Hyundai is not claiming that robots will take over the world, or save mankind, but on Monday at CES it may have just cracked a load-bearing pillar of investor confidence in Elon Musk and Tesla.
What makes Tesla, not Hyundai, the darling of Wall Street isn’t the company’s present day output, but the business narratives that make investors want to buy in with the expectation of an exit that will make them a fortune. Specifically, that narrative stems in part from Elon Musk’s promise of a self-driving car future in which, he claims, Tesla will crush Waymo. But perhaps more importantly, it comes from Musk’s claim that his Optimus line of robots is so powerful, they might end poverty, become the “biggest product of all time,” and generate “infinite” revenue.
Hyundai, by contrast, owns Boston Dynamics, a company three decades old, and one that pioneered the creepy, quadrupedal and then bipedal robots that used to go viral and make people make the same “kill it with fire” joke over and over. Boston Dynamics absolutely wrote the book on present-day robots.
So with that in mind, watch the head of the Atlas program at Boston Dynamics, Zachary Jackowski, hype his robot, and keep in mind that he knows his competitor is Elon Musk:
He claims that while that thing moving around is just a research prototype, his company has been “hard at work on making the actual product version of Atlas,” and that it’s going to be “the best and actually simplest robot that we have ever built.” It’s going to be, he claims, water resistant, and able to endure temperatures as cold as minus 4 and as hot as 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
Jackowski claims Boston Dynamics and Hyundai are putting together, the “most complete dataset in the world to train humanoid skills in manufacturing,” and that the car side of the company will soon be both using and manufacturing these things in “a new robotics factory capable of producing 30,000 Atlas robots a year.”
This is all, of course, just hype. There’s no way to know what’s purely meant to soothe uneasy investors and board members who are eager to slash labor costs, and what’s meant to attract the attention of businesses who are thinking of becoming humanoid robot customers.
If you’re reading this, Tesla probably doesn’t make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, but Hyundai shouldn’t either. It’s a Chaebol, meaning it’s one of the colossal, scandal-prone companies with troubling ties to that country’s government. When it comes to creating armies of robots with the potential to crush labor power and generate “infinite” revenue, the question is not whether you should root for a company like Tesla or one like Hyundai. It’s which company’s outlandish narrative do you find more plausible?
CES has long felt like a full-on auto show, but the car-centric energy seems somewhat muted at CES 2026. Sure, the Afeela electric vehicle from the Sony-Honda joint venture is returning to the show floor, but with the Trump administration yanking most EV incentives from the market, the industry isn’t offering a full-court press of new vehicles in Las Vegas this year. That said, there’s no shortage of in-cabin car tech on display, including Hyundai’s Holographic Windshield Display.
Indeed, the company’s Mobis subsidiary will present “more than 30 mobility convergence technologies” during CES. And we’ll also get to see Hyundai’s AI Robotics Strategy, which will showcase its new Atlas robot fresh out of the lab.
How to watch Hyundai’s presentation at CES 2026
Hyundai’s presentation takes place on January 5 at 4PM ET, and you can livestream it on either its HyundaiUSA YouTube channel or its global YouTube channel. We’ll embed the stream here once it’s available.
What to expect
As mentioned above, Hyundai will have its Holographic Windshield Display for viewing. It’s essentially a next-gen heads-up display that projects key data from the vehicle’s dash on the windshield for less distraction, and without obstructing the driver’s view. It’s a vertically expandable 18.1-inch large display, and passengers can even watch videos without being visible to the driver.
Hyundai Mobis collaborated with German optics specialist Zeiss to develop the “world’s first system to utilize holographic film to transform the entire front windshield into an ultra-large display surface.” It says it will begin mass production in 2029, so don’t expect to see this on the market anytime soon.
Beyond automotive, though, we’ll also get a first-ever look at the company’s new Atlas robot. In the teaser image shown in the press release, Atlas looks rather dog-like, which makes sense when you remember that Boston Dynamics was purchased by the Korean multinational back in 2020.
“This next-generation Atlas represents a tangible step toward the commercialization of AI Robotics, highlighting the Group’s commitment to building safe and adaptable robotic co-workers,” the company said in the same press release.
Hyundai said it will also discuss its other tech areas, including electronics and chassis system safety, as well as an AR head-up display, low-power display solutions and EV drive systems.
While it often feels like a full-on auto show, the car vibes feel somewhat lessened at . Yes, the from the will be back on the floor, but with the Trump administration from the market, the industry isn’t offering a full-court press of new vehicles in Las Vegas this year. That said, there’s still plenty of in-cabin car tech on display, including Hyundai’s .
Indeed, the company’s will present “more than 30 mobility convergence technologies” during CES. And we’ll also get to see Hyundai’s , which will showcase its new Atlas robot fresh out of the lab.
How to watch Hyundai’s presentation at CES 2026
Hyundai’s presentation takes place on January 5 at 4PM ET, and you can livestream it on either its or its . We’ll embed the stream here once it’s available.
What to expect
As mentioned above, Hyundai will have its Holographic Windshield Display for viewing. It’s essentially a next-gen heads-up display that projects key data from the vehicle’s dash on the windshield for less distraction, and without obstructing the driver’s view. It’s a vertically expandable 18.1-inch large display, and passengers can even watch videos without being visible to the driver.
Hyundai Mobis collaborated with German optics specialist Zeiss to develop the “world’s first system to utilize holographic film to transform the entire front windshield into an ultra-large display surface.” It says it will begin mass production in 2029, so don’t expect to see this on the market anytime soon.
Beyond automotive, though, we’ll also get a first-ever look at the company’s new Atlas robot. In the teaser image shown in the press release, Atlas looks rather dog-like, which makes sense when you remember that Boston Dynamics was back in 2020.
“This next-generation Atlas represents a tangible step toward the commercialization of AI Robotics, highlighting the Group’s commitment to building safe and adaptable robotic co-workers,” the company said in the same press release.
Hyundai said it will also discuss its other tech areas, including electronics and chassis system safety, as well as an AR head-up display, low-power display solutions and EV drive systems.
Millions of Hyundai and Kia owners can get free repairs under a settlement announced Tuesday by Minnesota’s attorney general, who led an effort by dozens of states that argued the vehicles weren’t equipped with proper anti-theft technology, leaving them vulnerable to thefts.
The settlement comes after a rash of Hyundai and Kia thefts prompted nearly two dozen state attorneys general in 2023 to demand the automakers take action.
In 2023, the Highway Loss Data Institute, a unit of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, found that Hyundai and Kia vehicles without “engine immobilizers,” an anti-theft device that were standard on other new cars at the time, had a vehicle theft claim rate of 2.18 per 1,000 insured vehicle years. The rest of the industry combined had a rate of 1.21.
Under the nationwide settlement, the companies will offer a free repair to all eligible vehicles at a cost that could top $500 million, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said. Hyundai and Kia must also outfit all future vehicles sold in the U.S. with engine immobilizers, as well as pay up to $4.5 million of restitution to people whose vehicles were damaged by thieves.
The settlement was reached by 35 states, including California, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The vehicles eligible for fixes date as far back as 2011 and as recently as 2022. About 9 million eligible vehicles were sold nationwide.
TikTok videos of thefts
Beginning in 2021, thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles soared in part because videos posted to TikTok and other social media demonstrated how someone could steal a car with just a screwdriver and a USB cable.
Minneapolis reported an 836% increase in Hyundai and Kia thefts from 2021 to 2022, and Ellison announced an investigation into the automakers in early 2023.
Ellison said the two companies installed engine immobilizers on cars sold in Mexico and Canada, but not widely in the U.S., leading to car thefts, crimes and crashes that injured and even killed people, including teenagers.
“This crisis that we’re talking about today started in a boardroom, traveled through the Internet and ended up in tragic results when somebody stole those cars,” Ellison said at a news conference.
He was joined by Twin Cities officials, a woman whose mother was killed when a stolen Kia crashed into her parents’ vehicle and a man whose car was stolen nine times — as recently as Monday night, and including seven times after a previous software fix.
