[Photo News] Tops in efficiency

Hyundai Motor's all-electric Ioniq 6 has been recognized as the most fuel-efficient 2024 model year vehicle by the US Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency, the South Korean automaker said Sunday. The Ioniq 6 long-range, rear-wheel driving model with 18-inch wheels scored a combined 140 miles per gallon equivalent, or 59.5 kilometers per liter equivalent. The EPA's rating estimates the distance a car can travel on 33.7 kilowatt-hours of electrical energy. (Hyundai Mo

March 3, 2024

InterBattery 2024 to spotlight all-solid-state, affordable batteries

InterBattery 2024, the largest battery industry exhibition in Korea, will take place at the COEX Convention and Exhibition Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, from March 6 to 9, attracting 579 companies from 18 countries and nearly 75,000 attendees for a comprehensive showcase of innovation, industry conferences and networking opportunities. Organized by the Korea Battery Industry Association and COEX, this year's event marks the largest gathering in the event's history, showcasing 1,896 boot

March 1, 2024

LG, Honda complete steel framework for JV battery plant

LG Energy Solution, the nation's largest electric vehicle battery maker, said Friday that its Ohio-based joint venture plant with Honda has recently completed its steel framework, indicating a smooth ride ahead for the plant’s full operation slated for 2025. The companies held a ceremony in Ohio's Fayette County on Thursday to celebrate the completion of the steel framework for the facility, which means that the construction has moved from site preparation and laying the foundati

March 1, 2024

[Photo News] The all-new CLE Coupe

Mercedes-Benz Korea showcased its all-new CLE Coupe and all-new CLE Cabriolet from Tuesday to Wednesday in Seoul, the company said Thursday. In this photo, Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Mathias Vaitl (right) poses with the all-new CLE Coupe at the showcase. According to the German automaker, the new vehicle is offered in two trims -- the CLE 200 and CLE 450 4MATIC -- with starting prices at 72.7 million won ($54,500) and 96 million won, respectively. (Mercedes-Benz Korea)

Feb. 29, 2024

Hyundai wins most safety awards in US assessment

Hyundai Motor Group announced Wednesday that it has won the highest number of vehicle safety awards from the US Insurance Institute of Highway Safety among all assessed global automakers this year. According to the South Korean automaker, its three brands -- Hyundai Motor Company, Kia and Genesis -- won a combined 16 Top Safety Pick and TSP+ awards at this year’s annual assessment. “Hyundai Motor Group is proud to have earned the industry leadership position in the recent IIHS 2024 T

Feb. 28, 2024

[Photo News] Hyundai Staria Hybrid

Hyundai Motor Company on Wednesday started taking preorders for the 2024 Hyundai Staria and the newly-added hybrid model of the minivan. According to the automaker, the Staria 1.6 Turbo Hybrid boasts a fuel efficiency of 13 kilometers per liter with a maximum system horsepower of up to 245. The prices of the hybrid model and the 2024 year model begin at 34.33 million won ($25,763) and 28.47 million won, respectively. (Hyundai Motor Group)

Feb. 28, 2024

Maserati to set up Korean unit to bolster presence

Italian luxury auto brand Maserati will set up a Korean office on July 1 to strengthen its presence in the local market. Forza Motors Korea, the country’s official importer of Ferrari and Maserati, announced Monday that Maserati’s Korean business will be transferred to the Italian brand’s Korean office, adding that FMK will continue to closely work with Maserati to help smooth business transition and customer support. FMK, a luxury import car affiliate under South Korean conglo

Feb. 27, 2024

Ex-ministry official to join Hyundai’s global policy team

Hyundai Motor Group said Sunday that Woo Jung-yeop, a former director-general for strategy at South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is joining its Global Policy Office as a senior vice president. This appointment, effective Monday, is part of Hyundai's efforts to strengthen its response to global economic challenges, particularly in light of the US Inflation Reduction Act and the forthcoming US presidential election. The Global Policy Office at Hyundai, led by executive vice presi

Feb. 26, 2024

French ambassador visits Renault Korea's Busan plant

French Ambassador Philippe Bertoux visited the Renault Korea Motors plant in Busan on Friday, highlighting the facility's role in the automotive industries of both South Korea and France, and its position within the global Renault Group network. The visit was accompanied by Renault Korea Motors CEO Stephane Deblaise and other French Embassy officials including Economic Counselor Adeline-Lise Khov and Commercial Counselor Matthieu Lefort. The Busan plant, where Renault Korea's most popu

Feb. 25, 2024

Kia’s eco-friendly Niro hits 1 million units sold

Kia's Niro, an eco-friendly sports utility vehicle lineup featuring exclusively green powertrains, has reached a milestone by surpassing 1 million global sales in eight years after its launch, primarily fueled by the popularity of its hybrid model. According to Kia on Sunday, the Niro tallied 1,082,822 units in global sales by January this year, with a breakdown showing 1,241 units sold in its home market and exports exceeding 10,000 units in January alone. Initially unveiled as a hybrid ve

Feb. 25, 2024

Hyundai Motor pledges $1.1b investment in Brazil through 2032

Hyundai Motor Group has vowed to invest $1.1 billion in Brazil as Chung Euisun, the head of the South Korean auto conglomerate, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met at the latter’s presidential office in the capital city of Brasilia on Thursday, officials announced Friday. Chung said Hyundai Motor Company’s Brazilian office and its local partners will plow the investment into future technology as well as eco-friendly sectors such as hydrogen. “Hyundai Motor Gro

Feb. 23, 2024

[KH Explains] Will LG Energy Solution be Tesla's 4680 battery crisis savior?

