HD Hyundai Infracore releases first S.Korean made bulldozer in 24 years

HD Hyundai Infracore Co. a construction equipment affiliate of South Korea’s HD Hyundai Group, on Sunday said it launched its new bulldozer brand Develon on the domestic market.

The Develon is the company’s first domestically made bulldozer in 24 years, with its last coming after the bankrupt Daewoo Heavy Industries and Machinery, the predecessor of HD Hyundai Infracore, halted production in 1999.

At the time, civil engineering methods were changed, excavators replaced part of a bulldozer's work and domestic bulldozers were discontinued due to fallen demand due to the Asian economic crisis. American companies seized this opportunity and now dominate the domestic bulldozer market with 90%.

Since 2020, HD Hyundai Infracore has invested and developed a homegrown bulldozer and recently introduced the 10-ton model DD100, part of the Develon brand. The company sold all five models it produced.

The DD100’s independently developed Develon engine meets Stage 5 European emission standards, maximizing work performance and fuel efficiency compared to others in its class, it added.

“We will expand our market size with differentiated products and services,” a company source said. “We plan to diversify our lineup by launching this year 13-ton bulldozers in North America, which accounts for half of the global market, and at home.”
 
Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com