Hyundai Mobis to build Atlas’s “muscles” ... Q3 operating profit up 17%

[Financial News] Hyundai Mobis continued to improve profitability, raising operating profit by 17% in the third quarter of this year. A recovery in Europe’s electric vehicle market and expanded sales of key components drove its results, while the company is also set to begin producing actuator prototypes for the humanoid robot Atlas next month. As it expands beyond auto parts into core robotics components, it is moving swiftly to secure future growth engines.
Hyundai Mobis said on the 30th that it recorded consolidated revenue of 15.7233 trillion won and operating profit of 914.1 billion won in the third quarter of this year. The figures were up 4.6% and 17.2%, respectively, from the same period a year earlier. Net profit, meanwhile, fell 35.7% to 598.4 billion won.
Compared with the previous quarter, revenue fell 3.7% and operating profit declined 6.3%. However, for the first three quarters of this year, revenue totaled 47.6085 trillion won and operating profit came to 2.6919 trillion won, up 4.1% and 10.9%, respectively, from the same period last year.
Expanded electric vehicle sales, particularly in Europe, contributed to the improved results. Boosted by higher revenue from electrification components and an improved product sales mix, the modules and core components business posted a profit for the second consecutive quarter. The after-sales service (A/S) parts business also maintained solid results, helped by expanded global sales, favorable exchange rates and lower tariff burdens in some countries.
During a conference call held alongside its earnings announcement that day, Hyundai Mobis also unveiled a strategy to expand its core robotics components business. Starting next month, it will produce actuator prototypes at the Hyundai Motor Group Uiwang R&D Center in Gyeonggi Province for Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot Atlas. An actuator is a key drive mechanism that controls a robot’s joints and movement, serving a role similar to that of human muscles.
Hyundai Mobis plans to work with its customer to verify the product’s performance and reliability in line with the expected supply timing in 2028. It also intends to improve production efficiency and technological competitiveness through product standardization and modularization.
The company is also broadening the scope of its robotics business. Beyond actuators, it will expand its core components portfolio to include hand grippers that grasp objects, perception modules that recognize surrounding environments, and controllers. The strategy aims to reduce reliance on any one customer and secure a diverse range of global humanoid manufacturers as customers.
To this end, Hyundai Mobis plans to establish a new organization dedicated to its core robotics components business and roughly double the related workforce. A Hyundai Mobis representative said, “We also plan to strengthen our collaborative framework, connecting every stage—from customer relations to product planning, research and development, and production engineering—quickly and seamlessly.”
Hyundai Mobis will also increase research and development (R&D) investment to secure future technologies. Its annual R&D investment is expected to exceed 2 trillion won for the first time this year.
A Hyundai Mobis representative said, “We expect annual R&D investment to exceed 2 trillion won for the first time by the end of this year,” adding, “We expect to continue increasing orders in global markets by strengthening our technological competitiveness in core mobility business areas, including electrification and automotive electronics.”
[email protected] Kim Dong-ho Reporter