To truly grasp where the technology industry is driving the future of mobility, you have to leave the spreadsheets behind and walk the factory floor. Last week, I traveled to Savannah, Ga., to attend a milestone event at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA). The facility was celebrating the start of production for the Kia Sportage Hybrid, marking its first Kia model and its first hybrid electric vehicle (HEV).
To get a proper feel for the brand’s current trajectory, I navigated the Georgia highways in a borrowed Kia Telluride. It is a remarkable, disruptive three-row SUV that genuinely challenges the luxury segment with its advanced driver assistance features and premium comfort, and I will be doing a comprehensive review of the Telluride in a later column.
Exiting that highly refined Telluride and entering the HMGMA facility felt like stepping into a time machine set for the next era of industrialization. This isn’t just a car plant; it is a sprawling, high-tech robotics laboratory that illustrates how automation will soon transform the entire concept of manufacturing.
Let’s talk about the future of automotive manufacturing this week. Then we’ll close with my Product of the Week: the laptop I carried on my trip to Georgia.
