[Test Drive] Smooth and stable: Niro EV shines in the rain

Driving a small electric vehicle in the pouring rain isn’t always pleasant. But the second generation Kia Niro EV has proven that even a small EV can be stable and smooth under slippery conditions. Running on front-wheel drive, the battery-powered compact vehicle seemed to have an edge for driving in extreme weather conditions over rear-wheel drive vehicles. It comes with a 150-kilowatt or 204 horsepower single electric motor, enough for an average electric battery SUV. During a 92-kilom

June 19, 2022

E-scooter rental service Lime Korea suspends operations amid changing laws

Lime, the world’s leading operator of rented electric scooters and bikes, said in a statement on Wednesday that it will be withdrawing its operations from South Korea on June 30. Constant traffic law revisions and differing local government policies were named by the company as the primary reasons behind this “tentative suspension” of operations. Lime saw a sharp drop in its customers in 2021, when a law that made wearing helmets mandatory for people riding electric scooters

June 16, 2022

[KH Explains] EV scare building up in Korea over a series of battery fires

Early this month, an electric vehicle caught fire in Busan, sparking safety concerns among drivers of battery-powered cars. It was an Ioniq 5, Hyundai Motor’s all-electric model, that went up in flames just three seconds after crashing into a highway toll gate. The driver and one passenger in the car died in the accident, but investigations are ongoing to figure out whether they died from the crash or whether they were not able to escape from the fire that broke out so quickly. While th

June 16, 2022

Large aircraft return to cover rising overseas travel demand

Large-sized aircraft that can fit around 400 passengers are set to return soon, as airliners are facing rapid growth in overseas travel demand. The country’s largest air carrier Korean Air will bring jumbo jets – the B747-8i and A380-800 -- back for routes connecting Incheon to Los Angeles and New York starting from July, according to Korean Air. The decision to resume flights of large-sized aircraft comes as Korean Air tries to meet the growing demand for international travel. Th

June 14, 2022

[Photo News] Meet Torres

A promotional image unveils the entire exterior of SsangYong Motor's new mid-sized SUV Torres. Under the brand slogan, “Adventurous,” the SUV maker mixed retro and future-oriented design elements while securing a large cargo space of up to 703 liters, capable of storing four caddie bags and more.  Other technological features like Lane Keeping Assist and Forward Collision Warning have been added as standard options. The price ranges between 26.9 million won and 30.4 million wo

June 13, 2022

Renault Korea Motors vows to stay committed to Korea

With big is beautiful still the mantra for many Korean drivers, small-car specialist Renault Korea Motors faces a challenge in the local market. So as the carmaker commits to the Korean market, new CEO Stephane Deblaise’s priority is designing a new car that suits Korean tastes and taking it to foreign markets with similar preferences. “Korean customers prefer big cars over small cars, and there are no such cars in our lineup. So we are thinking about making a big car here in Kore

June 12, 2022

[Photo News] Minister in self-driving car

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong gives a thumbs-up during a test operation of Hyundai Motor’s level 4 autonomous car-hailing service RoboRide, delivered by Ioniq 5 in Gangnam, Seoul, Thursday. The carmaker said it will run the service via car-hailing service application i.M. between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to minimize inconvenience of commuters. Up to three passengers can use the service, including one person able to drive the vehicle in case of an emergency. Level

June 9, 2022

Korean EVs, batteries’ global market share dips

The global market share of Korean-made battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and lithium-ion batteries shrank last year with greater competition from Chinese and German makers, according to a report released on Wednesday by a major business lobby group. Based on statistics from the International Trade Center, the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) analyzed the changing landscape of the global BEV and lithium-ion battery industry which is growing at over 20 percent on annual average. BEVs refer t

June 8, 2022

Jeju Air to offer cheaper tickets, modernize aircrafts: CEO

Jeju Air, South Korea's biggest budget carrier, will provide cheap tickets, modernize aircraft and expand its business spectrum to secure its future growth in the post-pandemic era, its chief executive said Tuesday. As both domestic and international travel demands are slowly picking up, Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae said the company has come to a point where it should make a decision on how to maintain its leading role in the low-cost carrier market. "As an LCC, our key competitiveness lies in

June 7, 2022

New GM Korea CEO faces labor disputes, falling sales

GM Korea’s new chief executive Roberto Rempel has made his first on-site inspection to the carmaker‘s No. 1 Bupyeong plant early this month, officials said Monday, making a leadership change official within the US company’s operation in South Korea. The new CEO, however, faces a series of challenges ahead. The carmaker has been making a last-ditch effort to restore its market share amid rumors circulating that it is already in the process of leaving the country. The urgent tas

