Hyundai Motor Group will stop making internal combustion engines to hasten its transformation into an electric vehicle maker. The company said that electrification is unavoidable, so it will now work in that direction and ditch the fuel-powered vehicles.
According to The Korea Economic Daily, Hyundai Motor has closed down its engine development department which is stationed at the company’s research and development (R&D) headquarters and business insiders revealed this information late last week.
“Now, it is inevitable to convert into electrification,” KED Global quoted Park Chung Kook, the newly-appointed R&D chief as saying in an email that was sent to employees. “Our own engine development is a great achievement but we must change the system to create future innovation based on the great asset from the past.”
The move to shutter the said division came as the automobile industry around the world is shifting to electric vehicles and it is happening faster than expected. EVs do not require a powertrain as they run on an electric motor thus the engine development unit is not needed any longer.
Hyundai Motor’s engine development was first established in 1983 and the company is scrapping it this month after almost 40 years. With the closure, the efforts will not be redirected to improve the automaker’s EV development division.
In the past, the EV development was under the powertrain units and now all the teams in the powertrain have been converted to electrification divisions. A battery development center was also established under the electrification to further strengthen advanced battery technology.
Hyundai Motor also formed a battery design team, a battery performance development team, and more for its EV development center. The carmaker along with its subsidiary, Kia Motors, is aiming to sell 1.7 million electric vehicles worldwide in 2026.
With the sudden shutdown, Business Korea reported that Hyundai Motor Group has officially terminated the engine development by announcing rules stating not to release any new models of internal combustion engines. This will also formally mark the transformation of its Powertrain team into the Electrification Development Team which will focus on R&D for electric vehicles.


Gold Prices Rise Above $4,000 as Inflation Data and Weaker Dollar Boost Demand
South Korea Remains MSCI Emerging Market Despite Reform Progress
Oil Prices Drop as Middle East Supply Recovery Eases Market Concerns
Micron Stock Surges on Strong AI Demand, Record Revenue, and Bullish Q4 Forecast
Trump Requests $11 Billion More in Farm Aid as Rising Costs Pressure U.S. Farmers
Bank Regulation Rollbacks in the U.S. and UK Could Increase Financial Risks, Study Warns
Fortescue Faces Class Action Over Sexual Harassment Claims at Australian Mining Sites
Cerebras Revenue Forecast Tops Expectations, but Margin Concerns Weigh on Stock
Bain Capital Nears Deal for Majority Stake in Volkswagen Marine Engine Unit Everllence
FedEx Stock Drops After Weak 2026 Earnings Forecast Despite Strong Q4 Results
BOJ Hawk Signals Faster Interest Rate Hikes Amid Inflation Risks
SK Hynix Targets $29.4 Billion Nasdaq Listing to Expand AI Chip Business
Bayer Wins Major U.S. Supreme Court Roundup Lawsuit, Shares Surge
Oil Prices Rebound as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Return After Ship Attack Near Oman
SK Hynix Moves Closer to New York ADR Listing Amid AI Chip Boom
Alibaba Shares Fall After Anthropic Alleges Massive AI Model Distillation Campaign
Meta Reportedly Developing ‘Arena’ Prediction Market App to Rival Polymarket and Kalshi 