Under the settlement, Hyundai and Kia will install a zinc sleeve to stop would-be thieves from cracking open a vehicle’s ignition cylinder and starting the car.
Eligible customers will have one year from the date of the companies’ notice to get the repair at an authorized dealership. The repairs are expected to be available from early 2026 through early 2027.
In a statement sent to CBS News, Kia said the agreement is the latest step it has taken to help its customers and prevent theft.
“These include the development and introduction of a free software security upgrade that has been found to significantly reduce theft rates, the distribution of hundreds of thousands of steering wheel locks to our customers at no cost, and the rollout of a zinc-sleeve hardware modification that combats this social media-inspired theft method by reinforcing the ignition cylinder body and preventing its removal through the technique that was made popular online,” the automaker said.
Hyundai didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hyundai AutoEver America discovered on March 1, 2025, that hackers had compromised its systems. Investigators found the intrusion began on February 22 and continued until March 2.
Hyundai AutoEver America (HAEA) provides IT services for Hyundai Motor America, including systems that support employee operations and certain connected-vehicle technologies. While the company works across Hyundai’s broader ecosystem, this incident did not involve customer or driver data.
According to the statement provided to CyberGuy, the breach was limited to employment-related information tied to Hyundai AutoEver America and Hyundai Motor America. The company confirmed that about 2,000 current and former employees were notified of the incident in late October. HAEA said it immediately alerted law enforcement and hired outside cybersecurity experts to assess the damage.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.
The exposed data reportedly includes names, Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers, making this breach far more serious than one involving passwords alone. Experts warn that these details can be used for long-term identity theft and financial fraud. Because Social Security numbers cannot easily be changed, criminals have more time to create fake identities, open fraudulent accounts and launch targeted phishing attacks long after the initial breach.
Experts warn that stolen Social Security and driver’s license information could be used for identity theft and fraud.(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Who was affected in the Hyundai AutoEver America data incident
AEA manages select IT systems tied to Hyundai Motor America’s employee operations, along with broader technology functions for Hyundai and Genesis across North America. Its role includes supporting connected-vehicle infrastructure and dealership systems.
According to the company, this incident was limited to employment-related data and primarily affected approximately 2,000 current and former employees of Hyundai AutoEver America and Hyundai Motor America. No customer information or Bluelink driver details were exposed. While some filings reference sensitive data types such as Social Security numbers or driver’s license information, the incident did not involve Hyundai customers or the millions of connected vehicles HAEA supports.
Earlier reports suggested that 2.7 million individuals were affected, but Hyundai says that figure is unrelated to the breach. Instead, 2.7 million is the estimated number of connected vehicles that Hyundai AutoEver America helps support across North America. None of that consumer or vehicle data was accessed.
Hyundai also clarified that the United States has about 850 Hyundai dealerships and emphasized that the scope of this incident was narrow and contained.
We reached out to HAEA for a comment, and a representative for the company provided CyberGuy with this statement:
“Hyundai AutoEver America, an IT vendor that manages certain Hyundai Motor America employee data systems, experienced an incident to that area of business that impacted employment-related data and primarily affected current and former employees of Hyundai AutoEver America and Hyundai Motor America. Approximately 2,000 primarily current and former employees were notified of the incident. The 2.7 million figure that is cited in many media articles has no relation to the actual security incident. The 2.7 million figure represents the alleged total number of connected vehicles that may be supported by Hyundai AutoEver America across North America. No Hyundai consumer data was exposed, and no Hyundai Motor America customer information or Bluelink driver data was compromised.”
Scammers may now pose as company representatives, contacting people to steal more personal details.(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What you should do right now
Monitor your bank, credit card and vehicle-related accounts for suspicious activity.
Check for a notification letter from Hyundai AutoEver America or your car brand.
Enroll in the two years of complimentary credit monitoring offered by HAEA if you qualify.
Be cautious of emails, texts or calls claiming to be from Hyundai, Kia or Genesis. Always verify through official websites.
Smart ways to stay safe after the Hyundai AutoEver America breach
Whether you were directly affected or just want to stay alert, this breach is a reminder of how important it is to protect your personal information. Follow these practical steps to keep your data secure and reduce the risk of identity theft or scams.
Contact major credit bureaus — Experian, TransUnion and Equifax — to set a fraud alert or freeze. This helps block new accounts from being opened in your name.
2) Protect your vehicle apps
If you use apps tied to your vehicle, update passwords and enable multi-factor authentication. Avoid saving login details in unsecured places. Also, consider using a password manager, which securely stores and generates complex passwords, reducing the risk of password reuse.
Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our #1 password manager (see Cyberguy.com) pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.
Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com
3) Watch for fake support messages
Scammers may use news of the Hyundai AutoEver America breach as a way to contact Hyundai, Kia or Genesis owners, pretending to be from customer support or the dealership. They might claim to help verify your account, update your information or fix a security issue. Do not share personal details or click any links. Type the brand’s web address directly into your browser instead of clicking links in messages or emails. Always confirm through the official brand website or by calling the verified customer service number.
4) Use strong antivirus protection
Using strong antivirus software helps block phishing links, malware downloads and fake websites that might appear after a data breach. It can also scan your devices for hidden threats that may try to steal login data or personal files.
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.
Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.
5) Use a data removal service
Data removal tools automatically find and delete your personal information from people-search and data-broker sites. These services reduce the chances that criminals will use leaked data to target you with phishing or social-engineering scams.
While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.
Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.
6) Monitor your digital footprint
Consider using identity monitoring services to track your personal information and detect possible misuse early.
Identity Theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security number (SSN), phone number and email address, and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals.
See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com.
7) Keep your devices updated
Regularly install security updates on your phone, laptop and smart car systems to reduce the risk of further attacks.
8) Report suspicious activity the right way
If you notice unusual account activity, fraudulent charges, or suspicious messages that appear tied to this breach, report it immediately. Start by contacting your bank or credit card provider to freeze or dispute any unauthorized transactions. Then, file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at IdentityTheft.gov, where you can create an official recovery plan. If you suspect a scam message or call, forward phishing emails to reportphishing@apwg.org and report fake texts to 7726 (SPAM).
This incident highlights how much personal data is connected to modern cars and how vulnerable those systems can be. When your vehicle is linked to your identity, protecting your data becomes just as important as maintaining the car itself. Stay alert, use the tools available to safeguard your accounts and report any suspicious activity right away.
Should companies like Hyundai AutoEver be doing more to keep customer data secure? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.
Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
Back in 2020, Musk stood on stage at Tesla’s Battery Day and said the company would build a $25,000 car “about three years from now.” Not only that, but this mythical car would be fully autonomous and powered by Tesla’s next-generation battery technology. Tesla was going to sell you a car that was not only inexpensive and able to drive itself, but that you’d be able to rent out when you weren’t using it.
That was five years ago, and it still hasn’t happened. Now, even Tesla’s most loyal fans are starting to lose patience.
Since then, that car has been delayed, redefined, or quietly ignored—depending on which day you catch Musk on X. At one point, he dismissed the idea altogether, saying it didn’t make sense to build a $25,000 car with a human driver. More recently, he’s shifted his focus to the so-called “Cybercab,” a self-driving robotaxi that doesn’t actually exist yet either. The problem is that a lot of people are still waiting for what they were promised.
An Inc.com Featured Presentation
That’s what made the company special in the first place. It wasn’t just a car company—it was a promise. Tesla’s mission was to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, and you can’t really do that if only the wealthy can afford your cars. For a long time, fans gave Tesla the benefit of the doubt because the company was actually delivering: the Model 3 and Model Y became two of the best-selling EVs in the world.
At some point, however, promises have to turn into products.
This month, Tesla announced new “Standard” versions of both the Model 3 and Model Y. They were supposed to be that long-awaited affordable option. The Model 3 Standard starts at $36,990, and the Model Y Standard at $39,990. That’s cheaper, technically—but it’s not what people were expecting. And once you add Tesla’s $1,640 destination and order fees, those prices don’t fit what most people think of when you promise something “affordable.”
