Hyundai Motor has extended the expiration date of the shutdown of its Alabama plant from March 31 to April 10.
Hyundai Motor said on March 28 that it has notified local employees of its plan to extend the suspension of operations in connection with the spread of the new coronavirus infection.
Hyundai Motor's decision is attributed to more than 100,000 confirmed COVID-19 people in the U.S. and a series of influence-peddling cases such as restrictions on movement and orders to close schools.
“The decision was made by preparing for a drop in demand in the auto market and considering the safety of employees as the top priority,” a Hyundai official said, explaining that the company has decided to suspend the operation of the plant from the previous schedule of March 31 to April 10.
There are a total of six overseas plants that have been suspended by Hyundai Motor, excluding China. The plant in Chennai, India, including the Alabama plant in the U.S., will be closed by March 31, and the plant in Saint Petersburg and Nosovice in the Czech Republic will be shut down by April 3. The plant in Piracicaba, Brazil, is scheduled to be closed by April 9 and the plant in Izmit, Turkey, by April 12.
The situation is the same for Kia Motors. The plant in Andhra Pradesh, India, will be suspended by March 31 and the plant in Zilina, Slovakia, will be shut down by April 3. The Georgia plant in the U.S. has extended its shutdown period from March 30 to April 10. Mexico's plant is also expected to be shut down due to an increase in local confirmed cases.
"The production and sales plan set by Hyundai Motor Group at the beginning of this year is expected to be disrupted due to a series of shutdowns of overseas plants," an industry source said. "The shutdown period may be longer as the number of confirmed people and deaths in the U.S. and Europe have steadily increased."
