Why It Matters

Hyundai faces a critical convergence of policy challenges that directly threaten its U.S. market competitiveness and manufacturing investments. The expiration of federal EV tax credits on September 30, 2025, combined with a tariff regime that has cost automakers over $10 billion year-to-date, has fundamentally reshaped the economics of vehicle sales and production.

While Hyundai secured partial relief through a U.S.-South Korea trade deal reducing tariffs from 25% to 15%, the company still confronts uncertainty around EV incentives, right-to-repair legislation that threatens service revenue models, and emerging autonomous vehicle regulations. With a major EV and battery facility in Georgia, Hyundai’s lobbying aims to preserve federal incentives for EV adoption and influence early autonomous vehicle standards. Industry analysts project EV registrations could fall as much as 27% without tax credits.

By the Numbers

Hyundai Motor America reported $620,000 in in-house lobbying expenditures for Q3 2025, continuing a two-decade Washington presence. The company has filed 211 total disclosures since 2003, spending approximately $21.2 million historically on government affairs.

Hyundai’s four registered lobbyists bring deep automotive sector expertise. Robert R. Hood and Basim Mohammed Arif Motiwala have each logged roughly two decades with Hyundai, focusing on trade and automotive policy. Bename Tesfazghi previously lobbied for the National Automobile Dealers Association and Alliance for Automotive Innovation. Anderson Drew Ferguson IV joined in July 2025.

The current shift to purely in-house operations suggests Hyundai is consolidating its government relations strategy around core expertise.

The Agenda

Hyundai is lobbying on several critical policy areas. The company is actively engaging on electric vehicle infrastructure, tax incentives, and specific tax credits (30D, 45W, 45X, 45V) under H.R. 1, following the September 2025 expiration of federal EV credits. Hyundai is also lobbying on the Right to Repair legislation, specifically the REPAIR Act (H.R. 1566/S. 1379), which would mandate manufacturer access to vehicle data and repair information. The company is engaging on autonomous vehicle deployment through the S. 1798 Autonomous Vehicle Acceleration Act and S. 2040 Connected Vehicle National Security Review Act. Trade and tariff policy remains a core priority, where the company recently achieved results through the U.S.-South Korea trade agreement.

Broader Context

The auto industry faces dramatic tariff escalation, with manufacturers incurring over $10 billion in tariffs from Canada and Mexico in 2025 alone. However, the U.S. and South Korea reached a trade deal in late October 2025 reducing tariffs on Korean automobiles from 25% to 15%, offering direct relief to Hyundai.

Industry analysts warn EV registrations could fall 27% without tax credits, and EV discounts have surged to $13,161 as of October 2025. Meanwhile, more than 83% of Americans support federal right-to-repair protections, with the bipartisan REPAIR Act gaining momentum.

Lawmakers in 25 states introduced 67 bills related to autonomous vehicles in 2025, as Congress moves to streamline AV deployment.

Between The Lines

Congress is actively reshaping automotive regulation across multiple fronts. On electric vehicles, lawmakers are debating incentive futures after credits expired September 30. The H.R. 1892 Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging Grant Program Act and H.R. 1293 Vehicle Energy Performance Act propose new EV support mechanisms, while Republicans have pushed $250 annual EV registration fees to address Highway Trust Fund insolvency.

The bipartisan REPAIR Act (H.R. 1566/S. 1379) continues advancing, while the S. 1798 Autonomous Vehicle Acceleration Act and S. 2040 Connected Vehicle National Security Review Act are developing AV frameworks and foreign technology reviews.

Competitive Landscape

Kia Corp., Hyundai’s South Korean affiliate, pursues nearly identical lobbying priorities, including the same EV tax credits, positioning the companies as natural allies. Tesla Inc. creates a more complex dynamic, also lobbying on clean energy tax credits and the REPAIR Act. Rivian Automotive LLC focuses on EV tax credits and manufacturing incentives.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation provides coalition opportunities on pro-EV policies, though the industry remains fractured on right-to-repair legislation.

The Bottom Line

Hyundai’s $620,000 Q3 2025 lobbying spend reflects engagement on four interconnected policy fronts reshaping the automotive industry. The company secured a win through the late-October U.S.-South Korea trade deal reducing Korean vehicle tariffs from 25% to 15%. With September’s EV tax credit expiration creating policy urgency and Hyundai’s Georgia battery investment at stake, the company is simultaneously defending against right-to-repair legislation while positioning itself in emerging autonomous vehicle frameworks. Hyundai’s lobbying reflects both defensive posturing around service revenue and offensive strategizing around EV market share—part of broader industry restructuring driven by tariffs, tax credit expiration, and emerging safety standards.

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