Slovakia calls for cooperation with Korea on eco-friendly cars

Slovakia's finance minister called for cooperation with South Korea in a wide-range of areas such as hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and infrastructure, the government here said Tuesday.    Peter Kazimir made the comments in a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Hong Nam-ki at the government complex building in central Seoul, calling Asia's fourth-largest economy a very important country for Slovakia, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Korea's Minister of Economy and Fi

Jan. 29, 2019

Hanwha Q Cells named top solar installer in Europe, Australia

South Korean solar panel maker Hanwha Q Cells was named the top photovoltaics installer in Europe and Australia this year by research institutes in the respective regions that surveyed its brand recognition, management and market share, the company said Tuesday.In Europe, Hanwha Q Cells has remained in the top position since its acquisition of German company Q Cells in 2012, and for four years in Australia. The survey was conducted and announced by EuPD Research, an information provider on busin

Jan. 29, 2019

BMW Korea bets on renewed 3 Series, X5 in Q1

BMW Korea, the local branch of the German luxury carmaker, is betting on sales of the all-new 3 Series and X5 in the first quarter of this year. The seventh generation of the 3 Series, BMW’s best-selling series for more than 40 years, is ready to hit the market in March with a renewed design, technology-enhanced features and upgraded performance, the company said in a statement. 　 BMW 3 Series (BMW Korea)The sports sedan, more than 15 million units of which have sold worldwide, was unveiled at t

Jan. 29, 2019

SsangYong Motor to renew Korando in 8 years in March

SsangYong Motor plans to renew its signature sport utility vehicle Korando in eight years next month, the company said Monday.Unveiling a teaser image of the vehicle, the company said it has the most “flamboyant” digital interface, state-of-the-art tech features and a sophisticated body design. The vehicle, code-named C300, is a successor to the Korando C SUV upholding the legacy of the 37-year-old brand. Korando is the oldest SUV brand in South Korea.A teaser image of Korando (SsangYong Motor)T

Jan. 28, 2019

Renault names Bollore CEO, Senard chairman: statement

French carmaker Renault said Thursday that it has named Thierry Bollore as its new chief executive and Jean-Dominique Senard as board chairman, replacing former boss Carlos Ghosn following his arrest in Japan for alleged financial misconduct.Jean-Dominique Senard, newly-appointed Chairman of Renault, and Thierry Bollore, newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer of Renault, talk to journalists after French carmaker Renault`s board of directors meeting in Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris, France, T

Jan. 24, 2019

Hyundai Motor heir named co-chair of Hydrogen Council

Hyundai Motor Executive Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun has been named co-chair of the Hydrogen Council, a global alliance of hydrogen technologies launched to promote the energy transition from fossil fuels, the organization said Thursday.Chung replaces Yang Woong-chul, a former vice chairman of Hyundai Motor who left the carmaker late last year, and joins incumbent Co-chair Benoit Potier, chairman and CEO of Air Liquide, to lead the council for the next two years. (Yonhap)The Hydrogen Council said

Jan. 24, 2019

Hyundai Motor to set up joint sales venture in Vietnam

Hyundai Motor has signed a memorandum of understanding with Vietnam’s Thanh Cong Group to set up a joint sales venture as part of efforts to expand its presence in the Southeast Asian country, the company said Thursday.Under the agreement, the companies will work together to expand sales and after-service networks to cater to growing demand in the country’s auto market. Vietnam’s auto market grew 27 percent last year. (Hyundai Motor)Established in 1999, Thanh Cong Group is a Vietnamese conglomer

Jan. 24, 2019

Kia’s New Soul gets power, sleekness

Targeting 20-something first-time car buyers, South Korean carmaker Kia Motors unveiled the third-generation model of its signature compact sports utility vehicle, the Soul, Wednesday, highlighting its upgraded power, high-tech features and competitive price. Returning to the market for the first time in six years, the Soul Booster boasts a 1.6-liter turbo engine that can produce up to 204 horsepower or 27 kilogram-meters of torque, making it the most powerful car in the CUV segment.  Kwon Hyeok

Jan. 23, 2019

US auto tariff will hurt S. Korean, US carmakers: report

A 25 percent tariff slapped on imported vehicles and auto parts by the United States could have a serious impact on South Korean and U.S. carmakers in the long term, a local think tank said Wednesday. If the US invokes Section 232 tariffs on vehicles and components imported from the European Union and other trading partners, it could have far-reaching consequences for the auto industry around the world, the Korea Economic Research Institute said in its recent report.  (Yonhap)"If the country doe

Jan. 23, 2019

Industry ministry, KITA join forces against protectionism

South Korea's international trade organization said Wednesday it held a meeting with the industry ministry to share ideas on supporting the local automobile industry amid growing protectionism around the globe.The Korea International Trade Association said it held this year's first round of regular forum talks with the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, centering on the car industry.  (Yonhap)While KITA and the ministry have held regular trade discussions once a year, the two decided to co

