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

[Photo News] MLB on Hyundai wheels

Hyundai Motor Group is supporting the Major League Baseball Seoul Series this week, the first MLB games to take place in South Korea, with an array of vehicles. According to the automaker on Tuesday, a total of 18 vehicles including six hydrogen-electric buses, three Ioniq 5s and three Ioniq 6s are being used for transporting the players and coaching staff of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Hyundai will also reward an Ioniq 5 to the first batter to hit a home run during the back-to

March 19, 2024

Renault to invest W118b in Busan plant

Renault Korea Motors on Monday announced a plan to invest 118 billion won ($88.5 million) in upgrading equipment at its Busan manufacturing plant over the next three years, signifying the French automaker’s efforts to produce hybrid and electric vehicles. Renault Korea Motors CEO Stephane Deblaise and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon signed a memorandum of understanding at the Busan city hall earlier in the day. Renault said it plans to hire 200 new personnel at the Busan plant with the fresh i

March 18, 2024

Kumho Tire to make EV push with EnnoV rebrand

Kumho Tire recently introduced EnnoV, the company's newly branded lineup of tires designed specifically for electric vehicles, stepping up its game in the EV tire competition with Hankook Tire & Technology’s iON brand. The launch took place during the EnnoV Experience Day at the Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, on March 15. EnnoV marks a significant rebranding effort by Kumho Tire, consolidating its EV-specific tires, including models su

March 18, 2024

Hyundai, Kia hit 5m in eco-friendly car sales

The number of eco-friendly vehicles sold by Hyundai Motor Company and Kia across the globe has surpassed five million, achieving the milestone after 15 years. According to the South Korean automakers on Sunday, the accumulated sales of their eco-friendly vehicles stood at 4,995,891 units as of last year. The carmakers logged 111,841 eco-friendly vehicles sold in January this year, bringing up the total to over 5.1 million. The eco-friendly vehicles include hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybri

March 17, 2024

Kia CEO: EV3 to lead mass market shift to electric

Kia CEO Song Ho-sung on Friday said the automaker is set to lead the mass adoption of electric vehicles with the upcoming launch of the EV3, its most affordable model to date. “Despite recent fluctuations in demand, the future of electric vehicles is undeniable. Leveraging the success of our EV6 and EV9 models, we are poised to introduce the EV3 this year, finally delivering a viable option for the average consumer,” Song said in the company's annual shareholders' meeting.

March 15, 2024

[KH Explains] Will KG Mobility, Korea's SUV dark horse, triumph globally?

KG Mobility, a stalwart in the South Korean sport utility vehicle scene previously known as Ssangyong Motors, has set an ambitious total sales goal of 147,000 units for this year, a 26.6 percent increase from last year, as it aims to penetrate overseas markets in Europe and Southeast Asia, away from its home turf dominated by Hyundai-Kia. By doubling down on its legacy of tough-looking, rugged SUVs, the company is incorporating cost-effective production strategies, including electrification, and

March 14, 2024

US operations of Hyundai, Kia turn profitable in 2023

Major global offices of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia turned into the black last year as the South Korean automakers logged record-high earnings on surging sales across the world, according to their audit and business reports on Wednesday. According to the audit report of Hyundai Motor Company, the automaker’s manufacturing plant in Alabama posted 236.3 billion won ($180 million) in net income in 2023, a drastic turnaround from the net loss of 808 billion in 2022. Named Hyundai Motor Manuf

March 13, 2024

Luxury car sales hit by new lime green plate scheme

Sales of imported cars from luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Bentley have plummeted in South Korea during the first two months of 2024, coinciding with the government's implementation of lime green license plates for corporate-owned luxury vehicles worth over 80 million won ($61,500). The Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association reported a 19.4 percent year-on-year drop in total imported vehicle sales in January this year to 13,083 units, marking the lowest

March 12, 2024

[Photo News] BMW EV charging station

BMW Korea said Tuesday that it has opened a charging station for electric vehicles in Jumujin Beach in the northernmost part of Gangneung, Gangwon Province. The BMW EV charging station can charge up to eight EVs at the same time and is available for not only BMW vehicles but also other brands. The German automaker installed 1,119 EV charging stations in South Korea as of February and plans to set up 1,000 more this year. (BMW Korea)

March 12, 2024

5-minute recharge to drive 300 km: Battery firms eye faster turnaround

At the InterBattery 2024 conference hosted at Coex in southern Seoul last week, South Korea's prime battery companies -- LG Energy Solution, SK On and Samsung SDI -- collectively emphasized ultrafast charging as the critical breakthrough needed to shift the electric vehicle market from its early adopter phase to the mainstream. While the trio showcased distinct approaches to capturing the EV battery market, tech leaders from each company concurred during their keynote presentations at the c

March 11, 2024

[Herald Interview] Factorial Energy, Hyundai Motor step forward in EV battery development

Hyundai Motor Group, the world’s third-largest carmaker, is getting closer to testing the production of electric vehicles equipped with solid-state batteries in collaboration with Factorial Energy, a US-based solid-state battery developer. Factorial Energy announced in October last year that it delivered the first A-samples of its 100+ amp-hours Factorial Electrolyte System Technology solid-state battery cells to one of its auto partners without disclosing the name of the original equipmen

March 10, 2024

LG, Qualcomm partner for EV battery monitoring

LG Energy Solution on Sunday announced a partnership with Qualcomm Technologies to develop an intelligent battery monitoring system for electric vehicles, aiming to simplify battery management for EV owners. This collaboration merges LG's expertise in battery management with Qualcomm's Snapdragon Digital Chassis platform, which is a comprehensive suite of automotive solutions including connectivity, digital cockpits and advanced driver assistance systems. The new battery management sys

March 10, 2024