Hyundai taps former Apple executive to premium performance division

Hyundai Motor Group has appointed Manfred Harrer, a former Apple executive, as the Executive Vice President and Head of the Genesis & Performance Development Tech Unit within the Research & Development (R&D) Division of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation.

Bringing 25 years of automotive and technology experience from companies like Audi, BMW Group, Porsche, and Apple Inc., Harrer’s appointment aims to bolster Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D competitiveness, particularly in developing Genesis products and enhancing the performance characteristics of Hyundai and Kia vehicles as they transition to electrification.

Heui Won Yang, President of Hyundai-Kia’s R&D Division, believes Harrer’s expertise spanning chassis, electronics, software, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) aligns with the Group’s mobility vision and will help transform its brands. Harrer himself emphasised his focus on the development of Hyundai Motor Group’s mobility vision, specifically the Genesis brand and high-performance cars.

Hyundai expects Harrer’s experience from prestigious companies like Porsche, Apple, BMW, and Audi will “bolster the Group’s R&D competitiveness and drive the development of Genesis products,” while also enhancing the performance of Hyundai and Kia vehicles as they shift to electric powertrains.

According to Heui Won Yang, Harrer’s appointment “will greatly benefit Hyundai Motor Group products, enhancing the image and reputation” of the brands. With over 25 years under his belt advancing projects like chassis development, electronic systems, software, vehicle integration, and ADAS, Hyundai anticipates Harrer’s leadership and expertise will “expedite its electrification transition, securing top-tier leadership in the electric vehicle (EV) era.”

Harrer was behind the development of the iconic Porsche Cayenne and the brand’s first EV, the Porsche Taycan.

In other news, the U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit against the South Korean automotive giant Hyundai Motor Co., an auto parts plant, and a recruiting company after discovering a 13-year-old girl was illegally employed on an assembly line in Alabama.

On Thursday, the agency submitted a complaint to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, seeking to require Hyundai, SMART Alabama (an auto parts company), and Best Practice Service (a staffing agency) to relinquish any profits derived from the use of child labor. The Labor Department’s complaint alleges that all three companies jointly employed the underage child.

The legal action follows an investigation by federal authorities that uncovered a 13-year-old girl working up to 50 to 60 hours per week on a SMART assembly line in Luverne, Alabama. Her duties involved operating machines that converted sheet metal into auto body parts for Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. According to the legal document, the child worked at the facility, which supplies parts to Hyundai’s Alabama plant, for a period of six to seven months, during which time “instead of attending middle school, she worked on an assembly line making parts.”