More importantly, to make those numbers work, Tesla seems to have just stripped out a bunch of features. Well, sort of. It has fewer speakers, no rear-seat display, and a simplified interior. It seems that the glass roof is still there, but Tesla just added a cloth headliner to cover it up.
For investors, that might make sense. Tesla has been under pressure as sales slow and competition intensifies, especially in China and Europe. Cutting costs is one way to protect margins. But for customers, the move feels as though Tesla’s idea of affordability is just to take away all the nice things.
It’s not even that the new cars are bad. They are still Teslas, which means you still get the single greatest advantage of driving a Model Y or Model 3, which is that you can plug into the world’s best charging network. The thing is, Tesla has had five years to keep its word, and instead of delivering a $25,000 EV, it delivered a $40,000 one without a roof you can see through.
Every time Musk teases an affordable Tesla that never arrives, it seems less likely it ever will. It gets harder and harder to believe, and that’s a problem. Over time, broken promises add up to a pile of broken trust. Tesla’s greatest strength used to be that it could sell a vision—a future that felt like it was just around the corner. Eventually, fans give up.
Meanwhile, everyone else caught up to what was once a massive lead. BYD, Hyundai, GM, Kia, and even Volkswagen all have sub-$30,000 electric models on the road today. Many of them have comparable range, more comfort, and better build quality.
The new Chevy Bolt will likely undercut Tesla by almost $10,000 when it returns next year. And in Europe and China, there are now entire categories of small EVs that cost half as much as a Model 3 Standard. They may not have Tesla’s brand mystique, but they’re good enough—and good enough is what wins in the mass market.
The truth is that Tesla needs an affordable model more than ever. Not just because it made a promise, but for survival. Growth has slowed, margins are shrinking, and the company’s next act—self-driving robotaxis and humanoid robots—still seems a lot like science fiction.
At one point, Tesla’s promise of a $25,000 car felt like a bold declaration that technology could make sustainability accessible. Now, it feels like something Musk sold to build hype, even if he never believed it himself. You can’t change the world if the people who believed in you the most start to walk away.
In the end, that’s the real danger for Tesla–that it’s losing the trust that came from doing impossible things and delivering them anyway. When that’s gone, all that’s left is another car company trying to sell expensive cars in a world that’s already full of them.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!
The autonomous vehicle industry is years — maybe decades — from maturing. And so there’s still a Wild West quality to the sector, in spite of the steady stream of announcements that do show marked progress. Two such news items from this week illustrate my point of progress, possibility, and even a bit of peril (at least to the ups and downs a public market can provide).
First up is Gatik, an AV and logistics startup that is applying its tech to middle-mile trucks. The startup, which I first wrote about in 2019, announced a multi-year and expanded commercial partnership with Canada’s largest retailer, Loblaw. Under the deal, Gatik will deploy 20 autonomous trucks by the end of 2025 to provide driverless delivery to Loblaw’s network of stores in the greater Toronto area. Co-founder and CEO Gautam Narang told me the company will add another 30 autonomous trucks to the fleet by the end of 2026.
The deal is notable, and not just because of the fleet size. As Narang explained to me, the trucks will be handling the full regional network for Loblaw. This means these third-generation AV trucks will operate autonomously to pick up products from two distribution centers and make deliveries to over 300 retail stores. “These are multiple brands within the Loblaw umbrella,” he said.
In other words, this is not some fixed-route pilot program. It’s commercial, and it’s complex.
Next up is Kodiak Robotics, another startup I have reported on since its founding. The company, which is developing self-driving trucks for highway, industrial, and defense uses, began trading on Nasdaq this week under the tickers KDK and KDKRW.
The company, which is now called Kodiak AI, went public via a merger with special-purpose acquisition company Ares Acquisition Corporation II, an affiliate of Ares Management. The deal valued the startup at about $2.5 billion.
Techcrunch event
San Francisco | October 27-29, 2025
Kodiak raised $275 million in financing. More than $212.5 million came from certain institutional investors, including $145 million in PIPE funding and about $62.9 million in trust cash from Ares. It should be noted that the trust cash is smaller (it was $562 million), as some SPAC investors redeemed their shares.
I spoke to founder and CEO Don Burnette the day before Kodiak’s big debut about why he took the company public — let alone via a SPAC. It was a big moment for Burnette, whose family was on hand to watch him ring the bell and mark the milestone. The stock was trading at about $7.70 Friday, down about 10% from its market open.
“As you can imagine, building and scaling a transformative autonomous driving company is very capital intensive, and we were looking to access the public markets as a path forward for the company. And when choosing between, you know, traditional IPO or a SPAC, we considered all the options,” he said. “We felt like, from a timing perspective, it was the right decision for the company (to take the SPAC route).”
It should be noted that Burnette is also quite bullish on defense. Here’s why:
“I think autonomy is the future of ground transportation broadly,” he said, before noting the benefits within defense for logistics and reconnaissance operations for ground vehicles. “One of the key things is defense requires unstructured autonomy, and this is one of the areas where we become specialists.”
A little bird
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
A few weeks ago, we wrote about some trouble at Hyundai‘s electric air taxi startup Supernal, including that the company had stopped work on its air taxi program and that its CEO and CTO were out.
This week, a little bird told us that a wider reorg of Supernal’s C-suite was afoot — something Hyundai Motor Group has now confirmed to us.
Chief strategy officer Jaeyong Song and chief safety officer Tracy Lamb are part of a “transition to new leadership,” according to the Korean conglomerate. Song’s departure is particularly notable, as he was once the VP of Hyundai’s Advanced Air Mobility division, which Supernal was spun out of in 2021. Also gone is Lina Yang, who most recently served as chief of staff to the startup’s now-former CEO, but who also served as Supernal’s “Head of Intelligent Systems” before that.
RememberMoxion Power, the portable battery startup that raised $110 million before going bankrupt? The founders are back with a new startup called Anode Technology Company, which has designed a mobile battery and inverter that can be used for EV charging and supplying remote power to construction sites and live events. The startup just raised $9 million in seed funding in a round led by Eclipse Ventures; its partner, Jiten Behl, who spearheaded the deal, was previously Rivian’s chief growth officer. Apparently, Behl’s interest was sparked by his experience at Rivian.
Side note: Palo Alto-based venture capital firm Eclipse sure has been busy this year. The VC firm led the $105 million round of Also, the micromobility startup that spun out of Rivian, and recently hired longtime T. Rowe Price Group investor Joe Fath as partner and head of growth.
The firm doesn’t explicitly focus on transportation, but some of its portfolio companies in this sector include Arc, Bedrock Robotics,Reliable Robotics, Skyryse,and Wayve.
Other deals that got my attention …
Rapido, a popular ride-hailing platform in India that competes with Uber, doubled its valuation to $2.3 billion following a secondary share sale by food delivery giant Swiggy. The share sale comes just weeks after Rapido began piloting food deliveries, edging into Swiggy’s core territory.
Telo, the tiny electric truck developer, raised $20 million in a Series A funding round co-led by designer and Telo co-founder Yves Béhar and Tesla co-founder Marc Tarpenning, who is on Telo’s board. Additional investment came from Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and early-stage funds like TO VC, E12 Ventures, and Neo.
TheTrump administration is seeking up to a 10% stake in Lithium Americas in exchange for renegotiating the repayment period of a $2.26 billion Department of Energy loan. GM is a major investor in the Canadian company, which is developing a lithium mine in Nevada that is expected to be the largest in the Western Hemisphere.
Notable reads and other tidbits
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
Hackers have had quite an active week in the transportation sector. Stellantisconfirmed a data breach involving customers’ personal information. The breach is linked to a hack of its Salesforce database. Meanwhile, a hack that began last Friday and targeted check-in systems provided by Collins Aerospacecaused delays at Brussels, Berlin, and Dublin airports, as well as London’s Heathrow. The U.K.’s National Crime Agency has arrested a man in connection to the ransomware attack. And finally, Jaguar Land Roversaid it will not resume production at its factories for yet another week as it continues to grapple with fallout from a cyberattack.
