Hyundai Motor Group introduced the official appointment of robotics and synthetic intelligence professional Laura Main as President and CEO of Motional, its autonomous driving three way partnership primarily based in the USA. Main, who had been serving as interim CEO since September 2024, was unanimously confirmed by Motional’s board, the South Korean automotive big stated Friday, studies IANS.
The management replace comes amid a sweeping funding push by Hyundai Motor Group within the US financial system. The corporate lately pledged $21 billion in US investments by 2028, together with $8.6 billion for the automotive sector and $6.3 billion in future applied sciences akin to AI and vitality, as a part of a broader effort to localise manufacturing and innovation.
Hyundai Motor Group Govt Chair Euisun Chung made the announcement earlier this month alongside US President Donald Trump and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, underlining the strategic alignment of the corporate’s American growth with rising home manufacturing priorities.
Motional stated Main’s appointment comes at a important juncture, as the corporate ramps up AI growth efforts forward of its deliberate business launch of autonomous driving providers in 2026.
“In partnership with Hyundai, we’re bringing embodied AI to transportation and introducing vital societal advantages,” Main stated in a press release. “Leveraging our deep experience in constructing totally driverless techniques and our agility in realizing the most recent AI breakthroughs, we’re strongly positioned to unlock a future the place secure autonomous automobiles are a sensible a part of day by day life.”
Previous expertise
A founding government at Motional, Main beforehand served as its Chief Know-how Officer (CTO), the place she spearheaded the event of the Ioniq 5 robotaxi. The totally driverless automobile is among the many first on the earth to obtain certification beneath US Federal Motor Automobile Security Requirements (FMVSS), marking a big milestone within the commercialisation of autonomous mobility.
Earlier than becoming a member of Motional, Main held senior management roles at Draper Laboratory and drone-tech agency Aria Perception, the place she contributed to AI and autonomy initiatives for nationwide safety and spaceflight functions.
With Main now on the helm, Motional is anticipated to play a central function in Hyundai’s imaginative and prescient for next-generation mobility and AI-led transport infrastructure in North America.
