[From the Scene] Extreme climates to battery cells: Inside Hyundai's safety efforts

Hyundai Motor Group, having climbed to the rank of the second-largest electric vehicle seller in the United States last year just behind the trailblazer Tesla, recently took reporters behind the scenes to reveal the backbone of their success: a commitment to safety amid the industry's sprint toward longer battery ranges and fast charging. On Wednesday, the press was invited to the automaker's Namyang Technology Research Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, to witness firsthand the safety testi

March 31, 2024

Govt. mulls further cutting EV subsidies

The government is considering further cutting electric vehicle subsidies next year to instead use the funds to supplement insufficient charging infrastructure, according to sources Sunday. According to the sources, government ministries overseeing EV subsidy policy, including the finance and environment ministries, are discussing ways to reduce EV subsidies for next year based on state budget guidelines for 2025. During the discussions, the finance ministry has stressed the need to strengthen th

March 31, 2024

Audi Korea names new head, seeks business turnaround

Volkswagen Group Korea on Thursday appointed Steve Cloete to become the next head of Audi Korea as the German automaker looks for a breakthrough to turn around ailing sales in the local market. According to the announcement, Cloete will begin this new post at Audi Korea starting May 1. The new chief has over 27 years of experience in the automotive industry having worked at Hyundai Motor Group in South Africa and BMW Group in Bahrain. After joining Audi in 2014, Cloete worked in after-sales and

March 28, 2024

Kia EV9 wins world car of year

The Kia EV9, an all-electric large sports utility vehicle, won the World Car of the Year on Wednesday at the New York International Auto Show, marking the third year in a row for South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor Group to take the prestigious award. The EV9 beat out the EX30, Volvo’s electric subcompact crossover SUV, and the BYD Seal, a midsize sedan of the Chinese EV behemoth, to claim the highest honor. Kia’s electric SUV came out on top of the competition between 38 vehicles

March 28, 2024

[Photo News] Kia K4 unveiled

The Kia K4 -- the South Korean carmaker's latest midsized sedan -- was unveiled for the first time anywhere at the New York International Auto Show on Wednesday. Kia said the new vehicle has been equipped with artificial intelligence assistance based on generative AI technologies that allows the car to communicate smoothly with the driver. According to the automaker, the Kia K4 will launch in the North American market in the second half of this year. (Hyundai Motor Group)

March 28, 2024

Hyundai Motor eyes 80,000 jobs, W68tr investment at home by 2026

Hyundai Motor Group announced Wednesday a grand plan to invest 68 trillion won ($50.7 billion) in Korea and create 80,000 jobs by the end of 2026 to secure future growth engines as a global first mover in the mobility sector. According to the auto conglomerate, 31.1 trillion won, about 46 percent of the investment, will be assigned to research and development to secure core technologies in improving product competitiveness, electric vehicle transition, advancing software-defined vehicles and int

March 27, 2024

Genesis to expand beyond luxury

Genesis, a premium brand under South Korean auto conglomerate Hyundai Motor Group, unveiled two new concept vehicles -- the brand’s first full-size electric sports utility vehicle Neolun and the high-performance GV60 Magma -- at Genesis House New York on Monday, highlighting the future vision of the luxury automaker. “The Neolun Concept was inspired by Korea’s iconic moon-shaped porcelain jars,” said Luc Donckerwolke, chief creative officer at Genesis. “It’s

March 26, 2024

Kia hires ex-Mercedes, BMW designers

Kia Corp. on Tuesday announced it has appointed two former designers from Mercedes-Benz and BMW to head its design centers in Europe and China, respectively. Oliver Samson, previously with Mercedes-Benz, and Lim Seung-mo, formerly of BMW, will take on their new roles as head of the Kia Design Center Europe and head of the Kia Design Center China, respectively, on April 1. Samson and Lim will report to Karim Habib, executive vice president and head of Kia Global Design. The appointments are expec

March 26, 2024

BMW looks to continue winning streak with new hybrid 5 Series

After topping the sales charts in South Korea’s import car market last year, BMW Korea is looking to sustain its momentum with its new 530e, a plug-in hybrid model that is part of its 2024 eighth-generation 5 Series lineup. Introduced earlier this month, the 530e complements the 2024 lineup of gasoline, diesel, and electric models with its advanced plug-in hybrid technology. The 530e features a combination of a gasoline engine enhanced with BMW's TwinPower Turbo technology that uses a spec

March 26, 2024

Hyundai Motor ranks 2nd in US EV sales

Hyundai Motor Group ranked second behind Tesla in terms of electric vehicle sales in the United States in January, a report showed Monday. Citing statistics from S&P Global Mobility, Automotive News said the Korean auto conglomerate’s three brands -- Hyundai Motor, Kia and Genesis -- combined for 8,262 newly registered EVs in the US in January 2024 to account for 9.3 percent of the total market. According to the report, Tesla registered 48,757 EVs to retain the top spot, while traditio