Battery materials startup Silastarted operations at its facility in Moses Lake, Washington, a milestone that could pave the way for longer-range, faster-charging EVs. The factory is the first large-scale silicon anode factory in the West and will initially be capable of making enough battery materials for 20,000 to 50,000 EVs. Future expansion could fulfill demand for as many as 2.5 million vehicles.
Automakers continue to pull back on EVs and electrified vehicles. Honda is ending U.S. production of its Acura ZDX electric vehicle that was being built by General Motors in Tennessee, CNBC reported. And Stellantis has canceled plans to produce a 4xe plug-in hybrid Jeep Gladiator in North America by the end of 2025. Which EV is next on the chopping block?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrationopened an investigation into Rivian over issues with the seat belts in its electric delivery vans that could introduce additional risk in the event of a crash, Bloomberg reported.
Tesla asked the Environmental Protection Agency not to roll back current vehicle emissions standards, breaking from other major automakers that want to see the rules eased.
TuneIn, an audio streaming service, is collaborating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to deliver emergency alerts directly to drivers.
Volvo Cars is pledging a commitment to U.S. production. The company said it will continue to invest in its U.S. car plant near Charleston, South Carolina, and announced plans to expand the factory to produce a hybrid vehicle by the end of the decade.
Waymo launched “Waymo for Business,” a new service designed for companies to set up accounts so their employees can access robotaxis in cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco.
Zoox has asked federal regulators for an exemption that would allow the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company to commercially deploy its custom-built robotaxis, which lack traditional controls like pedals and a steering wheel.
One more thing
Finally, proof of life from Luminar founder Austin Russell.
You may remember that Russell was mysteriously and suddenly replaced in May as CEO of the lidar company he created. The company has never truly explained his departure, only that it was the result of a “code of business conduct and ethics inquiry” initiated by the board.
Russell has been silent; while he remains on Luminar’s board, he hasn’t signed any of the filings the company has submitted with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission since he was replaced. This week, he reappeared as the co-founder of a new company called Russell AI Labs. It’s billed as a “platform that backs and builds transformative AI and frontier technology companies.”
It doesn’t seem like his troubles at Luminar have affected his ability to attract high-profile support or make eyebrow-raising deals. Russell’s co-founders are Markus Schäfer, CTO and board member at Mercedes-Benz Group AG, and Murtaza Ahmed, who served as a managing director at Goldman Sachs before joining SoftBank and was a partner in the $100 billion Vision Fund and managing partner of its $5 billion Latin America Fund.
As part of Russell AI Lab’s debut, the startup announced it has taken a $300 million stake in agentic AI company Emergence AI.
Hyundai intends to prove that a supple car seat can be made from wheat, soy, and corn.
The innovative automaker is partnering with faux leathermaker Uncaged Innovations of New York to develop sustainable, animal-free alternatives for its vehicle interiors, according to a news release from the South Korean car giant.
It’s a move that will likely draw rave reviews from the animal kingdom as well as from anyone concerned with the planet’s health. That’s because the cleaner biomaterial is touted as being produced with 95% less planet-warming fumes, 89% less water, and 71% less energy than real leather, per Hyundai.
“We started diving into testing literally hundreds of different plant ingredients and different combinations,” Uncaged CEO Stephanie Downs said, per TechCrunch.
Importantly, Uncaged’s latest products — made in cooperation with Hyundai’s Cradle innovation hub — don’t require dirty fuels during creation like other fake leathers. TechCrunch’s Tim De Chant, who spent time touching and smelling the samples, wrote that this latest offering “feels remarkably like a variety of real animal leathers. One even smelled like it.”
The online publication reported that Uncaged is also working with Jaguar Land Rover. By entering the auto market, the company is tapping a big opportunity, as each vehicle usually requires between two and 14 cowhides. Its material is already used for fashion products, all according to TechCrunch.
Vehicle use presents additional rigors. Downs told the publication that certain automakers want the alternative product to withstand 203 degree Fahrenheit heat for 500 hours. The company has hit the 185 degree benchmark at that time limit so far.
Its product is made with a plant-based cloth backing and plant-based leather substance. Both are biodegradable. A bio-based plastic helps with texture, mineral pigments add color, and flower extracts enhance smell. It costs $5-10 per square foot, depending on the size of the order, TechCrunch reported.
Alternative leathers are being developed in unlikely places. Tampa Bay, Florida’s Inversa is making luxury handbags out of invasive lionfish. Missouri Coast Fisheries is creating leather out of some of the silver carp it is catching in the Missouri and Platte rivers, where the fish population is dangerously exploding.
“There’s literally a thousand types of leather: different animals, different thicknesses, different ways that they tan it. We had to develop something that could be really easily customizable,” Downs said.
What’s your biggest motivation for converting to electric appliances?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
An everyday way to make an impact is supporting brands with plastic-free packaging. The average American produces about 5 pounds of plastic waste a week, much of it ending up in a landfill or the ocean. Once there, it lingers for centuries. Plastic-free products often save you money in the long run, and they perform better.
Hyundai said the work with Uncaged is part of its effort to shift to cleaner materials. A special smell might be an unexpected side perk.
“Automotive companies have talked to us about developing their signature scent that’ll be exclusive to them,” Downs told TechCrunch.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Hyundai Motor Group on Thursday confirmed it is going forward with previously announced plans to expand its Georgia plant, just weeks after an immigration raid delayed the startup of an electric vehicle battery plant at the site.
As part of a broader investment strategy, Hyundai said it would spend $2.7 billion to increase production capacity at the Ellabell site by 200,000 over the next three years, to a total of 500,000 vehicles a year.
The company first announced the expansion in March at the grand opening of the plant west of Savannah, and had said in August that it would invest an additional $5 billion in the United States overall. But the raid, which included arrests of more than 300 South Korean citizens, led to questions about the wisdom of the Asian nation investing in the U.S.
The company said it now plans to produce 10 models of electric and hybrid gas-electric vehicles in Georgia, up from the current two the plant has been assembling as it ramps up production. Hyundai says it’s still on track to expand production worldwide to 5.6 million vehicles a year by 2030. The automaker pledged that 60% of those vehicles will be electric or hybrid powered, targeting sales in South Korea, North America and Europe.
Hyundai said that it plans to make more than 80% of vehicles sold in the United States domestically by 2030, with total domestic content increasing from 60% to 80%. For the first time, the vehicles would include a mid-sized pickup truck, a key vehicle class in the U.S. market. The company already makes the Santa Cruz model, a four-door compact pickup, that it started selling in 2021.
Hyundai CEO José Muñoz has said the immigration raid will delay opening the battery plant by at least two to three months. Spokesperson Michael Stewart said Thursday that the facility will open in the first half of 2026.
Both Hyundai executives and Georgia officials have been trying to calm the situation since the raid, which mushroomed into a diplomatic dispute between South Korea and the United States.
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp told reporters Tuesday at a ceremony marking the groundbreaking of a Rivian Automotive electric vehicle plant that he remains confident Georgia’s business advantages would “win out” in terms of foreign investment. The raid may even wind up smoothing the way for South Korean employees to more easily obtain legal permission to help build and operate facilities in the United States, he said.
“I’ve had good conversations with companies that are here doing business in Georgia, companies that are looking to do business here,” Kemp said. “And I’ve had good conversations with people in the White House about the visa issue.”
Brent Stubbs, the chief administrative officer of the Ellabell site, wrote in an opinion piece published Wednesday in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the company is still committed to Georgia.
“This situation doesn’t change our plans to continue expanding and localizing in the United States,” Stubbs wrote. “Our investments in America are part of a long-term strategic plan.”
The $2.7 billion investment confirmed Thursday will go to expanding capacity at the plant and group affiliates, Stewart said. Hyundai and its onsite affiliates currently have 3,129 employees in Ellabell, he said.
Hyundai and its joint-venture partner in the battery plant, LG Energy Solution, had previously announced $12.6 billion of investments at the Georgia site, with pledges to hire at least 8,500 workers by the end of 2031. State and local governments have promised $2.1 billion in tax breaks and other incentives.
