[Reporter’s Notebook] Busan ‘International’ Mobility Show and BMW

The 2024 Busan International Mobility Show began at Bexco in Korea’s second-largest southeastern port city on Thursday, just like any other global auto exhibition. The press day allowed numerous journalists to take a firsthand look at what the event had in store. However, despite the global intentions behind the title of the event, the exhibition venue had only one auto importer present: BMW Group Korea. BMW Group Korea President Han Sang-yun noted in his presentation that the German autom

June 30, 2024

[Herald Interview] ‘Renault Grand Koleos is like Chanel’

BUSAN -- The Korean-tailored features, positioning and unique name of the Grand Koleos, the sports utility vehicle Renault Korea debuted at the 2024 Busan International Mobility Show last week, will lure Korean customers, according to the CEO of the French automaker’s local office. “This car is completely answering to a different proposal that we can give as a French brand,” said Renault Korea CEO Stephane Deblaise in an interview with the Korea Automobile Journalists Associa

June 30, 2024

Hyundai Motor donates recovery vehicle for Jeju firefighters

Hyundai Motor Group announced Thursday that it donated a hydrogen-powered bus to support the recovery of firefighters in Jeju Island. The donation ceremony took place at the CFI Energy Future Center, located within the hydrogen production demonstration complex in eastern Jeju. Among the attendees were Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun and officials from relevant ministries. “We have consistently upheld our responsibilities as a mobility company to prioritize firefighter safe

June 27, 2024

[BIMOS 2024] BMW M4, iX2 make Korean debut

BUSAN -- BMW Group Korea exhibited the new high-performance model M4 and the brand’s first all-electric sports activity coupe, the iX2, for the first time in Korea at the 2024 Busan International Mobility Show on Thursday. As the only import auto brand taking part in the local auto exhibition, BMW Korea rolled out 18 models including the new Mini Countryman JCW, the new all-electric Mini Cooper and the new BMW M 1000 XR at the event, which will welcome visitors at Bexco from Friday to July

June 27, 2024

[BIMOS 2024] Kia showcases EV mass appeal

BUSAN -- Kia on Thursday outlined its vision for realizing an all-electric vehicle ecosystem with the lineup of various EVs and purpose-built vehicles, or PBVs, at the 2024 Busan International Mobility Show. The second largest automaker by sales under Hyundai Motor Group displayed its EV portfolio spearheaded by the latest subcompact crossover electric sports utility vehicle the EV3 at the biannual auto exhibition that will be open for the public from Friday to July 7 at Bexco in Busan. The auto

June 27, 2024

[BIMOS 2024] Hyundai Motor premieres Casper Electric

BUSAN -- Hyundai Motor debuted the Casper Electric, the Korean automaker’s newest small all-electric sports utility vehicle, at the 2024 Busan International Mobility Show held at Bexco on Thursday. Hyundai Motor underscored that the Casper Electric is expected to lay out new standards to lead the popularization of EVs, with its unique marketability and affordable price. Equipped with a 49-kilowatt-hour nickel, cobalt and manganese -- or NCM -- battery, the EV boasts 315 kilometers of drivi

June 27, 2024

[BIMOS 2024] Renault Korea eyes breakthrough with new SUV

BUSAN -- Renault Korea premiered the Grand Koleos, the first new car from the French automaker in four years, at the 2024 Busan International Mobility Show on Thursday as the brand vowed to turn around its ailing sales in the local market. “This car perfectly embodies our core values of design: human-centric focus and modernity,” said Renault Korea CEO Stephane Deblaise in a press conference at Bexco. “We are excited to launch the new Grand Koleos as a world premiere, highlight

June 27, 2024

[Photo News] EV partnership

Posco Future M and General Motors' Korean office celebrated the launch of the Cadillac Lyriq, an all-electric midsize luxury sport utility vehicle, in front of the Posco Group headquarters in Seoul on Wednesday. Top officials from the Korean battery materials producer and American automaker, including Yoo Byeong-og (second from right), CEO of Posco Future, and Hector Villarreal (second from left), chief of GM Korea, celebrated the companies' collaboration in crafting the luxury EV with

June 26, 2024

Porsche previews Macan Electric in Korea, arriving later this year

Porsche Korea previewed the brand's first all-electric sport utility vehicle, the Macan Electric, in Korea during a media event at Porsche Studio Songpa in southeastern Seoul on Monday. “We are thrilled to announce that the all-electric Macan will be arriving in Korea later this year. It encapsulates the classic Porsche sports car experience in an electric SUV format with extensive range and practicality for the everyday driver,” said Holger Gerrmann, CEO of Porsche Korea at the

June 26, 2024

LS Cable to power NextStar battery plant in Canada

LS Cable & System, one of the world’s leading cable manufacturers, said Monday that it will provide high-capacity power distribution bus ducts for NextStar Energy’s new battery plant in the Canadian province of Ontario. NextStar Energy, a partnership between LG Energy Solution and Stellantis, is building a large electric vehicle battery factory in Windsor, Ontario. Bus ducts are metal-enclosed systems that house conductive plates to efficiently distribute high-capacity electric

