Hyundai Motor donates $440,000 for flood relief efforts in Czech Republic

Hyundai Motor donated 10 million korunas ($443,253) to the Czech Republic’s nonprofit organization “People in Need” to support recovery efforts following recent flood damage in the Moravian-Silesian region.

Hyundai Motor's production plant situated in Nosovice, Czech Republic [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Hyundai Motor donated 10 million korunas ($443,253) to the Czech Republic’s nonprofit organization “People in Need” to support recovery efforts following recent flood damage in the Moravian-Silesian region, which was severely affected by Storm Boris.

The carmaker is also leading a separate fund-raising site until Oct. 8 for voluntary donations from its employees at Hyundai Motor’s Czech plant. The funds will be delivered to areas affected by the storm via nonprofit organizations.

In addition, the Czech plant provided five vehicles — three Tucson SUVs and two i30s — for relief efforts.

The Czech plant, located in Nosovice, was established in 2008 with an initial annual production capacity of 300,000 units. It primarily produced small car models and SUVs popular in Europe and has expanded to eco-friendly SUV models such as the Kona Electric, Tucson Hybrid and Tucson Plug-in Hybrid since 2020.

Accumulated sales for the three eco-friendly models reached 458,099 units as of July this year.

The Czech plant was the first among Hyundai’s eight global manufacturing facilities to exceed the 30 percent threshold in eco-friendly vehicle sales in 2021. The figure accounted for 41 percent of the plant’s total 340,000-unit sales last year.

So far, the plant’s cumulative sales reached over 4.57 million units based on the latest data in July, and the carmaker expects the figure to surpass 5 million by next year.

Meanwhile, SK Group plans to donate $300,000 to Vietnam to assist regions affected by Typhoon Yagi, the conglomerate said on Wednesday. It will deliver the relief fund later this month, which is expected to be utilized for supplies and recovery efforts.

SK is in partnership with multiple Vietnamese firms, such as real estate giant Vingroup and food conglomerate Masan Group.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]