[Newsmaker] S. Korea to increase number of highway EV chargers to over 1,000

South Korea will increase the number of electric vehicle chargers at highway service areas nationwide to over 1,000 by the end of 2022, the transport ministry said Sunday. Currently, there are 435 EV chargers at the country's highway rest stops. The government plans to increase the number to 730 by the end of this month and then add more than 300 chargers next year, it said in a press statement. The move is meant to help meet rising demand for EVs and the charging infrastructure, as the gover

Dec. 5, 2021

'Political blessing' needed to launch EARC

The biggest obstacles in implementing the East Asia Railway Community are stalled inter-Korean relations and geopolitical confrontation between China and the US, a former presidential adviser told a Transport Ministry forum Thursday. “The EARC is needed to overcome the continental-maritime divide along the Korean Peninsula, which is the old relic of the Cold War system, to open a new horizon of prosperity by tapping into the northern frontier to facilitate functional spillover effects on

Dec. 2, 2021

[Herald Interview] For Porsche, synthetic fuel is key for carbon neutrality

Porsche is not ready to let go of combustion engines. Engines are what make a Porsche a Porsche, an executive told The Korea Herald while visiting Seoul for a motor show. And in order to keep that forte while complying with the green agenda, the German carmaker is developing eFuel, a climate-neutral fuel produced with the help of electricity from water and CO2 from the air. “The market is full of combustion cars and they will continue to be made and driven in 2030,” said Thomas F

Dec. 1, 2021

Where did all the taxis go?

As the “living with COVID-19” strategy has opened up the economy, more people are now heading back to restaurants, bars and clubs. But while the streets are bustling and lively again, hailing a taxi at night has become a headache. Lim Bong-gyun, secretary-general of the Federation of Korean Taxi Workers, said many drivers employed by public hire taxi operators quit during the pandemic as they felt that continuing to work in the industry would mean working at a loss. “When th

Nov. 29, 2021

Seoul motor show presents future of sustainable mobility

South Korea’s biannual auto show kicked off Thursday with global carmakers showcasing sustainable, smart and sophisticated mobility to lure local drivers with future technologies designed to revitalize the pandemic-hit automotive industry. The Seoul Mobility Show offers its stage for one world premiere, five Asia premieres and 14 Korea premiers of six different local and foreign brands. About 100 car manufacturers and mobility companies from six different countries joined the show simulta

Nov. 25, 2021

Seoul Mobility Show to showcase 18 new cars

The Seoul Mobility Show, the only official motor show in South Korea, will kick off this Friday simultaneously at Kintex in Goyang and Paju in Gyeonggi Province as well as Seoul, showcasing 18 new cars. According to the organizer for the show, the exhibition will continue until Dec. 5 with over 100 automobile and mobility companies from six different countries taking part. The main exhibition at Kintex includes vehicles from Kia, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, BMW, Audi, Isuzu, Genesis, Porsch

Nov. 24, 2021

Sales of Volkswagen T-Roc show steady growth

Sales of Volkswagen’s small sport utility vehicle T-Roc have been steadily growing since its launch in South Korea in January, the company said Tuesday. The T-Roc version 2022 boasts enhanced features such as a two-color design with a black roof, a new audio system and a new engine. Offered at a reasonable price around 20 million won ($16,800), T-Roc sales stand strong in the domestic small SUV market. The 2022 version comes in six body colors with a black roof and black side mirrors c

Nov. 23, 2021

Renault Samsung says QM6 offers convenient winter drive

Renault Samsung Motors’ sport utility vehicle QM6 is becoming a popular choice for winter travel, as it offers a silent and convenient driving experience to drivers and leaves less of a carbon footprint, the company said Monday. The SUV, powered by gasoline or liquefied petroleum gas, has been the bestselling vehicle in its category. The gasoline-powered QM6 model first introduced in 2017 recorded top sales among midsized gasoline SUVs after just a year. Gas-powered SUVs were previously

Nov. 22, 2021

Hyundai Motor chief to offer 40,000 youth jobs during PM’s visit

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun is likely to address the company’s plan to create some 40,000 jobs for young people during his meeting with Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum scheduled for Monday. The prime minister plans to visit Hyundai Motor Studio in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, as part of the government’s youth support campaign. The meeting is also to be attended by Employment and Labor Minister An Kyung-duk, Minister for Government Policy Coordination Koo Yun-cheol and Hyu

Nov. 21, 2021

Korea Airports Corporation close to signing a deal to operate airport in Ecuador

Korea Airports Corporation said Friday that it is close to signing a business deal with the Ecuadorian government to operate Manta Airport. A negotiation team is currently visiting Ecuador for talks to finalize the deal, the corporation said. The deal, which is estimated to be worth 40 billion won ($33.76 million), will see the corporation acquire a 100 percent stake and operate the airport until 2051. A local corporation will be set up to manage and operate the airport’s facilities, in