The boost at the Ellabell site is the biggest part Hyundai’s plan to raise production by 1.2 million vehicles a year worldwide. That includes another 250,000 vehicles out of Pune, India; and 200,000 more at Hyundai’s electric vehicle plant in Ulsan, South Korea. The automaker said it would also deliver parts for assembly into an additional 250,000 vehicles at plants in Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and North Africa.
Hyundai underlined a previous announcement to deepen its investment in robotics and said that by 2027 it would launch extended-range electric vehicles with gasoline motors to extend the range of its electric batteries to more than 600 miles (960 kilometers).
President Donald Trump on Sunday said foreign workers sent to the United States are “welcome” and he doesn’t want to “frighten off” investors, 10 days after hundreds of South Koreans were arrested at a work site in Georgia.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the 79-year-old Republican wrote: “I don’t want to frighten off or disincentivize investment.”
Some 475 people, mostly South Korean nationals, were arrested at the construction site of an electric vehicle battery factory, operated by Hyundai-LG, in the southeastern US state of Georgia on September 4.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials alleged South Koreans had overstayed their visas or held permits that didn’t allow them to perform manual labor.
The Georgia raid was the largest single-site operation conducted since Trump launched a sweeping immigration crackdown across the country.
Though the United States decided against deportation, images of the workers being chained and handcuffed during the raid caused widespread alarm in South Korea.
Seoul repatriated the workers on Friday.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called the raid “bewildering” and warned Thursday that the raid could discourage future investment.
In his post, Trump described the circumstances for temporarily allowing foreign experts into the US to build “extremely complex products.”
“Chips, Semiconductors, Computers, Ships, Trains, and so many other products that we have to learn from others how to make, or, in many cases, relearn because we used to be great at it, but not anymore,” Trump wrote.
“We welcome them, we welcome their employees, and we are willing to proudly say we will learn from them, and do even better than them at their own ‘game,’ sometime in the not too distant future,” Trump added.
Korea’s trade unions have called on Trump to issue an official apology.
Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26–27, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.
Welcome back! Did you miss me? Yes, of course you did. There is a lot of “future of transportation” news to keep track of. Let’s jump in.
It’s comeback week, and not just because I have returned from vacation. I’m talking about the biennial IAA Mobility conference in Munich and the purposeful effort among German automakers to show the world it can still offer compelling, technologically advanced, and affordable vehicles. The subtext of the splashy event that started Tuesday: “Hey, China, we’re not out of the race.”
VW Group, Mercedes, and BMW all showcased numerous new vehicles, including electric ones. And executives made their battle cries: VW Group Oliver Blume struck a bullish tone in a few interviews with reporters and laid out the company’s plan to be competitive in China, particularly with EVs, a category where VW has lagged.
But what about on the home front? Chinese automakers have been pushing into Europe, and consumers have responded. The German automakers are hoping their latest products — including a new all-electric Mercedes GLC, the BMW iX3 with its four “superbrain” computers, and the Volkswagen ID Polo and ID Cross concept — will preserve and even grow market share. But they have some work to do. Chinese companies like BYD almost doubled their market share in Europe over the past year, JATO Dynamics reported in July.
One other IAA news item of note: Rimac Technology, the tech and parts unit of Rimac Group, has developed solid-state battery packs it says will be available by late 2027. These batteries apparently pack in the energy and can be charged from 10% to 80% in under 10 minutes.
To get TechCrunch Mobility in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!
A little bird
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
Hyundaiappears to still be committed to Motional, according to two little birds who have shared new investment information with me.
Techcrunch event
San Francisco | October 27-29, 2025
Hyundai and Aptiv had created a joint venture (called Motional) with an agreement to invest $4 billion in the effort. Aptiv backed out in early 2024, leaving Hyundai to either invest its own money, find other outside partners, or shutter the program altogether. Hyundai opted to invest $1 billion — $475 million directly into Motional as part of a broader deal that includes buying out joint venture partner Aptiv. Hyundai agreed to spend another $448 million to buy 11% of Aptiv’s common equity interest in Motional.
Now it appears Hyundai is investing more into Motional in two tranches. The first is being dispersed this year and is about $452 million. The second comes next year, and I’m still trying to nail down that amount. That first figure is in line with reporting from a Korean outlet. Hyundai declined (a couple of times!) to respond to my questions about the funding. That’s pretty typical for large corporations to stay mum. However, one little bird who is deep within the AV industry also noted that Hyundai might not want to make a big deal about this, considering it’s also working with Waymo.
In other little bird chirpings, there are two new hires at General Motorsthat you might find interesting. Sony Mohapatra, the former senior manager of AI compute platforms at Cruise, has landed as director of AI and machine learning engineering at General Motors. And Paul Menson, who was the senior staff account manager of Megapack at Tesla, is now director of energy storage systems business development at General Motors.
Via, the transit software startup that garnered attention for its consumer-facing on-demand shuttle service, has made its IPO debut. The company, as I have mentioned before, has been batting around plans for an IPO for years.
Earlier this year, it filed confidentially for an IPO — the second time it took this step. But this time, Via took the big IPO leap. The company, which is known for its Citymapper mobile navigation app, said it sold 10.7 million shares for $46 per share. In all, Via raised $492.9 million at a $3.7 billion valuation. That’s just slightly above its $3.5 billion valuation that it garnered back in 2023 during its last venture raise.
We had to wrap up this newsletter before it officially began trading, but I’ll be back next week with an update.
Other deals that got my attention …
Arc Boats, the Los Angeles startup founded in 2021 by former SpaceX employees, signed a $160 million contract with Curtin Maritime for new hybrid-electric tugs, which are expected to hit the waters around the Los Angeles port in 2027.
LeydenJar, the Netherlands-based battery materials startup, raised €13 million ($15.2 million) in a round led by Extantia and Invest-NL.
Standard Fleet, a fleet management software company, raised $13 million in a Series A round led by Nova Threshold with participation from WEX Venture Capital, SNR, Garry Tan (CEO of Y Combinator), Salil Deshpande (Uncorrelated Ventures), and Apoorv Bhargava (WeaveGrid). Returning investors included Burst Capital, Canvas Ventures, Liquid 2, Night Capital, Olive Capital, UP2398, and Danny Wen.
Notable reads and other tidbits
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
The Federal Aviation Administration announced a new pilot program that will let electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) startups test some operations before they receive full regulatory certification.
Hyundai’s once-buzzy electric air taxi startup Supernal is having trouble getting off the ground. The company paused work on its aircraft program after a rocky few months that saw staff cuts and the departure of its CEO and CTO, two people familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.
InDrive, the Mountain View-based startup that got its start in Siberia and is known for its bidding-based ride-hailing model across Asia and Latin America, wants to be a global super app. Here’s what and where it’s targeting.
Jaguar Land Rover said a cyberattack brought vehicle assembly lines to a standstill.
Lyft and May Mobility have launched a robotaxi service in Atlanta, the first commercial deployment in the two companies’ partnership.
Nevada’s Occupational Safety and Health Administrationopened an investigation after a Boring Company employee sustained a “crushing injury” working on one of its tunnels in Las Vegas. Work has stopped at the site.
Tesla has the proper permit to begin testing autonomous vehicle technology on public roads in Nevada. As I explain in this article, securing a testing permit in the state is straightforward and easy. (Just fill out the registry form, and make sure you have the proper $5 million insurance coverage.) Tesla will still need to complete the self-certification process to be able to roll out an entire program. And it will need separate approval to operate a commercial ride-hailing service.
Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle startup Momenta plan to start testing robotaxis in Munich starting in 2026.
TheU.S. Justice Departmentfiled a lawsuit against Uber, accusing the ride-hailing company of violating federal law by discriminating against people with physical disabilities.
One more thing …
TechCrunch Disrupt2025is right around the corner — in around six weeks or so. And we have some high-profile folks from the transportation world coming onto our stage at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The event, which will be held October 27 to 29, will include Wayve co-founder and CEO Alex Kendall, Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana, and Flexport founder and CEO Ryan Petersen. And more are coming. Stay tuned.
