Kia to unveil new robot in 2024

Kia will debut a new robot next year in collaboration with Boston Dynamics, a US-based robotics company that was acquired by Kia’s parent Hyundai Motor Group in 2021, according to the South Korean automaker’s latest sustainability report published Tuesday. Although the report did not specify what type of robot it will be, the report noted that Kia will continue to search for new business opportunities such as robotics logistics and unstaffed delivery services by collaborating with th

Aug. 1, 2023

HD Korea Shipbuilding to acquire STX Heavy Industries

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, the shipbuilding unit under HD Hyundai, said Tuesday it will acquire STX Heavy Industries, a Korea-based marine diesel engine manufacturer in a 81.3 billion won ($63.5 million) deal. The company said it signed a contract with the private equity firm Pinetree Partners to purchase its 6.52 million shares in the engine manufacturer and an additional 5.36 million newly issued shares. The shipbuilder will become the largest shareholder holding a 35 pe

Aug. 1, 2023

[Photo News] Self-driving shuttle

42dot, a software mobility unit under Hyundai Motor Group, said Tuesday it has started an autonomous-driving shuttle service for Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance. The company's staff can hail the shuttle, equipped for eight people including a safety officer, via 42dot’s TAP! Mobile app. Twelve cameras and six radars analyze the road conditions to avoid any obstacles or pedestrians that lie ahead, the company said. (42dot)

Aug. 1, 2023

Doosan secured W500b pre-orders for lightweight EV cables

Doosan Corp., the holding unit of Doosan Group, said Monday it had secured a total of 500 billion won ($390 million) in preorders since 2019 for its lightweight patterned flat cable — or PFC — from corporate clients around the world. The PFC is a next-generation cable system pioneered by Doosan that can replace traditional cable harnesses in electric devices by reducing the weight, volume and complexity significantly, especially for electric vehicles. The PFC combines multiple cables

July 31, 2023

SK Nexilis, Toyota Tsusho to set up battery materials JV

SK Nexilis, an SKC subsidiary, said Monday it has partnered up with Japan-based Toyota Tsusho Corp. to set up a joint venture and produce copper foil for electric vehicle rechargeable batteries in North America. Under the joint investment, SK Nexilis will be in charge of copper foil production, while Toyota Tsusho Corp. plans to secure battery makers in North America. Copper foil is used as a key anode material for lithium-ion batteries. Details such as the size of the deal and the location wh

July 31, 2023

[Photo News] Torres EVX ready for launch

KG Mobility, formerly known as SsangYong Motors, said Monday it will release the Torres EVX, an all-electric model of its bestselling midsized sport utility vehicle, in September. KG Mobility said it expects the driving distance per charge to be 420 kilometers or longer. The vehicle's price could begin as low as 48.5 million won ($38,100). Specifications will be finalized upon the official release. (KG Mobility)

July 31, 2023

Intl. flight passengers recover to 64.8% of pre-pandemic level in H1: data

The number of international flight passengers recovered to nearly 65 percent of the pre-pandemic level in the first half of the year, government data showed Monday. A total of 29.5 million people boarded international flights between January and June, accounting for 64.8 percent of the 45.6 million tallied over the same period in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. By destination, the number of travelers to the

July 31, 2023

[Test Drive] Toyota Highlander Hybrid, a fuel-efficient family SUV

Amid the burgeoning demand in Korea for large-sized sport utility vehicles equipped for family trips, Toyota has launched its three-row SUV model Highlander Hybrid here for the first time. Based on the Toyota New Global Architecture-K platform, the Japanese carmaker touted the family car’s strong physical structure, blended with optimal suspension control which makes for an easy drive. “The power output of the electric motor and gasoline engine in the fourth generation model of the T

July 31, 2023

[Test Drive] New Trailblazer rides off-road with confidence

The Chevrolet Trailblazer has come back as a compact sports utility vehicle that suits both an urban lifestyle and off-road driving. As the vehicle nearly went through an overall facelift, the first impression that stood out was the sharp design of the front at the media test-drive held by General Motors in Seoul on July 26. The chrome bars running across the top and bottom of the radiator grille and the thin LED headlamps gave a solid, aggressive impression. With a length of 4,425 millimeters,

July 30, 2023

Hyundai, Kia's US market share stays above 10% in H1: data

The combined US market share of Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Corp. inched up in the first half of the year from a year earlier, managing to stay above the 10 percent range amid the recovery in demand and output, data showed Sunday. Their combined share came to 10.6 percent in the January-June period, up 0.3 percentage point from the previous year, according to the data by the US-based Automotive News outlet. Hyundai and Kia saw their combined market share rise to double digits

