It's common for automakers to collaborate in order to share expertise and keep development costs as low as possible, with GM in particular having a long history of collaboration. Its joint venture with Toyota, NUMMI, was responsible for turning around the fortunes of the Fremont Assembly plant and producing some of the most reliable GM-badged vehicles of the era. More recently, GM and Honda's ongoing EV tie-up sees both automakers sharing their best ideas in a bid to reduce the cost of electric vehicles.
In August 2025, GM announced another collaboration, this time with South Korean automaker Hyundai. The two companies will co-develop five new vehicles, four for the Central and South American market and one for the North American market. Together, it's expected that these vehicles will sell around 800,000 units per year once production fully ramps up.
The sole model designed for North America will be an electric commercial van, which will be manufactured in the U.S., although neither company has decided on a location. According to GM, production is expected to begin in 2028. These Hyundai-GM collaboration vehicles will have different styling inside and out between the two brands, but will use a shared platform.
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GM And Hyundai's Non-US Vehicles
Aside from the North American-market van, GM and Hyundai also have four other shared models in the works for South and Central America. Two of these upcoming models are pickups, which will reportedly be able to accommodate both combustion and hybrid powertrains. A passenger car and a compact SUV are also in development. Much like the electric van, the two automakers are targeting 2028 as the start of production for these four new models. Also, like the van, the production locations of each model remain unknown for now.
GM and Hyundai have not disclosed the exact motives behind their recent deal to collaborate, but it's likely a result of a combination of factors, including the ongoing uncertainty around trade tariffs and the industry's gradual switch to electrification. GM had already announced that it would be making some significant changes in 2025, even before the current government administration's tariff plans sent shockwaves through the automotive industry. Hyundai, meanwhile, will no doubt appreciate the opportunity to produce another American-market vehicle in the U.S. The South Korean automaker already makes both Hyundai and Kia models at its recently opened Metaplant plant in Georgia alongside its Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama plant, and this latest announcement is further evidence that it is betting big on American production.
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