Yonhap News Agency

Hyundai Motor Group took the top honor at a U.S. global automotive innovation technology awards event.

Hyundai Motor Group announced on the 4th that it was named ‘Automotive Company of the Year’ at the ‘AutoTech Awards 2026’, held on the 2nd (local time) at the Vibe Credit Union Showplace in Novi, Michigan.

The AutoTech Awards is an awards program organized by Informa, a global information and communications technology (ICT) research organization. It recognizes innovative technologies and companies in the automotive and mobility fields, including artificial intelligence (AI), connectivity, software, safety, and the connected car ecosystem. This year, the ceremony was held alongside the WardsAuto ‘Wards 10 Best Interiors and UX’ awards.

This is the first time the group has received this award. The U.S. subsidiary of Hyundai Motor won the ‘Automotive Manufacturer of the Year’ award in 2021 and 2024, but this is the first recognition at the group level. The organizers changed the award name from ‘Automotive Manufacturer of the Year’ to ‘Automotive Company of the Year’ starting this year.

The judges cited its three consecutive ‘World Car of the Year’ wins as a reason for the selection. They also highly evaluated its operation of an innovative dedicated electric vehicle (EV) platform and the development of an 800-volt ultra-fast charging system. Safety and design excellence, demonstrated by earning the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick Plus rating and by winning various design awards, were also taken into account.

Hyundai Motor Group stated, “Going forward, we will continue to strengthen EV platform performance, safety standards, and design excellence, accelerate the transition to software-defined vehicles (SDV), and expand connected mobility capabilities in the global market”.