Hyundai votes $5m for research and development

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Hyundai America Technical Center Incorporated  is investing $5 million in the American Center for Mobility in Ypsilanti Township.

  According to Agency Report, the investment brings the autonomous vehicle testing site’s fundraising total to $101 million out of the total project cost of $135 million, according to a Tuesday news release.

 The mobility center bumped up its total cost estimate from a previous $110 million as “we increased the scope (of the project) based on input from investors and are working to meet their needs,” ACM CEO John Maddox said in an emailed statement.

Dearborn-based Ford Motor Co. invested $5 million in September, following Plano, Texas-based Toyota Motor North America, which was the first automaker to invest — Toyota and the Toyota Research Institute contributed $5 million in July.

Hyundai America Technical Center in neighboring Superior Township is a research and development facility for Hyundai Motor Group’s North American design, technology and engineering divisions.

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The automaker has signed on as a founder-level sponsor of the American Center for Mobility. It will join the nonprofit’s government-industry team, which will work to create government standards and regulations; it will also be able to test its own connected vehicle technologies there, according to the release.

Hyundai plans to test sensor technology, communication between vehicles and infrastructure and how connected vehicle systems work in inclement weather, the release said.

Construction on the 500-acre site began last November at General Motors Co.’s former Willow Run assembly plant.
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