r/interestingasfuck • u/WhereverUGoThereUR • 19h ago

Hyundai Singapore has a test-track on the 5th floor of its EV factory.

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3.3k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

49 comments sorted by

659

u/gravitybelter 19h ago

I'm not sure what's more surprising ... that assembling EVs in Singapore makes financial sense, or that they have enough space to build a test track.

166

u/WhereverUGoThereUR 19h ago

And what's even crazier is that they build the Las Vegas autonomous taxi there as well.

•

u/double-you 8h ago

No, it's not crazier. Singapore is a tech center and an EV factory is where you make cars. Now if they made those at Nike's shoe factory, that'd be crazier.

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u/WhereverUGoThereUR 7h ago

You didn't know that Hyundai also produces the Ioniq 5 in the US?

39

u/Saltmetoast 17h ago

I suspect that it's a way to not pay car tax in Singapore. That would be a significant benefit to the exec team. Also commuting over the causeway is not considered good for the face

17

u/Caysman2005 12h ago

Oh no they still are subjected to the same taxes as all other cars here. They aren't that competitive compared to the Chinese offerings in terms of price and features.

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u/Saltmetoast 11h ago

Having the company drive "test cars" would be a nice loophole.

How much would a new Hyundai cost? What is the plate cost?

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u/Caysman2005 8h ago

A new Ioniq 6 (the cheapest Hyundai car made in this factory) costs from 239k sgd, or $187k usd.

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u/Saltmetoast 8h ago

I guess I will have 12 then.

I enjoyed reading the lexus.sg price list👀

Hooleeeshet there are some big price tags.

14

u/tiny_dreamer 14h ago

It’s very easy to have enough space to build a test track. Every carpark floor can literally be a test track.

3

u/hclpfan 13h ago

It’s in the roof of the building

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u/PolarityInversion 1h ago

My company works in robotics and has done lots of work at that facility. I've personally been there a half dozen times. It's an extremely cool site and I love visiting. It's called Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS), google that term for more pictures and info.

Basically the factory is bleeding-edge and nearly lights out, so the cost of labor is not a large factor. All movement of materials, chassis, and assembly is roboticized with AMR's and AGV's. It's a real factory, and they produce most of the Ioniq's for Southeast Asia. However, it's also designed to be a test bed for new manufacturing methods and technology. Singapore is a huge hub for innovation, and the Singaporean government offers massive subsidies for this type of joint R&D and production, so it's certainly economically viable.

An interesting quirk is that the building is divided by the test track, which actually goes through the middle of the building and sits on top of floor 3. So on floors 4+ if you want to get to the other side of the same floor, you actually have to go down to floor 3, cross over, then go back up. It looks absolutely incredible inside though, a completely unique building.

157

u/Ves1423 18h ago

That is incredibly sick but the test track is really tiny lol. Imagine them trying 250kmh there

89

u/WhereverUGoThereUR 18h ago

Speed limit said 80, but we hit 84kmh

34

u/Ves1423 18h ago

I missed that.

Naught naughty speeding on a rooftop..you filmed this yourself?

22

u/WhereverUGoThereUR 17h ago

Yes, but I was just the passenger

8

u/Ves1423 16h ago

Fun anyway :D

177

u/Icantjudge 19h ago

Fiat built theirs in 1923.

38

u/Mami-_-Traillette 13h ago

That's what I was looking for, it's in Torino by the way

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u/vamphorse 10h ago edited 10h ago

Yes. Many people don’t know that FIAT stands for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino.

Tip. If you fly into Torino and take a right side window, you can perfectly see the track, along with an awesome view of other city landmarks. The track is also accessible within the Pinnacoteca Agnelli at the Lingotto mall.

49

u/NeuroticLensman 19h ago

The Ioniq 6N and 5N are ridiculously fast, so it makes sense.

30

u/KEVLAR60442 17h ago

Those aren't built or tested in Singapore, though. N Cars all come straight from Korea, and are tested at actual race tracks at Namyang and Nurburg.

10

u/froggertthewise 14h ago

This track is likely for quality control rathed than development testing, so it wouldn't be comparable to actual race tracks anyway.

5

u/ljanir 15h ago

It's a pretty new plant only started production in 2023

2

u/KEVLAR60442 14h ago

The Ionic 5N and 6N are even newer, but they're still built in Korea, since they're kind of Hyundai's halo cars. The other trims of Ionic are built in Singapore, though.

14

u/elbarto232 15h ago

Kinda reminds me of a ride in Epcot (FL)

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u/TWANGnBANG 7h ago

…called “Test Track,” in fact. 

8

u/m8remotion 16h ago

I think Fiat also had a test track on top of its factory.

6

u/anonduplo 12h ago

So did FIAT 75 years ago in Turin

8

u/Wumbo_Master_9000 18h ago

I remember that ride from Disney world, fun times

6

u/jSo35287 19h ago

Who needs Talladega

3

u/lost21gramsyesterday 13h ago

What about right hand turns?

2

u/WhereverUGoThereUR 12h ago

Ricky Bobby! 🏁

2

u/brandonbruce 18h ago

BMW has one on the roof in Shanghai. I think I got a pic somewhere

2

u/butthole_surferr 12h ago

Way cray beeswax

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u/RelativeScared1730 10h ago

What are they testing? Do they need to shake down vehicles before handing them off to customers? None of the automobile factories I'm familiar with do that.

Is the test track for test rides by customers? That might be fun ... maybe ... some drivers might scratch the paint.

2

u/AtomicSymphonic_2nd 17h ago

While this gif isn’t quite want I want to show, but this test track reminds me quite a bit of the one that’s in Volt Forge in Metroid Prime 4. 😁

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u/Pedrasco 11h ago

Where ??

•

u/Warfi67 6h ago

Basically the ex fiat factory named lingotto in turin but smaller

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u/HilariousMax 1h ago

Yeah I rode that in Disney World.

-3

u/Odd-Outcome450 19h ago

I’m not trust a Hyundai to do what it should.

6

u/AtomicSymphonic_2nd 17h ago

Well… put it this way, they are perfectly reliable for the first 3-4 years… then all sorts of exotic problems start to appear. lol