General Motors and Hyundai are reportedly in early talks that could lead to some interesting collaborative projects. According to sources speaking with Reuters, these discussions cover an array of possibilities, including a new Hyundai pickup model in North America and joint development of battery technology for electric vehicles.
The two companies are allegedly having “wide-ranging discussions.” While neither company has officially confirmed any specific plans, sources provided documents to Reuters detailing potential agreements. These documents indicate a deal where GM and Hyundai would work together on next-generation battery technology, and also coordinate sourcing semiconductors and other materials for new electric vans. Hyundai is considering manufacturing zero-emission vans in North America by 2028. Under the potential agreement, Hyundai would initially import the vans from South Korea, and later potentially either build a new plant or contract their manufacturing, and then sell them under both Hyundai and GM brands, with potential for Chevrolet or GMC badging.
In return, the conversations also reportedly involve a midsize truck for Hyundai, possibly based on the current-generation Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. This wouldn’t be GM’s first time providing a truck for another brand. Previous collaborations, like the tie-up with Isuzu decades ago, resulted in the i-Series (after the “Hombre”), and even several Isuzu-branded SUVs such as the Axiom and Ascender. Hyundai currently sells the small Santa Cruz pickup, but a larger truck would further expand their offerings.
Huang General Motors and Hyundai signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop new vehicle technologies and coordinate supply chain logistics. The core focus of these collaborations is to advance each company’s technology and model offerings, while reducing individual R&D costs. While both companies have avoided commenting on future products, the rumored potential of a Colorado/Canyon-based Hyundai midsize truck could add excitement to Hyundai dealerships in the coming years, if the deal materializes.
Other ongoing discussions allegedly include Hyundai supplying GM with some compact SUVs in Brazil. There were also mentions of Hyundai potentially wanting a full-size truck to sell, though GM is reportedly not seeing that as a table topic for discussion, as Hyundai-branded full-size trucks could have the potential to cut into GM’s sales against Ford and Ram.