Hyundai on Thursday said work on its Georgia battery plant where hundreds of workers were detained in an immigration raid will be delayed by up to three months.
Hyundai Chief Executive Officer José Muñoz said the enforcement action leaves the battery plant, which Hyundai operates with LG Energy Solutions, short of workers, Bloomberg first reported.
“This is going to give us minimum two to three months delay, because now all these people want to get back,” Muñoz told reporters in Detroit on Thursday. “Then you need to see how can you fill those positions. And for the most part, those people are not in the U.S.”
Hyundai told CBS News it had no further comment on the matter. LG Energy Solutions did not immediately responded to CBS News’ requests for comment.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained some 475 people suspected of illegally living and working in the U.S. at the Georgia plant earlier this month. Of them, more than 300 were South Koreans, according to South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun.
On Thursday, after the U.S. and South Korea reached a deal to release the workers in ICE custody, the more than 300 South Korean nationals were set to be taken home on a charter flight.
A poll conducted in South Korea found that almost 60% of respondents said they were disappointed by the U.S. crackdown, calling the enforcement action “excessive.” Roughly 31% of respondents called the ICE action “inevitable” and said they understood why it took place.
South Korean officials say the immigration action could chill the nation’s investments in the U.S.
Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.
The recent arrests of about 300 South Koreans at a Hyundai manufacturing plant in Georgia drew questions about the detainees’ immigration status.
When PolitiFact asked about their status, the Department of Homeland Security did not answer the question. Steven Schrank, a special agent in charge of Homeland Security investigations in Georgia and Alabama, said at a Sept. 5 press conference that the arrested workers crossed the U.S. border illegally, violated or overstayed their visas, or had entered the United States under a visa waiver program that prohibited them from working.
Immigration lawyer Charles Kuck told PolitiFact he is representing 12 of the detained people, some of whom are Korean. He said some of his clients entered the United States using either a business visa or the visa waiver program that South Korea participates in. These programs allow people to legally enter the country for a limited time and perform specific business activities. But people can’t work or be paid by U.S. companies while under these immigration statuses.
Kuck said his Korean clients had been in the United States for no more than 45 days, an allowable period of time under these programs.
Kuck also told The Associated Press that the South Korean workers are engineers and specialized equipment installers who were helping set up or repair equipment at the joint plant for Hyundai and LG Energy Solution. The plant will manufacture electric vehicle batteries, which require machines that are not made in the United States, according to Kuck. Kuck added that it would take three to five years to train U.S. workers to install or repair the plant’s equipment, which is why workers have to travel from abroad to install or repair the plant’s equipment.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
The Guardian reported Sept. 10 that it had obtained an Immigration and Customs Enforcement document that says at least one of the detained workers was in the United States on a B-1 visa. The ICE document said the worker “has not violated his visa.” When the Guardian asked DHS about that worker, a spokesperson said he was unauthorized to work.
Immigration officials gave the detainees two options, accept deportation with a five-year reentry ban, or stand a monthslong trial while remaining in detention, according to Yonhap, a South Korean news agency. News reports said the South Korean government would fly the workers home.
A Korean Air charter plane taxis at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP)
The plant is part of a 2022 agreement between Hyundai and the state of Georgia to build the company’s first U.S. factory dedicated to manufacturing batteries and electric vehicles. The immigration raid has stopped construction of the 2,900-acre EV battery plant that is expected to employ up to 8,500 people, CNN reported.
South Korean leaders, including President Lee Jae Myung, have denounced the raid, calling it “unjust infringements on the activities of our people and businesses.”
What is a B-1 visa?
B visas allow people to temporarily visit the United States, and B-1 visas are for business purposes, such as training U.S. workers in a special skill for a limited time.
The business activities permitted under a B-1 visa include consulting with business associates, attending conventions or conferences, and negotiating contracts.
People seeking a B-1 visa must fill out an online application and attend an interview at a U.S. consulate abroad. Applicants must also have enough money to cover travel expenses and maintain a residence outside of the United States, to ensure they will return to their home countries.
Once granted, B-1 visas are typically good for ten years. B-1 visa holders can enter the United States multiple times during that period and they can stay in the country for up to six months at a time. In certain cases, their stay can be extended for up to one year.
As with other visas, immigration agents at ports of entry — such as airports — decide whether a B-1 visa holder can enter the country and for how long.
The State Department issued more than 31,000 B-1 visas and more than 6.4 million combined B-1/B-2 visas, for business and tourism, in fiscal year 2024, which ran from October 2023 through September 2024.
Can people work while on B-1 visas?
B-1 visa holders cannot work full-time jobs in the United States, and they cannot be paid by a U.S. company.
However, certain business-related activities are allowed. Kuck said that work is limited to negotiating contracts, meeting with business associates and performing installations and services following a sale.
B-1 visa holders can also enter the United States “to install, service, or repair commercial or industrial equipment or machinery purchased from a company outside the United States or to train U.S. workers to perform such services,” according to a State Department manual about B visas.
People coming to the United States on a B-1 visa for those purposes must further have unique skills that are considered necessary for a company to fulfill a contract’s obligations. Visa holders can’t perform any assembly or construction work, for example, but they can supervise or train workers to do that work.
For years, South Korean companies have struggled to obtain U.S. work visas for the specialists they need in their high-tech plants. That’s why some people get B-1 visas or visa waivers, Park Tae-sung, vice chairman of Korea Battery Industry Association, told Reuters. The United States issues a finite number of work visas each year, and the process to obtain them can take months.
South Korea’s foreign ministry said it has told U.S. officials about difficulties its nationals face to get visas.
“We emphasized to major U.S. figures that such visas are essential for the short-term stay of Korean professionals who are needed for the initial operation of factories and for training local staff when our companies expand to the U.S.,” the foreign ministry said in a statement to NBC News.
What is the Visa Waiver Program and can people work while on it?
The Visa Waiver Program is similar to a B-1 visa, but fewer people are eligible for it, and a consulate interview is not required to obtain it. The program allows most citizens from 40 participating countries, including South Korea, to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa.
Eligible people must be approved via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, an online State Department program that collects biometric data, travel and other eligibility information.
Similarly to B-1 visas, people who entered the United States via this program are not allowed to work in the country. They are allowed to attend business meetings or consultations, attend conventions or conferences, and negotiate contracts, according to the State Department.
In fiscal year 2023, around 1.9 million people entered the United States under the program for business purposes, according to DHS data.
More than 300 South Korean nationals detained by federal agents in a massive immigration raid last week on a Hyundai plant in Georgia for alleged visa violations were waiting Wednesday for a charter flight due to carry them back to their country.
The South Korean workers were among some 475 people detained on Sept. 4 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at a still-under construction joint Hyundai-LG electric vehicle battery facility near Savannah. ICE said they were suspected of living and working in the U.S. illegally.
South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the departure of the Air Korea charter flight, which had been expected on Wednesday, was delayed due to unspecified circumstances in the U.S., but it would not provide any further information.
A spokesperson for Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta told CBS News that the charter operation to transport the detainees had been canceled for Wednesday, subject to change. The spokesperson did not provide any information on the reason for the change in plans.
Buses are seen behind razor wire at the Folkston ICE Processing Center, Sept. 9, 2025, in Folkston, Georgia. A chartered plane had been expected to depart from Atlanta for Seoul on Sept. 10 to repatriate hundreds of South Korean workers detained in a sweeping immigration raid, but the plan was delayed without explanation.
ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP/Getty
The raid and the detention of hundreds of South Koreans in an ICE facility has tested U.S.-South Korea ties that are important politically, militarily and economically. South Korea is the biggest foreign direct investor in the U.S. and the sixth biggest trading partner overall.
President Lee Jae Myung, visiting the White House in July, pledged $350 billion in new U.S. investment to sweeten a trade-and-tariff deal with President Trump.
“The sentiment is obviously very, very negative,” James Kim, Chairman and CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Seoul, told CBS News. “In my office, I usually have my TV turned on to the news – and this is obviously covered from morning to evening constantly. But everyone who I speak to, they view America as its number-one partner here from South Korea. Yes, we’re going to have some challenging times.”
