Hyundai Motor Group Brings Art Cars to San Francisco, Boosting Busan’s Bid to Host 2030 World Expo

SEOUL/SAN FRANCISCO, November 14, 2023 – Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) announced today an exhibition and road tour of 14 art cars in San Francisco to support Busan, South Korea’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo. The Group intensifies its efforts in the final push for the host country election, as the decision looms just two weeks ahead.

Hyundai Motor’s IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 all-electric models as well as Genesis luxury brand‘s Electrified G80 sedan will be on exhibit. These models will be wrapped in graffiti artwork created by renowned Korean artist ‘JAY FLOW,’ portraying the energetic spirit of the port city through vivid motifs depicting its iconic scenery and its slogan ‘BUSAN is Ready.’

The art car exhibition and road tour will run from November 13–17, coinciding with the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Week. The art car exhibition will be held at Fisherman Wharf’s Pier 39, a major landmark and popular tourist destination in San Francisco.

The art cars will also take a thrilling tour through San Francisco’s main thoroughfares, particularly near the main venue of 2023 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week. This will allow visiting global leaders as well as tourists and residents to become familiar with the beauty of Busan’s culture and the city’s readiness to host the 2030 World Expo.

The Group has actively promoted Busan's candidacy to host the World Expo through a range of activities. Notably, it showcased art cars at events such as the Busan Expo Symposium and K-POP concert in Paris, where the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) is headquartered. These art cars, embellished with promotional slogans for the Busan World Expo, demonstrated the Group's dedication and enthusiasm for hosting the event.

The art cars also made stops in key worldwide cities, such as New York, New Delhi and Jakarta, spreading Busan’s message of intent to host the World Expo and attracting international attention. The Group also showed the art cars at major events in Europe, such as the 172^nd General Assembly of the BIE in Paris last June and the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland last January, reinforcing their support for Busan’s Expo bid.

To highlight Busan as the ideal host city, the Group has generated over 90 innovative content pieces, including social media-friendly short-form movies and infographics, as part of its efforts to garner global support for Busan’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo. In particular, the Group’s promotional film ‘Busan Initiative with the Whole World’ topped 100 million views in just 17 days following its publication last month, solidifying Busan’s strong determination to be the host city.