June 6, 2022

Korean Air kicks off engine development for small satellite launch vehicle

The country’s largest air carrier Korean Air will develop common bulkhead propellant tanks for small satellite launch vehicles by 2027 as part of the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Space Pioneer project, the company said Friday.  Under a ministry-led program, some 211.5 billion won ($170 million) will be spent until 2030 on developing the country’s bulkhead propellant tanks for small satellite launch vehicles, a device for umbilical release and mobile launch pad, as well

June 3, 2022

Aviation service restrictions to be lifted, more outbound routes approved

South Korea’s Transport Ministry said Friday that it would lift restrictions on the operation of international flights and also expand the number of outbound routes, getting ready to go back to pre-pandemic status. Authorities said measures for aviation industry’s normalization will be applied from Wednesday. The ministry has approved some 762 international flights per week for June, 230 more flights added compared to in May, but said it was also willing to give more approvals if

June 3, 2022

Three-way race set for Korea's flying car commercialization

The race for leadership of South Korea’s flying car market intensified Tuesday, with SK Telecom, Hyundai Motor Group and Kakao Mobility announcing their bid by forging consortiums with local companies.  SKT, Hyundai Motor Group and Kakao Mobility submitted their business proposals to join the K-UAM Grand Challenge, a government-led program to select an urban air mobility business operator. They are vying for the lucrative sector that is expected to surpass 1,800 trillion w

May 31, 2022

Playing games at back seats: carmakers focus on in-car entertainment

Carmakers’ efforts to turn vehicles into moveable spaces for media platforms will lead to more collaborations between carmakers, content providers and IT companies, as well as the growth of related markets, according to the industry on Monday.  Carmakers have been seeking ways to upgrade the in-car entertainment experience, by developing software for playing games and watching videos. Carmakers are also introducing wide multi-screens that can also satisfy passengers in the back seat

May 30, 2022

Hyundai Motor to lower speed limit of G90 self-driving features

Hyundai Motor Group’s luxury Genesis G90, which is set to hit the market in the fourth quarter this year, will feature level 3 autonomous driving with a maximum speed limit of 60 kilometers per hour.  According to industry sources Sunday, the Korean auto giant has recently decided to lower the speed limit of the new system in line with international standards set by the UN Economic Commission for Europe, even though there is no such regulation here.  In South Korea, level 3 se

May 29, 2022

Hyundai Motor’s N brand cars set for Nurburgring race

Three cars under Hyundai Motor’s high-performance N brand will participate in the 50th 2022 ADAC 24h Nurburgring race from May 28 to 29, the company said on Friday. This year, Hyundai Motor is entering Elantra N TCR, i30 N TCR and i30 Fastback N cup race cars into the VT2 class to further demonstrate the performance and durability of its N brand models. The 24-hour Nurburgring race is a racing event in which more than 100 cars take to the starting grid and drive through a 25-kilometer ci

May 27, 2022

Air Busan opens new flight route from Incheon to Osaka

Air Busan opened up a new international flight route from Incheon to Osaka on Friday. The budget carrier offers a weekly flight every Friday from Incheon to Osaka at 9 a.m. and one return flight departing from Osaka at 12:30 p.m. Air Busan will be using the 220-seater A321LR aircraft for the one hour and 50-minute-long flight. Starting from June 26, Air Busan will increase the number of flights to twice a week. “As the immigration procedure in Japan has eased up and as the two countrie

May 27, 2022

Hyundai Motor Group presents future role as mobility solution provider at Davos forum

Hyundai Motor Group on Thursday unveiled its vision for a human-focused future mobility ecosystem and related platforms at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The Korean carmaker said its president and Chief Innovation Officer Chi Young-cho presented the necessity of global collaboration for the future of the automotive industry as well as the need to establish a human-focused mobility ecosystem.  According to Chi, companies in the vehicle manufacturing, auto parts making and

May 26, 2022

Korean Air-Asiana merger faces two biggest hurdles: EU and China

Korean Air is facing hurdles in acquiring the cash-strapped air carrier Asiana Airlines as it awaits clearance from at least four regions the EU, the US, Japan, and China. The EU’s regulatory body, considered one of the biggest obstacles in the airline’s bid as it has been getting tougher over business mergers, recently asked Korean low-cost carriers Tway Air and Air Premia for their opinion on the merger between South Korea’s two biggest air carriers, according to the aviatio

May 26, 2022

5 local airports to resume operating 22 international routes in June

Starting next month, South Korea and Japan will resume flight services between Seoul’s Gimpo and Tokyo’s Haneda airports. Korea Airports Corp. said during its regular briefing Tuesday that it is currently discussing the exact date and immigration procedures with the Japanese government before reopening flights between Gimpo and Haneda. Once resumed, there will be 16 flights provided every week by Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways. The air route ha

May 25, 2022