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, was peppered with demands from angry lawmakers during a parliamentary session in Seoul on Sept. 8, before he departed for meetings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other U.S. officials.
Lawmaker Kim Joon-hyun demanded that Cho respond to the ICE raid by launching investigations into every U.S. national teaching English in South Korea who could be working illegally on a tourist visa.
“Are we giving our money, technology, and investment to the United States only to be treated like this?,” Kim asked.
Federal authorities conduct an immigration enforcement operation at a Hyundai battery plant in Bryan County, Georgia, Sept. 4, 2025.
ATF
Cho replied by saying he would try to negotiate with Rubio to increase the number of visas issued to highly skilled Korean nationals to work in specialty occupations in the U.S.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the ICE raid was the biggest single-site enforcement action in the agency’s history. ICE alleges that the South Korean workers either overstayed their visa waiver permits, known as ESTAs, which allow business visits of up to 90 days, or were holding visas that did not permit them to perform manual labor, called B-1 business visas.
Kim, at the American Chamber in Seoul, called it a “blip” in U.S.-Korea ties and said he was “very, very optimistic about a much brighter future between the two” countries.
South Korea’s president, however, took a more critical tone.
“As the president who is in charge of national safety, I feel a great responsibility,” Lee said Tuesday. “I hope that the unfair infringement of our people and corporate activities for the joint development of both Korea and the United States will not happen again.”
A poll conducted in South Korea found that almost 60% of respondents said they were disappointed by the U.S. crackdown and called the measures “excessive,” while about 31% said the ICE action was “inevitable” and that they could understand the reasoning.
President Trump, in a Sunday post on his Truth Social platform, addressed all foreign companies operating in the U.S., saying “your investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people.”
Kim at the chamber of commerce urged companies to heed the advice.
“My key message is listen to what President Trump said today. He wants to encourage more foreign companies to invest in America. Bring your people, bring your resources into America, but do it legally,” he told CBS News.
Industry experts caution, however, that it may be difficult to maintain investment levels under those guidelines, as securing visas can take years, while many projects face strict deadlines and delays can drive up costs. There is a shortage of highly skilled workers in the U.S., meanwhile, for battery manufacturing, semiconductor and modern shipbuilding industries — all arenas in which South Korea has been investing heavily for years.
Such jobs can require years of experience, not just a few months of on-the-job training.
A spokesperson for South Korea’s Foreign Ministry told CBS News that since Mr. Trump’s second term began, it had already reached out 52 times on the matter of securing more visas for highly-skilled workers.
Kim, the U.S. chamber of commerce leader, said the current upset in relations represented “an opportunity to really fix some things that could be in the grey area, make it a lot more clear, so that they can have an even better relationship.”
He said that, given Seoul’s importance as an investor in the U.S., it may be a good time for Washington to consider adopting a new policy that allows South Koreans to more easily come and work in the U.S.
“I think that in the past, Korea may not have been a significant investor in the United States, but now they are,” he said. “So I think it’s worthy and deserving of that kind of a new status.”
Mr. Trump gave a nod in his Truth Social post to the notion that the U.S. does need foreign expertise, saying foreign companies should bring people over to help train American workers — and then hire them to do the work themselves.
Rubio, during his meeting Wednesday in Washington with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho, “said the United States welcomes ROK (South Korea) investment into the United States and stated his interest in deepening cooperation on this front,” according to a readout shared by the State Department, which did not mention the ICE raid in Georgia.
Rubio and Cho discussed advancing U.S.-South Korean ties “through a forward-looking agenda” that “revitalizes American manufacturing through ROK investment in shipbuilding and other strategic sectors, and promotes a fair and reciprocal trade partnership,” the State Department said.
Ramy Inocencio is a CBS News foreign correspondent based in London, covering Europe and the Middle East. He joined the Network in 2019 as CBS News’ Asia correspondent, based in Beijing and reporting across the Asia-Pacific, bringing two decades of experience working and traveling between Asia and the United States.
SEOUL — The immigration raid that snatched up hundreds of South Koreans last week sent a disconcerting message to companies in South Korea and elsewhere: America wants your investment, but don’t expect special treatment.
Images of employees being shackled and detained like criminals have outraged many South Koreans. The fallout is already being felt in delays to some big investment projects, auto industry executives and analysts said. Some predicted that it could also make some companies think twice about investing in the U.S. at all.
“Companies cannot afford to not be more cautious about investing in the U.S. in the future,” said Lee Ho-guen, an auto industry expert at Daeduk University, “In the long run, especially if things get worse, this could make car companies turn away from the U.S. market and more toward other places like Latin America, Europe or the Middle East.”
The raid last week, in which more than 300 South Korean nationals were detained, targeted a factory site in Ellabell, Ga., owned by HL-GA Battery Co., a joint venture between Hyundai and South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solutions to supply batteries for electric vehicles. The Georgia factory also is expected to supply batteries for Kia, which is part of the Hyundai Motor Group. Kia has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on its factory in West Point, Ga.
“This situation highlights the competing policy priorities of the Trump administration and has many in Asia scratching their heads, asking, ‘Which is more important to America? Immigration raids or attracting high-quality foreign investment?’” said Tami Overby, former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea. “Images of hundreds of Korean workers being treated like criminals are playing all over Asia and don’t match President Trump’s vision to bring high-quality, advanced manufacturing back to America.”
A protester wears a mask of President Trump at a rally Tuesday in Seoul against the detention of South Korean workers in Georgia. The signs call for “immediate releases and Trump apology.”
(Ahn Young-joon / Associated Press)
South Korea is one of the U.S.’ biggest trading partners, with the two countries exchanging $242.5 billion in goods and services last year. The U.S. is the leading destination for South Korea’s overseas investments, receiving $26 billion last year, according to South Korea’s Finance Ministry.
Trump is banking on ambitious projects like the one raided in Georgia to revive American manufacturing.
Hyundai is one of the South Korean companies with the largest commitments to the U.S. It has invested about $20 billion since entering the market in the 1980s. It sold 836,802 vehicles in the U.S. last year.
California is one of its largest markets, with more than 70 dealerships.
Earlier this year, the company announced an additional $26 billion to build a new steel mill in Louisiana and upgrade its existing auto plants.
Hyundai’s expansion plans were part of the $150-billion pledge that South Korea made last month to help persuade Trump to set tariffs on Korean products at 15% instead of the 25% he had earlier announced.
Samsung Electronics announced that it would invest $37 billion to construct a semiconductor factory in Texas. Similarly large sums are expected from South Korean shipbuilders.
Analysts and executives say the recent raid is making companies feel exposed, all the more so because U.S. officials have indicated that more crackdowns are coming.
“We’re going to do more worksite enforcement operations,” White House border advisor Tom Homan said Sunday. “No one hires an illegal alien out of the goodness of their heart. They hire them because they can work them harder, pay them less, undercut the competition that hires U.S. citizen employees.”
Many South Korean companies have banned all work-related travel to the U.S. or are recalling personnel already there, according to local media reports. Construction work on at least 22 U.S. factory sites has reportedly been halted.
The newspaper Korea Economic Daily reported Monday that 10 out of the 14 companies it contacted said they were considering adjusting their projects in the U.S. due to the Georgia raid.
It is a significant problem for the big planned projects, analysts say. South Korean companies involved in U.S. manufacturing projects say they need to bring their own engineering teams to get the factories up and running, but obtaining proper work visas for them is difficult and time-consuming. The option often used to get around this problem is an illegal shortcut like using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, a nonwork permit that allows tourists to stay in the country for up to 90 days.
Unlike countries such as Singapore or Mexico, South Korea doesn’t have a deal with Washington that guarantees work visas for specialized workers.
“The U.S. keeps calling for more investments into the country. But no matter how many people we end up hiring locally later, there is no way around bringing in South Korean experts to get things off the ground,” said a manager at a subcontractor for LG Energy Solution who asked not to be named. “But now we can no longer use ESTAs like we did in the past.”
