 million units in the US and 1.5 million in emerging markets, including a heavy focus on India.

Kia cuts EV target, confirms electric pickup, and plans to put Atlas robots in its Georgia factories

In short: On the day that 25% US tariffs on South Korean imports took effect, Kia held its 2026 CEO Investor Day in Seoul and presented a plan built for a changed world: a quietly reduced EV sales target for 2030, a major expansion of its hybrid range, the first confirmation of a North American electric pickup truck, and a commitment to deploy Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid robots in its Georgian factories from 2028. The five-year investment plan reaches KRW 49 trillion, and the company is targeting KRW 170 trillion in revenue by 2030. Kia President and CEO Ho-sung Song opened the event with a statement of direction: "EVs, HEVs, autonomous driving, and robotics will serve as key drivers for Kia's fastest growth to date." The framing is deliberately broad, a recognition that the path to Kia's 2030 ambitions no longer runs through battery-electric vehicles alone, and that the company must build revenue across multiple technology bets simultaneously. The most numerically significant announcement at this year's event is one Kia did not frame as a retreat. The company's 2030 EV sales target now stands at 1 million units annually, across a lineup that will expand to 14 models. That figure represents a reduction of roughly 20% from the approximately 1.26 million target set at last year's investor day, and a sharper fall from the 1.6 million target Kia set at its 2023 event. The causes are well understood: the elimination of US EV subsidies, the slowdown in US battery-electric sales, and the weight of import tariffs that cost the group KRW 3.3 trillion (approximately $2.3 billion) in 2025 alone. In place of the lost EV volume, Kia is expanding its hybrid offer substantially. Annual HEV sales are now targeted at 1.1 million units by 2030, supported by a lineup growing to 13 models. Combined with the EV target, Kia plans to sell 2.1 million electrified passenger vehicles per year by the end of the decade, out of a total of 4.13 million units and a targeted global market share of 4.5%. Its purpose-built vehicle (PBV) range, comprising the PV5, PV7, and PV9 commercial models, adds a further 232,000 unit target by 2030. Regionally, Kia is targeting 1.02 million units in the US, 746,000 in Europe, and 1.48 million in emerging markets. The immediate financial picture is more pressing than the 2030 targets. For 2026, Kia is projecting KRW 122.3 trillion in sales and KRW 10.2 trillion in operating profit -- a recovery from the tariff-hit prior year, premised on the 15% tariff rate established under the Korea-US agreement in late 2025, which replaced the previous 25% rate. Whether that rate holds under continued trade policy pressure remains an open question. The announcement that received the most immediate attention is Kia's confirmation that it will build a mid-size electric pickup truck aimed specifically at North America. The model will be built on a next-generation EV platform, and the company is targeting a 7% share of the North American pickup truck market, implying annual sales of approximately 90,000 units in the medium to long term. Kia did not confirm where the vehicle will be manufactured, but the strategic logic is clear. Both of the group's US facilities -- Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Georgia and Kia's own manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia -- are positioned to produce vehicles that avoid import tariffs, including both the longstanding "Chicken Tax" applied to light trucks and the newer EV import levies. The timing of the announcement, made on the same day that 25% reciprocal tariffs on South Korean imports came into force, underlines the degree to which Kia is reconfiguring its product strategy around US production. Kia also used the investor day to advance its timeline for deploying Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid robots in its manufacturing operations. Atlas robots -- trained at Hyundai Motor Group's Robotics Metaplant Application Centre -- are scheduled to begin sequencing tasks at HMGMA in 2028, with more complex assembly operations beginning by 2030. The programme will then expand to Kia AutoLand Georgia in the second half of 2029. The contest to deploy humanoid robots in production environments at scale has been building for several years, with automakers positioned as early adopters given the structured and predictable nature of assembly line work. Boston Dynamics unveiled a production-ready version of Atlas at CES 2026 and said all 2026 deployments were already committed. As humanoid robots move from demonstration to production-line deployment, manufacturers are working out what tasks the technology can handle reliably and which require further development before genuine integration into complex assembly. Kia's roadmap, sequencing tasks first, assembly later -- reflects that staged approach. Boston Dynamics is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, which gives Kia preferential access to Atlas deployments. Alongside the factory programme, Kia is exploring last-mile logistics applications that combine its PBV range with Boston Dynamics' Stretch logistics robot for warehouse operations and its Spot quadruped for on-site delivery. Kia's technology roadmap beyond hardware commits the company to completing its first software-defined vehicle model, equipped with highway-level 2+ autonomous driving capability, by the end of 2027. Urban autonomous driving at Level 2++ is targeted for rollout from early 2029. The competitive context for higher-level autonomy is shifting quickly, with robotaxi operators expanding their geographic footprints and the gap between technology leaders and production vehicle manufacturers becoming harder to ignore. Kia's AV programme, while more conservative than pure-play autonomous operators, is designed to bring meaningful driver assistance into high-volume production vehicles rather than limited commercial fleets. The financial scaffolding for all of this is KRW 49 trillion in investment over the five-year period from 2026 to 2030, of which KRW 21 trillion is earmarked for future business areas including robotics, SDVs, and autonomous driving. The year 2025 crystallised how unevenly the AI and technology dividend was being distributed across industries, and Kia's investment plan reflects an explicit attempt to ensure that the automotive business captures value from the automation and software transitions rather than ceding it to technology companies entering the mobility space. By 2030, Kia is targeting KRW 170 trillion in annual revenue and a 10% operating profit margin, implying KRW 17 trillion in operating profit. Whether that margin is achievable depends heavily on how trade policy, EV demand, and the pace of hybrid uptake develop over the next four years. The convergence of automotive hardware and AI-driven mobility software is accelerating, and Kia's investor day is, in aggregate, a bet that traditional automakers can compete in both domains if they act now.