Nov. 19, 2021

Singapore Airlines celebrates first flight for vaccinated travel lane with Korea

Singapore Airlines celebrated the kickoff of the vaccinated travel lane between South Korea and Singapore with Flight 601 during a commemorative ceremony earlier this week. The event was held Tuesday in front of Gate 23 of Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 1. The ceremony was attended by Eric Teo, Singaporean ambassador to Korea; Jeon Hyoung-wook, vice president of the operations division at Incheon International Airport Corporation; Xavier Ho, general manager at Singapore Airline

Nov. 19, 2021

Hyundai forms alliance with 6 EV charging stations

Hyundai Motor Group is joining hands with six electric vehicle charging stations here to form an alliance supporting the growth of the EV charging industry, the automotive giant said Thursday. Hyundai said it signed partnerships with six Korean EV charging service providers to establish E-pit Alliance and agreed to work together in developing technologies related to E-pit, the automotive group’s ultra-fast charging station. The six EV service providers are Starkoff, Straffic, Jeju Elect

Nov. 18, 2021

Hyundai, Kia unveil electric concept SUVs at LA auto show

Hyundai Motor Co. and affiliate Kia Corp. said Thursday they have unveiled their electric concept SUVs at the Los Angeles Auto Show as they strengthen their all-electric portfolios in line with rival carmakers' electrification push. Hyundai and Kia debuted the large-sized "Seven" and flagship "EV9" concept models built on Hyundai Motor Group's dedicated EV platform, called E-GMP, at the US motor show during a two-day media preview on Nov. 17 and 18. The carmakers are planni

Nov. 18, 2021

Hyundai’s auto designer Peter Schreyer features in new book

Peter Schreyer, the renowned car designer now leading Hyundai Motor Group’s design management, is featured in a new book “Roots and Wings,” a Korean edition of which is to hit local shelves soon. Originally published in English last month, the book explores Schreyer’s life and legacy as one of the most influential automotive designers, the Korean business group behind Hyundai Motor and Kia said Wednesday, announcing the Nov. 25 release of the Korean edition. Schreyer,

Nov. 17, 2021

[Behind the Wheel] Audi e-tron GT all set to turn up heat in e-sports car competition

As the wave of electrification reaches sports cars, the race is heating up among global brands to push the performance boundaries of the relatively new powertrain. In Korea, the competition is to intensify with Audi set to challenge the Porsche Taycan with its e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT. Before the official launch of the two cars, The Korea Herald had the chance to take them for a short test drive on a course involving substantial speed and a slalom test at Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, Gyeo

Nov. 17, 2021

'Drone taxi’ race heats up as Korean Air, Lotte announce new urban air mobility projects

The race to commercialize urban air mobility services is heating up as national flag carrier Korean Air and retail giant Lotte on Tuesday announced new projects to help introduce drone airport shuttles. Korean Air said it has signed an agreement with Hyundai Motor, Incheon International Airport Corp., KT and Hyundai E&C to help build UAM infrastructure and improve social acceptance toward the new means of public transport. The airline will share its experience of operating passenger and ca

Nov. 17, 2021

Airlines expand international routes amid ‘living with COVID-19’

Airlines are slowly expanding international flights from Korea as the country takes gradual steps to open up and live with the pandemic. Low-cost carrier Jin Air said on Tuesday it will expand the number of flights for the Incheon-Guam route from two to four every week starting Nov. 28. As a gradual return to normal life begins, the airline said it plans to fly once every day by the end of this year. For golf tourists, Jin Air also said it will launch a non-scheduled flight to the city of Kot

Nov. 16, 2021

EV sales almost double this year in Korea

Over 71,000 units of electric vehicles have been sold in South Korea so far this year, nearly doubling the previous year’s record, a market data showed. According to Korea Automotive Technology Institute, the accumulated domestic sales of EVs up to the end of September came in at 71,006 units, compared to the 36,268 units sold during the corresponding period last year. The domestic sales volume places South Korea as No. 7 globally, Katech said. The world’s No. 1 market, up to

Nov. 15, 2021

Computer failure causes massive disruption of budget carrier service

A computer system failure caused massive delays and cancellations of flights of Jin Air Co., a budget carrier, on Friday. The airline's passenger service system was down for 10 hours from 6:30 a.m., leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports across the country. "The computer system failure occurred due to a problem in the server in Germany," Jin Air said. The system was restored at 4:40 p.m., it added. "We apologize for causing huge inconvenience to our customers.

Nov. 12, 2021

GM Korea to launch 10 new EVs by 2025

General Motors Korea will be launching 10 new electric vehicles for the South Korean market by 2025, General Motors International President Steven Kiefer said Friday. The vehicles will range from entry-level to high-performance models, he said. Kiefer, who is also a senior vice president at GM, said competitiveness and profitability are key to sustaining business in Korea and stressed the importance of the Korean market for the global automotive company, during the GM Future Growth Virtual Pre

Nov. 12, 2021