Hyundai Motor shares are rallying 13%, rising by 42,500 won to 350,500 won today. The surge in share prices is attributed to investor speculation regarding the deepening partnership between Hyundai Motor Group and NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) following a closed-door meeting between Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung and NVIDIA Corporation CEO Jensen Huang at CES 2026 in Las Vegas.
The high-profile meeting sparked investor speculation that the company’s partnership with Nvidia could expand into broader AI and autonomy technologies beyond existing chip and AI infrastructure collaboration.
During the press briefing at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Jang Jae-hoon, the Hyundai vice chair, was asked whether the company would adopt Alpamayor, Nvidia’s new thinking and reasoning AI driving platform. He said they were aware of several possible approaches and that all possibilities were open.
“Since we have 42dot and Motional inside the group, I think we will be able to decide on a strategy for Autonomous Driving soon.” Jang Jae-hoon further stated. He acknowledged the criticism that the Hyundai group is lagging behind Tesla when it comes to autonomous driving.
Jang Jae-hoon added that the autonomous driving technology is still in a verification phase, and Hyundai does not consider itself late. Jang emphasized a strategy of “dynamic catch-up,” leveraging new solutions and rapid collaboration rather than slow in-house development.
The Hyundai Motor Group had already announced a strategic partnership with NVIDIA in 2025. The agreement is meant to accelerate the development of advanced AI technologies to drive the future of mobility. Hyundai is also expanding its capabilities in AI and robotics.
Hyundai’s ‘Partnering Human Progress’ at CES
Hyundai Group’s theme for CES, ‘Partnering Human Progress,’ shows the company’s strategic expansion in the broader human-centered AI Robotics. Boston Dynamics, the company’s subsidiary involved in the “Physical AI” robotics strategy, unveiled the product version of its new humanoid robot, Atlas.
According to the official announcement, Atlas robots are to be deployed at the U.S.-based large EV and smart-factory complex, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) by 2028.
Atlas robots are meant to reduce the human burden by performing high-risk tasks. In addition to Atlas, the company demonstrated Spot® and MobED with AI Robotics integration at its CES 2026 booth. The ‘Spot’ is a four-legged robot used for inspection, monitoring, and data collection in complex or hazardous environments with AI-based autonomy. MobED is a mobile platform robot that uses AI and advanced suspension to transport people or equipment smoothly and safely over uneven surfaces.
Boston Dynamics also announced a partnership with Google DeepMind. The partnership aims to combine a general-purpose brain with a highly capable generalist body.
The company’s expanding capabilities in AI robotics and focus on ‘physical AI’ and speculations about deeper collaborations are adding renewed momentum to the stock prices.
As of January 7, 2026, Hyundai Motor Company (005380.KS) is posting an 18.38% gain year-to-date. Meanwhile, its major competitor, Tesla, Inc. (TSLA), closed at $4432.96, shedding 4.14%.
