Hyundai Motor Germany: One tree for every Ioniq 5 sold

Buyers of an Ioniq 5 will soon receive a tree certificate alongside the keys to their vehicle, which shows the location of the plot of forest. Through a QR code, they will also be directed to a microsite where the progress of the planting is documented and other interesting topics about the forest, nature conservation, and Hyundai's commitment are presented. The Ioniq Forest is being created on land acquired by Plant-my-tree for reforestation. Previously, this area was occupied by spruce in monocultures, which were damaged by a severe bark beetle infestation.

The area is located in North Rhine-Westphalia near Lüdenscheid on the A45. The Ioniq Forest will be created in 2022 from numerous seedlings planted from German nurseries to avoid a susceptible monoculture.

Plant-my-tree guarantees sustainable tree planting and project durations of at least 99 years, during which no felling or commercial use will occur. Besides oaks and larches, beeches, birches, pines, and Douglas firs will make up the mixed forest. Each buyer receives their individual tree and becomes a sponsor of the Ioniq Forest.

The groundbreaking ceremony, including the planting, took place on March 28, 2022. Present on site were Sören Brüntgens, managing director of Plant-my-tree, and Wang Chul Shin, president, and CEO of Hyundai Motor Germany. Sören Brüntgens looks forward to the joint project:

“Every newly planted tree is an act of faith in the future, and I am excited to shape this future together with Hyundai.”

A camera allows watching the forest grow

With the growing forest, the Ioniq 5 will become a double environmental protector in the future. On one hand, the battery-electric car itself emits no CO2 emissions, and on the other hand, the planted trees will absorb CO2. Ioniq 5 customers can watch their tree and the forest grow: Hyundai has installed a camera above the forest plot, so the changes in growth can always be observed over the internet. Further information and camera footage can be found at:

https://www.hyundai.de/hyundai-welt/ioniq-wald/

Wang Chul Shin, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Germany, adds:

“Hyundai is fulfilling its commitment to ensuring sustainable mobility for the future. This also includes making our way of life off the roads sustainable. With the now growing Ioniq Forest, we are adding another visible chapter to our responsible actions hand in hand with our customers, and our Ioniq 5 customers are becoming active climate protectors.”

Background: Plant my tree has been conducting first afforestation projects since 2007 and, since 2020, additionally implementing ecological forest transformation measures nationwide in Germany. The focus is on high biodiversity with the aim of counteracting global CO2 emissions and thus supporting environmental and climate protection. For this purpose, areas are renaturalized, which subsequently do not serve for timber extraction. A permanently protected retreat area for native animals and plants is created. Here, nature is allowed to remain nature - forever. This is demonstrably the most sustainable long-term method to store and simultaneously compensate CO2. The reforested areas are protected from logging or economic use for 99 years. More information:

https://www.plant-my-tree.de

What does this mean?

With this initiative, Hyundai is not buying just any certificates somewhere, the continuation and implementation of which might be uncertain, but rather engaging concretely on-site. Good idea! And a meaningful add-on to the purchase of an Ioniq-5. If only this could be integrated into every new Hyundai worldwide...