Three Decades of Growth and Positive Impact: Hyundai Reinforces Commitment to Türkiye as IONIQ 3 Production Begins
- With the launch of IONIQ 3, the first EV to be built at Hyundai Motor Türkiye’s İzmit plant, Hyundai Motor reinforces its manufacturing excellence in the region
- Throughout Hyundai’s near-30-year history in Türkiye, Corporate Social Responsibility has played an integral role in creating a positive impact and supporting local communities
- Hyundai and Healthy Seas strengthen their partnership in Türkiye with 145 kg of marine litter recovered and 70 participants engaged in local operations
- Abandoned fishing nets are regenerated into ECONYL® yarn, which is used in the carpet surface of floor mats of the IONIQ 3 and other Hyundai models in Europe
Press material
As Hyundai continues to deliver on its electrification strategy in Europe, Hyundai Motor Türkiye is committing further to manufacturing excellence with the start of production of the all-electric IONIQ 3 and the accompanying modernization of the İzmit production facility.
The start of IONIQ 3 production represents Türkiye’s long-standing importance to Hyundai’s operations and corresponds with the expansion of Hyundai Motor’s partnership with the Healthy Seas Foundation into Türkiye.
The partnership reflects Hyundai’s brand vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’. It connects the company’s investments in future mobility with responsible initiatives that support local communities, contribute to marine conservation, and inspire younger generations. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been an integral part of Hyundai’s long-standing commitment to supporting society.
Image: Rogier Visser
Nearly Thirty Years of Hyundai in Türkiye
Hyundai began vehicle production in Türkiye in 1997, making the İzmit plant the company’s longest-serving overseas production facility and an important part of Hyundai’s manufacturing network, with total investments reaching €1.185 billion to date.
Recently, the İzmit plant has undergone significant updates as part of a €250 million investment to accommodate EV production, including workforce transformation of more than 1,000 employees.
More than 50 percent of the facility has been modernized to accommodate production of Hyundai's latest generation of electrified vehicles in line with the brand’s flexible powertrain strategy, while strengthening Türkiye's role as an increasingly important automotive manufacturing hub for Hyundai’s European customers.
With the start of IONIQ 3 production, and in collaboration with Hyundai Mobis, the İzmit plant is also adding a Battery System Assembly facility to support the assembly of batteries for fully electric and hybrid vehicles.
Türkiye remains an important market for Hyundai and a central part of the company’s regional presence. Hyundai’s contribution in Türkiye extends beyond vehicle production and sales. It includes not only the employment and skills development of its 2,400 employees, but also CSR activities around education, environmental projects, and community initiatives.
In Türkiye, over the last few months, we opened a Battery System Assembly facility together with Hyundai Mobis, started production of the all-electric IONIQ 3 at our plant in Ízmit and expanded our partnership with Healthy Seas to the region. Together, these initiatives show how we are bringing our vision of Progress for Humanity to life through investments in manufacturing, innovation, and local communities.”
Healthy Seas Expands Its Work in Türkiye
Since 2021, Hyundai Motor and the Healthy Seas Foundation have collaborated to advance ocean conservation through education and awareness initiatives worldwide. Over the course of the partnership, the two organizations have removed 320 tons of marine litter across 10 countries, while reaching more than 4,861 participants through educational initiatives.
In 2026, the project was expanded to Türkiye to connect coastal cleanups, underwater conservation, environmental education, and circular material use. So far, 70 participants have taken part in local CSR activities, demonstrating how collective action can drive meaningful change and help support healthier marine ecosystems.
Earlier this year, a beach cleanup brought together Hyundai employees, Hyundai scholars, local partners, and conservation specialists to remove litter from the Turkish coastline. In less than two hours, the participants collected approximately 40 kg of litter. The activity also created an opportunity to raise awareness of marine pollution and encourage participation in protecting local ecosystems.
The partnership is now extending this work below the water’s surface. The project is being implemented in close cooperation with the Gallipoli Historical Site Directorate operating under the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Last month, with divers from Ghost Diving and Gallipoli Wrecks Dive Centre, Healthy Seas carried out an underwater cleanup at four shipwreck sites in the Dardanelles, an important natural and historical strait.
Healthy Seas and Hyundai share the belief that environmental progress requires long-term cooperation. Türkiye offers an important setting for this work. By bringing together divers, local communities, students, and businesses, we can remove harmful waste while building greater awareness of the importance of healthy seas.
From Fishing Nets to Car Floor Mats
Through its partnership with Healthy Seas, Hyundai supports the removal of ghost nets and other marine litter from the ocean. Where suitable, recovered nylon fishing nets are sent to Aquafil and regenerated, together with other nylon waste, into ECONYL® yarn.
ECONYL® yarn is used in the carpet surface layer of floor mats for the Hyundai IONIQ 3, which contain 30% recycled content. These floor mats are also included in most of the IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, IONIQ 9, INSTER, SANTA FE and NEXO models sold in Europe.
Supporting People and Places
Healthy Seas forms part of Hyundai’s broader social and environmental engagement in Türkiye. Through its IONIQ Forest initiative, Hyundai supports reforestation and biodiversity-focused projects. In Türkiye, the program has contributed to the planting of more than 25,000 trees by the end of 2025.
Hyundai Motor Türkiye also supports local communities through education and disaster-response initiatives. These activities include scholarship programmes and the reconstruction of a school following the 2023 earthquake.
A concrete example is the scholarships program implemented in partnership with the Turkish Education Foundation (TEV), which every year supports 400 students. Since 2022, Hyundai Motor Türkiye has provided more than €1.1 million in scholarships. Some student beneficiaries are now volunteers in local activities with Healthy Seas.
Together, these CSR programmes reflect Hyundai’s long-term role as an employer, manufacturer, and community partner. They also show how Hyundai’s brand vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’ translates into projects that respond to local environmental and social needs.
A Long-Term Commitment to Türkiye and Europe
The start of IONIQ 3 production and the expansion of the Healthy Seas partnership represent two connected aspects of Hyundai’s development in Türkiye. One supports the transition to electric mobility. The other addresses marine conservation, circularity, and environmental education.
Both contribute to Hyundai’s broader commitment to supporting local communities, marine conservation and environmental education, while extending progress beyond mobility.
Hyundai and Healthy Seas will continue to focus on practical marine conservation, environmental education and community engagement activities in Türkiye. Through this strengthened partnership, both organisations aim to support marine conservation, encourage responsible resource use, and involve more people in protecting their local surroundings.