Four years after Tesla revealed the hyped Cybertruck, its production still lags with 1.9 million orders pending. The bottleneck stems from challenges in mass-producing what are known as 4680 battery cells, which are key to the Cybertruck’s success due to their superior energy density and cost efficiency. Currently, Tesla can only produce a fraction -- only a tenth -- of the required output, pushing it to lean on global battery manufacturers. LG Energy Solution, a leading South Korean batte

Feb. 22, 2024

Hyundai, KAIST work on self-driving sensors

Hyundai Motor Group’s automakers -- Hyundai Motor and Kia -- have joined forces with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology to establish a joint laboratory to develop the next generation of sensors for light detection and ranging, of lidar. According to their announcement Wednesday, the joint facility, the Hyundai Motor Group-KAIST Collaborative Research Laboratory for On-Chip Lidar based on silicon photonics, opened on the KAIST campus in Daejeon. The joint lab will focus

Feb. 21, 2024

[Photo News] Triple crown for Ioniq 5 N

The Ioniq 5 N, Hyundai Motor's high-performance electric vehicle, has won the Korea Automobile Journalists Association's 2024 Car of the Year award, the association announced Tuesday. On top of winning the highest overall award, the Ioniq 5 N also claimed the awards for EV of the Year and Performance of the Year as well. The Korean-made EV edged out the BMW New 5 Series, Kia EV9, Mercedes-Benz EQS and Genesis GV80 Coupe to take the top honor. KAJA comprises some 200 auto journalists

Feb. 20, 2024

[KH Explains] Will BYD redefine EV affordability in Korea?

Even those unfamiliar with the world's largest electric vehicle maker BYD Auto may have noticed their commercial electric buses that have been navigating city streets in Korea since 2017. Now the Chinese automaker, known for its exceptional affordability, is reportedly entering the broader consumer Korean EV market in the latter half of this year by introducing the Dolphin hatchback, Atto 3 compact crossover, and Seal midsize sedan electric vehicles. They are currently undergoing a performance e

Feb. 20, 2024

Hyundai Motor, Supernal in search of best talents for advanced air mobility

Hyundai Motor Group and its US-based advanced air mobility subsidiary Supernal are ramping up efforts to attract top urban air mobility talents as they aim to debut flying taxis in South Korea and the US in 2028. According to Hyundai Motor Group’s online recruitment notice on Monday, the company has opened up ten positions related to specific areas within the AAM division, including strategic investment, AAM system engineering, flight control, aircraft body assembly, software design and de

Feb. 19, 2024

[Photo News] Winner of 2024 Genesis Invitational

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun (right) and Japan’s nine-time PGA Tour winner Hideki Matsuyama hold the trophy celebrating the player’s victory at the 2024 Genesis Invitational of the US PGA Tour held last week at California's Riviera Country Club. In its eighth year as the event's title sponsor, the carmaker's Genesis brand provided a fleet of 220 vehicles during the four-day tournament. Matsuyama was awarded a $4 million prize along with the GV80 c

Feb. 19, 2024

Hyundai takes over Mobis' hydrogen fuel cell business

Hyundai Motor Company has acquired a hydrogen fuel cell business from the group's affiliate and auto parts supplier Hyundai Mobis at 217 billion won ($163 million) to consolidate the group's hydrogen energy efforts. The agreement, finalized on Friday, includes a complete transfer of assets, personnel, and operations related to Hyundai Mobis' domestic hydrogen fuel cell activities to Hyundai Motor Company. Hyundai Motor Group is streamlining its operations by focusing its hydrogen

Feb. 16, 2024

LS Cable, Germany’s VAC team up for EV magnets

LS Cable & System, through its subsidiary LS Eco Advanced Materials, has partnered with European magnet manufacturer Vacuumschmelze to create a joint venture aimed at making special magnets needed for electric vehicles. Announced on Wednesday, this partnership will start producing 1,000 tons of neodymium permanent magnets annually by 2027, enough for half a million electric cars. Neodymium permanent magnets are crucial for the motors that power electric cars, making this venture particularly

Feb. 16, 2024

Hyundai Motor to cut foreign chip reliance with local push

South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group has initiated a project aimed at significantly boosting the local production and procurement of automotive semiconductors from early this year, according to industry sources on Friday. Challenges stemming from the auto group's heavy reliance on international suppliers for its semiconductor needs, such as supply chain vulnerabilities exposed during the global pandemic, are expected to be resolved through the initiative. Over 90 percent of Hyundai's

Feb. 16, 2024