June 24, 2024

[Photo News] Record time

Hyundai Motor Group said Monday it has set new records at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race in Colorado, clinching the fastest times in both modified and unmodified categories for mass-produced electric vehicles. The modified Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Time Attack Spec accomplished the course in 9 minutes and 30.852 seconds, surpassing the previous record for a mass-produced EV. The standard Ioniq 5 N completed the race in 10 minutes and 49.267 seconds, also setting a new benchmark. (Hyundai M

June 24, 2024

Hyundai Motor to seek breakthrough in Japan with Casper Electric

Hyundai Motor is hoping its newest all-electric small vehicle, the Casper Electric, will allow it to break through in the Japanese market, a near wasteland for the Korean automaker. According to Hyundai Motor, the Casper Electric will be unveiled for the first time during press day at the Busan International Mobility Show on Thursday. This year’s auto event will last through July 7. The Casper Electric is expected to hit the Japanese market next year after going on sale in Korea in the sec

June 23, 2024

Hyundai to start Georgia EV plant, unlocking IRA benefits

Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, Hyundai Motor Group’s new electric vehicle plant in Georgia, will begin production later this year, allowing the automaker to leverage the Inflation Reduction Act benefits to better compete in the US EV market. Hyundai announced Wednesday that the inaugural model to be produced at the Georgia plant will be the 2025 Ioniq 5. This launch, set for the fourth quarter, marks Hyundai’s first official statement on the operational timeline and specifi

June 20, 2024

EU 'ready to react appropriately' against possible safety issues involving T'way's European routes: EASA

The European Union's aviation safety authority will be "ready to react appropriately" against possible flight maintenance issues of the European operation of South Korean low-cost carrier T'way Air, which has recently been plagued by frequent delays due to aircraft maintenance issues, an agency spokesperson said Thursday. T'way Air experienced four flight delay incidents last week alone, affecting hundreds of international passengers connecting South Korea with overseas

June 20, 2024

S. Korea conducts probe into imported Toyota, Yamaha models over fraudulent Japanese testing

The South Korean government said Thursday it has carried out a probe into some imported vehicles made by Japanese automakers Toyota Motor Corp. and Yamaha Motor Co. in connection with their improper certification tests in their home country. Seoul's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it has looked into whether 38 models from Japanese automakers currently under investigation for fraudulent certification tests in Tokyo were being sold in South Korea. The ministry said none of

June 20, 2024

Hyundai Mobis adopts sonic AI to assess quality

Hyundai Mobis, a South Korean auto parts developer under Hyundai Motor Group, said Wednesday that it has developed a sound-based artificial intelligence system that can determine the accuracy of product quality from sounds generated during inspection. It has applied the AI technology at its manufacturing site. According to Hyundai Mobis, a new technology called Acoustic AI has been installed at its Changwon plant in South Gyeongsang Province, which rolls out motor-driven power steering products.

June 19, 2024

North Korea claims its own EV brand with improbable 720km range

North Korea is making bold claims about importing and selling its own brand of electric vehicles with an improbable maximum range of 720 kilometers, drawing skepticism and curiosity from South Korean and international observers alike. Last Friday, a video titled "Madusan Economic Federation" was posted on the YouTube channel "Paektu TV From Paektu to Halla," which shares content purportedly from North Korean media. Paektu Mountain, also known as Baekdu Mountain, is an active

June 17, 2024

Hyundai Motor India files for record $3b IPO

Hyundai Motor India has officially submitted an initial public offering application to the Securities and Exchange Board of India to raise approximately $3 billion, potentially setting a record as the largest IPO in the country’s history. On Monday, Hyundai confirmed in a corporate disclosure that it has submitted a Draft Red Herring Prospectus to SEBI, initiating the IPO process for Hyundai Motor India Ltd., its local subsidiary. It marks a significant step in expanding both Hyundai&rsquo

June 17, 2024

[KH explains] Why Korean battery companies are key to Tesla's 2170 upgrade strategy

South Korean battery material companies are emerging as key players in Tesla's revamped supply chain as the carmaker upgrades its 2170 battery cells -- integral to its most popular models. Tesla's initiative to enhance battery performance centers on upgrading the anode and cathode materials, which are critical for improving energy density and charging speeds. The anode, which determines how much energy the battery can store, directly impacts the driving range of electric vehicles. Mean

June 16, 2024

[Test Drive] New Mini Countryman not so mini anymore

BMW Group’s premium compact car brand Mini has come back with a bigger, simpler and more digitalized model -- the new Mini Countryman -- as it aims to expand its turf. The Korea Herald participated in the Mini Countryman’s launch ceremony and media test drive event in Seoul on Thursday. The newest, third-generation Mini Countryman marked the product’s first fully changed model since its second-generation model was launched in 2017. The car's most distinguishable features a

June 16, 2024