March 25, 2024

Hyundai Motor, Saudi Arabia join efforts for future mobility ecosystem

Hyundai Motor Group said Monday that it has joined hands with Red Sea Global to implement eco-friendly future mobility to Saudi Arabia’s development project to open luxurious and pro-nature tourism resorts along the west coast of the Middle Eastern country. According to the announcement, the representatives of the Korean automaker and the Saudi Arabian megaproject signed a memorandum of understanding in Riyadh on Sunday. Red Sea Global, which is entirely owned by the Public Investment Fund

March 25, 2024

[Photo News] New electric Mini in Seoul

Mini Korea will hold an exhibition to shed light on the past, present and future of the brand in Seoul from Friday to April 21, the premium small car brand under BMW Group said Monday. Showcasing the new all-electric Mini Cooper and new all-electric Mini Countryman, the "Mini Heritage and Beyond" exhibition will be held at the K Museum of Contemporary Art in Gangnam-gu. The new Mini EVs are to hit the local market later this year. (BMW Group Korea)

March 25, 2024

Kumho Tire wins highest rating in German performance tests

Kumho Tire’s model ECSTA HS52 tire has garnered recognition from tire performance tests conducted by German automotive magazines ADAC and Auto Bild, the company said Wednesday. In this year's comprehensive tire performance evaluations, the ECSTA HS52 model achieved third place with a "Good" rating from ADAC and fourth place, also rated as "Good," from Auto Bild. This made it the top-performing tire from a South Korean manufacturer. ADAC’s testing was among 16

March 24, 2024

Hyundai Motor to double E-pit fast chargers by 2025

Hyundai Motor Group revealed on Sunday its plans to double the number of its ultra-fast chargers for electric vehicles in South Korea to 500 by 2025. As of March, the group operates 286 E-pit EV chargers in 54 locations in Korea. This initiative kicked off in April 2021, with a modest yet strategic deployment of 72 chargers distributed over 12 key rest stops on highways. Achieving the 2025 target of 500 units would mean a 600 percent increase from 2021. E-pit is Hyundai Motor Group’s ultra

March 24, 2024

[Test Drive] Hyundai Staria hybrid presents standard of multi-purpose vehicle

Hyundai Motor's flagship minivan Staria has returned with a hybrid engine powertrain and more comfort and safety options, paving the way for the future of multi-purpose vehicles. The Korea Herald had an opportunity to ride in the back of the Staria lounge hybrid model and got behind the wheel in a test drive in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. The back of the seven-seater minivan gave a feeling of being treated from the beginning as a chauffeur opened the door with a touch of a button.

March 22, 2024

Hyundai Motor to provide wheels for Korea-Africa summit in June

Hyundai Motor Group said Friday that it had joined hands with the Korean government’s preparatory committee to provide official transportation at the first Korea-Africa summit in June. Under the partnership, the automaker’s luxury brand Genesis will offer a total of 119 vehicles -- 77 units of the G90 flagship sedan and 42 units of the G80 luxury mid-sized sedan during the Korea-Africa summit slated to be held between June 4 and 5 in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The Genesis G90 has b

March 22, 2024

[Herald Interview] Mercedes-Benz focused on ‘great brand experience’

Mercedes-Benz was dethroned by BMW as the top auto importer in South Korea last year for the first time since 2015. Despite the quantitative loss, Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Mathias Vaitl says the focus is to offer a great brand experience for the customers. “Our strategy is not to be No. 1 here in the market,” said Vaitl in an interview with reporters from the Korea Automobile Journalists Association at the Korean office of Mercedes-Benz in Seoul on Wednesday. “We are the stronge

March 21, 2024

[Photo News] All-black Genesis G90

Genesis unveiled the G90 Black on Thursday, refining its flagship sedan with an exclusive all-black design theme known as Genesis Black. The new theme dresses every element, from the grille to the 21-inch wheels, in a deep and consistent shade. Inside, the cabin mirrors this theme with black semi-aniline leather seats, wood trim and aluminum details. The car is on sale now with a starting price of 138 million won ($104,000). (Hyundai Motor Group)

March 21, 2024

Hyundai Motor Group continues to rack up EV accolades

Hyundai Motor Group has been winning dozens of awards with its diverse lineup of electric vehicles across the globe and is looking to continue adding more to its trophy collection. According to the South Korean auto conglomerate on Tuesday, the EVs of its three brands -- Hyundai Motor Company, Kia and Genesis -- have won 48 awards in 13 countries over the past six months. Of the awards, 41 came from North America and Europe. The Kia EV9, a large electric sports utility vehicle, led the pack, as

March 19, 2024

LG Energy Solution makes breakthrough in battery lifespan

LG Energy Solution, in collaboration with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology, has made a significant breakthrough in lithium metal battery technology that addresses key challenges regarding its lifespan and safety. This new technology was detailed in the science journal Nature Energy and represents a considerable leap forward in lithium metal battery research and development. Lithium metal batteries are noted for their theoretical capacity advantages over lithium-ion batter

March 19, 2024