General Motors and Hyundai Motor Company announced earlier this month a freshly signed collaboration to jointly develop five new vehicles, four of which are destined for the Central and South American markets.
The fifth vehicle, however, is the one we're watching.
Why? Because it'll be a battery-electric commercial delivery van coming solely to North America.
More precise details are few at the moment but this is a clear-cut sign of the industry's understanding that electrified delivery vans will play a significant role in the years ahead. However, this new van appears it'll be a completely vehicle than GM's BrightDrop delivery van.
Not convinced? Look no further than Rivian's last-mile delivery van as proof. Amazon placed an order for 100,000 examples back in 2019 and now they're everywhere, delivering an estimated 17.2 million packages daily, according to Capital One Shopping.
[Related: Rivian halts Amazon delivery van production, blames parts shortage]
The remaining vehicles will include a compact SUV, car and pickup truck, and a mid-size pickup, all designed and engineered to use either internal combustion or hybrid propulsion systems.
The two automakers estimate these five co-developed vehicles will result in 800,000 combined units sold annually once production is fully scaled.
"Hyundai’s strategic collaboration with GM will help us continue to deliver value and choice to our customers across multiple vehicle segments and markets," said Jose Munoz, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company. "Our combined scale in North and South America helps us to more efficiently provide our customers more of what they want – beautifully designed, high-quality, safety focused vehicles with technology they appreciate."
Both automakers also agreed to joint sourcing initiatives in both continents in order to help bring down the costs of materials, transport, and logistics.
They also agreed to explore a low-emission steel collaboration as part of their sustainability efforts. Since signing a framework agreement in September 2024, the companies have continued evaluating joint vehicle programs and potential partnerships across propulsion systems, including ICE, hybrid, EV, and hydrogen "
"By partnering together, GM and Hyundai will bring more choice to our customers faster, and at lower cost," said Shilpan Amin, GM senior VP and global chief procurement and supply chain officer. "These first co-developed vehicles clearly demonstrate how GM and Hyundai will leverage our complementary strengths and combined scale."
