Hyundai Motor Group Expands European R&D with €150 Million Test Facility

The Hyundai Motor Group, encompassing Hyundai, Genesis, and Kia, has significantly reinforced its commitment to Europe by inaugurating the "Square Campus," a new €150 million testing facility at the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center (HMETC) in Rüsselsheim. This major expansion is designed to accelerate the development of market-leading technologies specifically tailored for the highly demanding European customer base.

The investment is a clear strategic move to boost the group's market share and foster localized innovation across all powertrain types: electric (EV), hybrid, and internal combustion engines. Data suggests that regionalized R&D centers, like the HMETC, can enhance consumer satisfaction by 15 to 20 percent through precise vehicle tuning. The Square Campus is the most significant investment in HMETC since 2003 and represents a major step in the group's global electrification strategy, reported by The WP Times, citing hyundai.

The €150 Million Square Campus: Key Features and Technology

The 25,000 square meter Square Campus is equipped with cutting-edge resources that place the HMETC at the industry's peak, ensuring development can proceed regardless of external conditions.

Central to the new facility is one of the group's largest Semi-Absorber Chambers, crucial for unrestricted, weather-independent testing of Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) and pass-by noise—a key factor in European perceived quality. The campus also features a dedicated EV Charging Laboratory to validate charging compatibility across the diverse European infrastructure, and a State-of-the-Art Driving Simulator for rigorously testing ADAS and vehicle dynamics. This facility supports the group's goal to transition its global model range to net-zero CO2 emissions in operation by 2045.

R&D Capabilities and Personnel Growth

Eight sentences detailing the capabilities and growth: The Square Campus significantly enhances HMETC's ability to conduct sophisticated, year-round testing of all modern powertrain types, crucial for meeting stringent European regulations. The specialized EV Charging Laboratory is vital for the launch of new EVs, such as the upcoming IONIQ 9 and INSTER, planned for the 2025 portfolio expansion. The facility includes enhanced labs for electronic systems development, supporting essential features like Over-the-Air (OTA) Updates and robust Cybersecurity for connected mobility. Personnel at HMETC has grown by 20 percent since 2024, now exceeding 500 highly qualified employees, boosting cross-disciplinary collaboration in electrification and ADAS. The campus design is deliberately sustainable, utilizing photovoltaic panels and heat pump systems, reflecting the group’s wider environmental commitments. This Rüsselsheim expansion complements the €13 million upgrade completed in January 2025 at the HMETC Test Center near the Nürburgring. The dual facility strategy ensures both controlled laboratory testing and final, real-world high-performance validation on the demanding Nordschleife. This comprehensive resource pool secures the Hyundai Motor Group’s position as a leading supplier of pioneering automotive technologies in Europe.

The €150 million Square Campus in Rüsselsheim is a bold, strategic declaration by the Hyundai Motor Group, significantly enhancing its ability to develop and rigorously test pioneering electrified and connected mobility solutions, ensuring future models are perfectly tuned for the exacting standards of the European customer.

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Photo: Hyundai Motor Group