Trump pointed to the problem on his social media platform, posting that he will try to make it easier for South Korean companies to bring in the people they need, but reminding them to “please respect our Nation’s Immigration Laws.”
“Your Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people … and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so,” the post said.
Sydney Seiler, senior advisor and Korea chair at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the timing of the raids was an “irritant” but that South Korean companies eventually would adjust.
“Rectifying that is a challenge for all involved, the companies, the embassies who issue visas, etc.,” Seiler said, adding that the raids will make other companies be more careful in the future.
The raid on the Hyundai-LG plant on Thursday has raised questions about how multinational investments will be staffed amid tighter visa rules and heightened immigration enforcement.
The Trump administration is hoping that foreign companies will move their overseas operations to the U.S. and boost investment and jobs in response to his tariff policy.
What To Know
Trump said the U.S. welcomed foreign investment but companies should bring people in legally.
“Following the Immigration Enforcement Operation on the Hyundai Battery Plant in Georgia, I am hereby calling on all Foreign Companies investing in the United States to please respect our Nation’s Immigration Laws,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“Your Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products, and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so. What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers,” he said.
U.S. immigration agents arrested 475 people at the Ellabell, Georgia, construction site on Thursday. At least 300 of those detained were South Korean nationals, their foreign ministry said.
Hyundai said it believed none of its direct employees were among those detained and said it was reviewing its practices to ensure legal compliance by contractors and subcontractors.
U.S. officials described the operation as the largest single-site enforcement action in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) history and said those detained were in the U.S. illegally or working without authorization.
Seoul said it would send a chartered plane once remaining administrative steps were cleared and pledged to review visa procedures for business trips tied to large investment projects.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is set to fly to the U.S. on Monday to meet officials and finalize arrangements for the return of the South Korean citizens, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Trump on Sunday brushed off any suggestion the raid could damage relations with Asia’s fourth-largest economy and an important security ally where some 28,000 U.S. troops are based.
“We have a great relationship with South Korea, really good relationship,” Trump told reporters.
The immigration operation followed a months-long investigation into alleged illegal hiring practices at the Hyundai site. According to court records cited by The Associated Press, U.S. prosecutors said they have not yet determined which company or contractor hired “hundreds of illegal aliens.”
Some of the detainees had entered the country unlawfully, while others arrived on temporary visas or through a waiver program that does not allow employment, according to Steven Schrank, the lead Georgia agent of Homeland Security Investigations.
This image from video provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via DVIDS shows manufacturing plant employees waiting to have their legs shackled at the Hyundai Motor Group’s electric vehicle plant, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025,… This image from video provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via DVIDS shows manufacturing plant employees waiting to have their legs shackled at the Hyundai Motor Group’s electric vehicle plant, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Ellabell, Ga.
Corey Bullard/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/AP
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, referring to the need for some foreign help for U.S. industry, told reporters on Sunday: “When they’re building batteries … if you don’t have people in this country right now that know about batteries, maybe we should help them along and let some people come in and train our people to do complex things, whether it’s battery manufacturing or computer manufacturing or building ships.”
Trump, addressing potential foreign investors in his Truth Social post: “Together, we will all work hard to make our Nation not only productive, but closer in unity than ever before.”
The nonprofit legal advocacy organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta in a statement said: “Our communities know the workers targeted at Hyundai are everyday people who are trying to feed their families, build stronger communities, and work toward a better future.”
What Happens Next
South Korea promised to review business-visa procedures for investment-related trips with the aim of preventing the recurrence of such an incident.
Hyundai’s electric air taxi startup Supernal has paused work on its aircraft program after a rocky few months that saw staff cuts and the departure of its CEO and CTO, two people familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.
The shakeup comes at a time when Supernal has barely gotten off the ground — literally. The first test flight of its technology demonstrator happened earlier this year. And though Supernal has performed subsequent tests, the company was still working toward its first untethered test flight before the pause. The company had planned to launch a commercial service in 2028.
Supernal announced the departure of CEO Jaiwon Shin late last week. David McBride, the CTO, has also left, according to people familiar, who were granted anonymity to speak about private company matters. The OC Register first reported the pause on Supernal’s flight program and McBride’s departure.
With regards to the commercial service, the startup told TechCrunch that the “newly appointed leadership will assess and determine the optimal timeline moving forward.” The company declined to comment on McBride leaving.
Spun out of the Hyundai Group in 2021, Supernal laid off dozens earlier this summer ahead of the executive shakeup. That followed the startup abruptly winding down its still-new Washington, D.C. headquarters late last year, as TechCrunch previously reported.
David Rottblatt, Supernal’s senior business development director, is overseeing the “business operations of Supernal during this transition as Interim COO.” The larger Hyundai Group “plans to appoint new leadership with deep expertise in business operations to advance Urban Air Mobility (UAM) solutions and guide the organization into its next phase of growth,” according to the press release about Shin’s departure.
Techcrunch event
San Francisco | October 27-29, 2025
That initial test flight had been long-promised by the now-former CEO. At the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show — where the company showed off a larger, non-flying concept vehicle — Shin talked about how Supernal was nearly ready to “push the limits of the technology with the demonstrator.” And in August 2024, McBride told Vertical Mag that the test flight would “validate our ability to build an aircraft” ahead of a planned 2028 commercial launch.
This is the second futuristic startup under the Hyundai umbrella to run into trouble in recent years. In 2024, the Korean conglomerate had to double down on its autonomous vehicle startup Motional after backing partner Aptiv decided to stop funding what had been a joint venture. That led to a major restructuring at Motional late last year that involved layoffs of around 40% of its staff, and the eventual departure of CEO Karl Iagnemma.
A deal was reached between South Korea and the United States to release more than 300 workers detained in an immigration enforcement raid at a massive Hyundai plant in Georgia, the South Korean government announced Sunday.
During the raid on Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 475 immigrants suspected of living and working in the U.S. illegally, authorities said at the time. According to South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, more than 300 of the detained workers were South Korean nationals.
South Korea’s presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said that negotiations had been finalized on the workers’ releases, and they would be returned to South Korea as soon as the remaining administrative steps are completed. South Korea plans to send a charter plane for them, he said.
CBS News has reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Hyundai for additional comment on the deal.
Hundreds of U.S. federal agents raided Hyundai’s sprawling manufacturing site in southern Georgia last week, targeting a facility where the Korean automaker makes electric vehicles.
Steven Schrank, the special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama, told reporters at a Friday news conference that a majority of the people detained were Korean nationals, but he didn’t know exactly how many. They worked for different companies, including subcontractors, Schrank said.
This image from video provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via DVIDS shows a person being handcuffed at the Hyundai Motor Group’s electric vehicle plant, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Ellabell, Ga.
Corey Bullard/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via AP
The operation was the latest in a long line of workplace raids conducted as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda. But the one on Thursday is especially distinct because of its large size and the fact that it targeted a manufacturing site that state officials have long called Georgia’s largest economic development project.
Schrank said it was conducted as part of a month-long investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices and other federal crimes. He described the raid as the largest enforcement operation at a single site in the history of Homeland Security Investigations, which is a unit within ICE.
Video released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Saturday showed a caravan of vehicles driving up to the site and then federal agents directing workers to line up outside. Some detainees were ordered to put their hands up against a bus as they were frisked and then shackled around their hands, ankles and waist.
This image from video provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via DVIDS shows manufacturing plant employees waiting to have their legs shackled at the Hyundai Motor Group’s electric vehicle plant, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Ellabell, Ga.
Corey Bullard/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via AP
Agents focused their operation on a plant that is still under construction, at which Hyundai has partnered with LG Energy Solution to produce batteries that power electric vehicles.
Most of the people detained were taken to an immigration detention center in Folkston, Georgia, near the Florida state line. None has been charged with any crimes yet, Schrank said Friday, but he added that the investigation was ongoing.
The South Korean government, a close U.S. ally, expressed “concern and regret” over the raid targeting its citizens and sent diplomats to the site.
