Hyundai’s all-electric Casper SUV’s production to begin this month

SEOUL — Full-fledged production of Casper Electric, Hyundai Motor’s highly anticipated all-electric mini SUV, will begin in South Korea’s southwestern city of Gwangju later this month, according to industry officials, with a target output of 21,400 units by the end of the year.

The EV will be sold under the name Inster in overseas markets. It will launch first in South Korea this summer, followed by Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

Gwangju Global Motors (GGM), a Hyundai Motor contract manufacturer based in the namesake city, located some 270 km southwest of Seoul, announced it will begin full-fledged production of the Casper Electric from July 15.

GGM said its target output is currently set at 21,400 units by December, up 23 per cent from its initial goal of 17,400 units. The plant has begun trial production of Casper Electric since February and has so far manufactured around 300 units, reports Yonhap news agency.

Unveiled at the ‘2024 Busan International Motor Show’ held last month, Casper Electric is the electrified version of the Casper first introduced in 2021 but with a suite of overhauled improvements.

Casper Electric is equipped with a 49kWh nickel-cobalt-manganese battery, offering a driving range of up to 315 kilometres on a single charge. It can be charged from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in just 30 minutes.