Jan. 23, 2019

McDonald’s McDelivery scooters to go all green by 2021

McDonald’s in Korea will replace all of its motorbikes used for its delivery service with electric scooters by 2021, the Korean branch of the fast food chain said Tuesday.“In the next three years, we are going to replace around 1,400 vehicles (operated by) restaurants under direct management with electric bikes,” it said in a statement. Electric bikes are lined up at a McDonald's chain in Jeju. (McDonald's Korea)The fast food giant has placed around 40 electric bikes late last year for its opera

Jan. 22, 2019

Hyundai Mobis secures record $1.7b worth of overseas orders

South Korean auto parts-maker Hyundai Mobis has secured $1.7 billion worth of overseas orders from foreign carmakers last year, marking a record on-year increase of 40 percent, the company said Tuesday.Overseas sales of core auto components by the company have also shown rapid growth, having shot up from $500 million in 2015 to $1.2 billion in 2017. (Hyundai Mobis)The company has secured around 60 percent of its overseas orders -- worth $1 billion -- from electric vehicle manufacturers from Chin

Jan. 22, 2019

Kia sales in Britain top 1 m vehicles

Kia Motors Corp. said Monday that early this month its total sales in Britain exceeded one million vehicles since it started exporting to the country 28 years ago. On Jan. 10, Kia's vehicle sales in the country hit the milestone after reporting 998,069 units at the end of December, the company said in a statement. (Yonhap)Kia entered the market with the Pride compact in 1991. It later launched models, such as the Sportage compact SUV, the Ceed hatchback, and the Morning mini car, it said. For al

Jan. 21, 2019

[Behind The Wheel] Tale of two sports cars in wintery Korea

Driving a sports car on slippery roads in wintertime is definitely not a smart thing to do, but can be fun if you know how to handle the adrenaline-stimulating horsepower from a turbocharged engine. And the advanced safety features of the latest sports cars to hit the market, including GM’s all-new Camaro and Mercedes-Benz’s 400 d 4Matic, ensure a driving experience that’s fun but not terrifying.Mercedes-Benz`s CLS 400 d 4 Matic run on slippery roads on Dec. 13, 2018. (Cho Chung-un/The Korea Her

Jan. 20, 2019

Korea to spend W7.3b on unmanned vehicle technology in 2019

South Korea will spend 7.3 billion won ($6.51 million) this year to develop innovative technologies for aerial, marine and ground-based unmanned vehicles, the government said Sunday.　The Ministry of Science and ICT said it has finalized the scale of various projects to secure core technologies that can allow autonomous vehicles to operate in the air, on land and at sea.  Google`s self-driving vehicle (Google)　“(The government) will make efforts to overcome the limits of commercialization of unma

Jan. 20, 2019

Korea's auto exports up 22.6% in December

South Korea's automobile exports shot up 22.6 percent on-year in December on the back of the release of new models from local carmakers, government data showed Friday.According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, automakers here shipped 219,313 cars overseas last month, rising sharply from a year earlier, with the value estimated at $3.78 billion. (Yonhap)For the whole of 2018, the number of cars shipped abroad edged down 3.2 percent to 2.44 million units, or $40.9 billion due to the

Jan. 18, 2019

Korea lagging behind Japan, China in EV battery competitiveness

South Korean battery makers are lagging behind their rivals in China and Japan in electric vehicle battery competitiveness, a local think tank said Thursday. Korean car battery companies, such as LG Chem Ltd. and Samsung SDI Co., have witnessed their combined share in the global battery market plunge to 11 percent in 2018 from 30 percent in 2014, due mainly to a lack of captive buyers, the Korea Economic Research Institute said in a statement.  (Yonhap)"Unlike their Korean rivals, Chinese power

Jan. 17, 2019

Mercedes-Benz vows push for future mobility with EQ brands

Mercedes-Benz Korea, the Korean unit of the German carmaker, said Thursday that it would push future mobility this year and roll out the new EQC crossover, its first fully electric sport utility vehicle.Declaring 2019 as the “year of EQ,” the company said it would launch four new plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in addition to the new fully electric SUV, as well as nine new models and six facelifted ones to strengthen its product lineup.The exact local launch date remains undecided, the company

Jan. 17, 2019

Korea to produce 6.2 million hydrogen cars by 2040

South Korea will produce 6.2 million units of fuel cell electric vehicles and build 1,200 refilling stations across the country by 2040, in a major industrial push aimed at securing energy independence and assuming a leadership role in hydrogen technology. President Moon Jae-in (center) looks at a model of the hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle Nexo during a visit to a Hyundai Motor facility in Ulsan on Thursday. (Yonhap)In its road map announced Thursday, the government said it would diversify

Jan. 17, 2019

Hyundai Mobis, KT team up for 5G-based connected car technology

Hyundai Mobis, the car parts making arm of Hyundai Motor Group, said Thursday that it has partnered with telecommunication company KT to jointly develop connected car technologies. The companies have launched fifth-generation network service at Hyundai Mobis’ test ground in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, in an effort to ramp up the drive for connected car research and development.A connected car refers to a car equipped with internet access, usually a wireless local area network. This allow

Jan. 17, 2019