Hyundai’s Controversial Alabama Plant Is Now Driving US Growth

Hyundai’s most productive car plant sits on a former cotton plantation on the southern edge of Montgomery, Alabama, where it pumps out Tucson crossovers, Santa Fe SUVs and other models on three shifts, 24 hours a day, sometimes seven days a week.

The factory and its popular models have propelled the South Korea automaker and its affiliate Kia into the No. 4 spot in US sales for the first time in 2023, surpassing Jeep and Ram owner Stellantis NV. Its high levels of output, close-knit supply chain and low labor costs have buoyed Hyundai Motor Co.’s profit margins, which are among the best in the global auto ...