July 30, 2023

Facial recognition system implemented at Incheon Airport

Incheon Airport said it has begun utilizing preregistered facial information to streamline the departure process for passengers from Friday. Dubbed the "facial recognition smart pass service," the newly launched service will allow passengers to quickly pass through the identification process at departure and boarding gates without having to show their passports and boarding passes to security personnel. The service is available at six departure gates and 16 boarding gates at Incheon Ai

July 28, 2023

Kia mulls lowering EV prices

Kia will consider lowering the prices of its battery-powered electric vehicles to compete against global EV leaders amid growing markets, according to the automaker’s chief financial officer on Thursday. “The important point from now on regarding the EV market, which has become highly competitive and abnormal in some sense, is that we should put more weight on securing our market share than focusing on profitability,” said Joo Woo-jeong, Kia’s CFO and executive vice presi

July 27, 2023

Hyundai, Kia join massive EV charging alliance to take on Tesla's Superchargers

South Korean carmakers Hyundai Motor Company and its sister firm Kia have joined forces with five global auto giants -- BMW, General Motors, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis -- to form a joint venture for establishing an electric vehicle charging network across North America, in a combined effort at curbing Tesla’s attempt at EV charging standardization. The seven companies announced on Wednesday in US time that the joint venture will set up at least 30,000 chargers by 2030, saying that

July 27, 2023

Hyundai Motor posts record earnings on upbeat US sales

Hyundai Motor said Wednesday it posted record-high sales and profits in the second quarter this year, largely buoyed by strong sales in key markets, including the US. The carmaker’s sales revenue surged by 17.4 percent to 42.2 trillion won ($33 billion) from a year earlier, surpassing the previous record posted in the fourth quarter last year. Operating profits exceeded the 4 trillion won mark for the first time to reach 4.2 trillion won, a 42.2 percent jump on-year. Of the 1.06 million

July 26, 2023

[Photo News] Hyundai Avante N debuts

Hyundai Motor Group’s all-new Avante N, a high-performance version of the carmaker’s popular compact sedan, made its official debut on Wednesday. The car comes with a gasoline-powered 2.0 turbo flat engine and two six-speed and eight-speed transmission options. Its price starts at 29.4 million won ($23,000).

July 26, 2023

Korean Air to appeal against Russian court's penalty decision

Korean Air Co. said Tuesday it will file an appeal against a Russian court's penalty decision over the "omission" of the South Korean carrier's departure process at a Moscow airport in early 2021. The Russian arbitration court has recently ordered Korean Air to pay 59 billion won ($46 million) in fine to Russia's customs authorities for the omission, a Korean Air spokesperson said over the phone. The court's penalty is half of the fine requested by the Russian custo

July 25, 2023

Kia unveils design of upgraded Sorento SUV ahead of launch next month

Kia Corp., South Korea's second-biggest carmaker by sales, on Tuesday unveiled the design of the upgraded Sorento SUV ahead of its domestic launch next month. Kia plans to place the facelifted Sorento SUV with a gasoline, a diesel or an all-wheel-drive gasoline hybrid engine in the Korean market in mid-August, the company said in a statement. The two-wheel-drive gasoline hybrid version and the upgraded SUV's prices will be released later, the statement said. The facelifted Sorento come

July 25, 2023

[Exclusive] Hyundai to ramp up EV production in Indonesia

Hyundai Motor Group is poised to produce electric vehicles, including the flagship Ioniq 5, in Indonesia equipped with battery packs made at its manufacturing plant there from August 2024, ramping up production to allow hefty EV tax incentives. “Hyundai Energy Indonesia will be producing battery packs from July 2024 using cells made by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution’s joint battery manufacturing plant. A month later, the packs will be put into EVs produced in Indonesia,&r

July 25, 2023

Hyundai Motor opens battery research center with SNU

A joint battery research center between Hyundai Motor Group and Seoul National University officially opened Tuesday, signifying the South Korean automaker’s willingness to secure future-leading technologies in the global electric vehicle industry. “Our mission to develop a diverse range of mobility solutions equipped with advanced batteries is driven by our strong commitment to a sustainable environment for future generations,” said Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Eui

July 25, 2023

Samsung SDI, Stellantis to build second joint EV battery plant in US

Samsung SDI said Monday it is poised to build a second electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant with Stellantis in the US, ramping up its investment in the all-important EV market. The two signed a memorandum of understanding to set up the plant under StarPlus Energy, a joint venture of Samsung SDI and Stellantis, with an initial annual production capacity of 34 gigawatt hours. It is slated to start production in 2027. The location of the plant has yet to be decided. The Korean battery maker

July 24, 2023