In a powerful testament to its visionary leadership and groundbreaking innovation, Hyundai Motor Company and its Robotics LAB have emerged as major victors at the 2025 Red Dot Award: Design Concept, one of the world’s most prestigious platforms recognizing design excellence. The automotive giant claimed multiple accolades across categories, reaffirming its role as a transformative force in autonomous mobility, sustainable transportation, and AI-integrated services.

City Pod and Urban Pod: Redefining Smart Urban Logistics

Leading the pack with the coveted ‘Best of the Best’ award in the Autonomous Vehicles category, Hyundai’s City Pod and Urban Pod (U-POD) concepts underscore a future-ready design ethos rooted in clean energy and digital intelligence.

 Hyundai Motor and Robotics LAB Triumph at Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2025 with Visionary Innovations

The City Pod, powered by hydrogen fuel, is a large-scale autonomous logistics solution engineered to revolutionize how cities move goods and materials. Boasting an advanced logistics classification system, it delivers seamless operations across industrial sectors—from public transit and waste management to hydrogen energy distribution.

Complementing it is the Urban Pod, a multi-functional, unmanned electric vehicle crafted for tight urban environments. Built on a fully autonomous platform, U-POD integrates smoothly into smart city ecosystems and last-mile logistics, especially in digital twin systems. These award-winning designs offer a compelling look at zero-emission, intelligent mobility that could anchor tomorrow’s sustainable cities.

Nano Mobility, E3W, and E4W: Small Scale, Big Impact

In the Bicycles and Personal Mobility Devices category, Hyundai's compact yet sophisticated Nano Mobility concept received the Winner distinction. Featuring an in-wheel motor system and tailored for Purpose Built Mobility (PBV), the design incorporates autonomous driving tech, ride-hailing capability, and Fleet Management Systems (FMS). It's an innovative leap in enhancing micro-logistics and individual mobility.

Hyundai’s E3W and E4W concepts also earned Winner status in the Commercial Vehicles category. These modular electric vehicles reimagine the classic Indian motor rickshaw, enabling diverse applications—from transporting people to handling cargo and serving as nimble emergency responders. Their versatility and sustainability mark a significant step forward in commercial EV innovation.

 Hyundai Motor and Robotics LAB Triumph at Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2025 with Visionary Innovations

 

Robotics LAB’s ACR Service: AI-Powered EV Charging Innovation

In the Service Design category, Hyundai Motor Group’s Robotics LAB captured Winner honors for its Automatic Charging Robot (ACR) Service. This futuristic system employs AI-driven object recognition to detect a vehicle’s charging port and initiate contactless charging—even for vehicles parked autonomously. With its IP65-rated durability, the ACR is optimized for outdoor use, ensuring robust operation in any weather.

Through real-time monitoring via infotainment or mobile devices, users can enjoy a seamless, hands-free charging experience—paving the way for truly intelligent electric vehicle infrastructure.

The Global Prestige of the Red Dot Award

Hosted by Germany’s Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, the Red Dot Award is one of the most influential global honors in design, celebrating breakthrough concepts in Product, Brand & Communication, and Design Innovation. Together with the iF Design Award and IDEA, it forms the triad of world-leading design competitions.

Earning a ‘Best of the Best’ award means setting new benchmarks in design and functionality, while a ‘Winner’ title signals standout excellence among thousands of entries. Hyundai's sweeping victories reflect not only aesthetic brilliance but also market viability, technological advancement, and environmental responsibility.

 Hyundai Motor and Robotics LAB Triumph at Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2025 with Visionary Innovations
 

Driving the Future with Design Excellence

“We are deeply honored by this international recognition,” said SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design. “These awards highlight our team’s relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence. They also affirm Hyundai’s leadership in creating meaningful mobility solutions for a smarter, more sustainable future.”

As Hyundai Motor Company and Robotics LAB continue to champion cutting-edge design and forward-thinking engineering, their Red Dot Award 2025 triumph positions them at the forefront of shaping how the world moves—intelligently, sustainably, and beautifully.

More information about Hyundai Motor and its products can be found at:
https://www.hyundai.com/worldwide/en/ or Newsroom: Media Hub by Hyundai