Everyone watched the hypercar, but Hyundai stole the show with robots and hydrogen
At its Le Mans debut Genesis wasn't alone: a hydrogen truck, a wearable robot and a buggy that spins in place turned the paddock into Hyundai's own lab.
It looked like the whole story of Genesis Magma Racing's Le Mans debut came down to the GMR-001 hypercar. Hyundai Motor Group thought otherwise—and turned the 24 Hours of Le Mans into a showcase of its own technology. Hydrogen logistics, wearable robotics and the electric Genesis Box Buggy that spins almost on the spot. The team's debut took place on June 13–14, 2026 at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
The logistics workhorse was the hydrogen-powered Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell Class-8. It hauled the team's test equipment, spare parts and engineering instruments—without a single gram of exhaust. Hyundai points out that the XCIENT Fuel Cell already runs in five European countries, and a fleet of 175 trucks has covered more than 21.8 million km between them. For motorsport it's a vivid lesson: you can shrink the carbon footprint not only on the race car, but all around it, in servicing the team itself.
The second technology is the industrial wearable robot X-ble Shoulder, built by Robotics LAB of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia. Its job is simple and important—to take the strain off the shoulders of mechanics who wrestle wheels and gear all race long. The numbers speak for themselves. Each GMR-001 hypercar tyre weighs around 13 kg, and over a race the crew can handle up to 56 tyres per car. X-ble Shoulder cuts the load on the shoulder joints by up to 60% and eases the front and side deltoid muscles by roughly 30%.
And here comes the paddock's main attraction—the Genesis Box Buggy Concept. The electric VIP shuttle rolled straight into the Circuit de la Sarthe paddock, and there was no walking past it. The secret is the Hyundai Mobis e-Corner system: each wheel turns independently by up to 90°. Hence the party tricks—the machine crabs sideways and spins almost on the spot. Four e-Corner modules, each with a 40 hp motor, add up to around 160 hp. For a paddock shuttle that's overkill. In the best way.
It was reported earlier that Hyundai may switch its mass-market lineup to hybrids.