LG Energy Solution rolls out 1st battery cell at Tennessee plant

LG Energy Solution said Tuesday that it has delivered the first battery cells produced at Ultium Cells’ manufacturing plant in Tennessee to its client. The battery products made at the Tennessee site will be loaded onto General Motors’ third-generation electric vehicles, including the Cadillac Lyriq. The Tennessee plant is the second battery production site of Ultium Cells, a joint venture between LG Energy Solution and General Motors. According to LG Energy Solution, the first batte

April 2, 2024

[Herald Interview] Seoul anchors Rolls-Royce's Asian luxe

Seoul is soon to be the third city hosting a Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Private Office, an exclusive design studio where clients can work closely with bespoke managers and designers to create their own custom Rolls-Royce. “The Seoul Office covers clientele from the whole Asia-Pacific, not just Korea, like the Dubai Office is for the Middle East and the Shanghai Office for China. Believe me, our team looked at 60 places across Asia for a whole year to find the perfect spot. And we’ve dete

April 2, 2024

Hyundai Motor grabs triple win in World Car Awards

Hyundai Motor Group has once again triumphed at the 2024 World Car Awards, with its vehicles being named World Car of the Year, World Electric Vehicle, and World Performance Car of the Year. The World Car Awards is an annual event organized by automotive journalists globally to honor excellence in the car industry across multiple categories. This accolade marks the third consecutive victory for Hyundai Motor Group in the World Car of the Year and World Electric Vehicle of the Year categories, be

April 2, 2024

[Photo News] New Panamera in Korea

Porsche on Tuesday launched the new Panamera in the Korean market. The third-generation sporty sedan boasts the new plug-in hybrid model equipped with the newly developed electric motor and revised four-liter V8 turbo engine. The upgraded hybrid powertrain can create a system output of up to 650 horsepower. With the advanced battery, the new plug-in hybrid vehicle can drive up to 91 kilometers on a single charge. The prices of the new Panamera 4 and Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid begin at 176.7 million

April 2, 2024

Hyundai Motor's March sales down 3.7 pct on weaker demand in S. Korea

Hyundai Motor, South Korea's leading automaker, said Monday its monthly sales fell 3.7 percent in March from a year earlier due to sluggish demand in its home market. Hyundai Motor sold 369,132 vehicles last month, down from 383,396 units a year ago, the company said in a statement. Domestic sales sank 16.1 percent on-year to 62,504 units last month, and exports edged down 0.7 percent to 306,628 units during the cited period. Hyundai Motor said it sold 15,302 sedans, including 6,100 Grandeu

April 1, 2024

First Jeep EV to make Korean debut in H2

Stellantis will launch the Avenger, the Jeep brand’s first all-electric sports utility vehicle, in Korea in the second half of this year as the global automaker looks to focus on regaining customer trust and bolstering its brand image here, the company’s recently appointed head said Monday. “Challenges and opportunities still co-exist in (the Korean market),” said Bang Sil, managing director of Stellantis Korea, in her first press conference since starting in her role as

April 1, 2024

[Test Drive] All-new Defender trumpets return of off-road champ

INJE, Gangwon Province -- “(Other carmakers) are worried when (they) see snow and rain, but we love it, and I think we’re going to have a great day,” said Robin Colgan, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover Korea, as he greeted reporters taking part in the automaker’s test drive for the 2024 all-new Defender in Inje, Gangwon Province, on Tuesday. As the 48-kilometer test drive for the JLR’s flagship sports utility vehicle included on- and off-road routes that had m

March 31, 2024

[Photo News] Robotaxi passes DMV road test

Hyundai Motor Group on Saturday posted a video of an autonomous robotaxi model of the Ioniq 5, the Korean automaker's all-electric compact sports utility vehicle, passing the driver's license test, on its global YouTube channel. The four-minute video shows how the self-driving vehicle gets through the road test without a driver but with a certified DMV examiner overseeing the process from the passenger seat, in the state of Nevada. (Hyundai Motor Group)

March 31, 2024

[From the Scene] Extreme climates to battery cells: Inside Hyundai's safety efforts

Hyundai Motor Group, having climbed to the rank of the second-largest electric vehicle seller in the United States last year just behind the trailblazer Tesla, recently took reporters behind the scenes to reveal the backbone of their success: a commitment to safety amid the industry's sprint toward longer battery ranges and fast charging. On Wednesday, the press was invited to the automaker's Namyang Technology Research Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, to witness firsthand the safety testi

March 31, 2024

Govt. mulls further cutting EV subsidies

The government is considering further cutting electric vehicle subsidies next year to instead use the funds to supplement insufficient charging infrastructure, according to sources Sunday. According to the sources, government ministries overseeing EV subsidy policy, including the finance and environment ministries, are discussing ways to reduce EV subsidies for next year based on state budget guidelines for 2025. During the discussions, the finance ministry has stressed the need to strengthen th

March 31, 2024

Audi Korea names new head, seeks business turnaround

Volkswagen Group Korea on Thursday appointed Steve Cloete to become the next head of Audi Korea as the German automaker looks for a breakthrough to turn around ailing sales in the local market. According to the announcement, Cloete will begin this new post at Audi Korea starting May 1. The new chief has over 27 years of experience in the automotive industry having worked at Hyundai Motor Group in South Africa and BMW Group in Bahrain. After joining Audi in 2014, Cloete worked in after-sales and

March 28, 2024

Kia EV9 wins world car of year

The Kia EV9, an all-electric large sports utility vehicle, won the World Car of the Year on Wednesday at the New York International Auto Show, marking the third year in a row for South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor Group to take the prestigious award. The EV9 beat out the EX30, Volvo’s electric subcompact crossover SUV, and the BYD Seal, a midsize sedan of the Chinese EV behemoth, to claim the highest honor. Kia’s electric SUV came out on top of the competition between 38 vehicles

March 28, 2024

[Photo News] Kia K4 unveiled

The Kia K4 -- the South Korean carmaker's latest midsized sedan -- was unveiled for the first time anywhere at the New York International Auto Show on Wednesday. Kia said the new vehicle has been equipped with artificial intelligence assistance based on generative AI technologies that allows the car to communicate smoothly with the driver. According to the automaker, the Kia K4 will launch in the North American market in the second half of this year. (Hyundai Motor Group)

March 28, 2024

Hyundai Motor eyes 80,000 jobs, W68tr investment at home by 2026

Hyundai Motor Group announced Wednesday a grand plan to invest 68 trillion won ($50.7 billion) in Korea and create 80,000 jobs by the end of 2026 to secure future growth engines as a global first mover in the mobility sector. According to the auto conglomerate, 31.1 trillion won, about 46 percent of the investment, will be assigned to research and development to secure core technologies in improving product competitiveness, electric vehicle transition, advancing software-defined vehicles and int

March 27, 2024

Genesis to expand beyond luxury

Genesis, a premium brand under South Korean auto conglomerate Hyundai Motor Group, unveiled two new concept vehicles -- the brand’s first full-size electric sports utility vehicle Neolun and the high-performance GV60 Magma -- at Genesis House New York on Monday, highlighting the future vision of the luxury automaker. “The Neolun Concept was inspired by Korea’s iconic moon-shaped porcelain jars,” said Luc Donckerwolke, chief creative officer at Genesis. “It’s

March 26, 2024

Kia hires ex-Mercedes, BMW designers

Kia Corp. on Tuesday announced it has appointed two former designers from Mercedes-Benz and BMW to head its design centers in Europe and China, respectively. Oliver Samson, previously with Mercedes-Benz, and Lim Seung-mo, formerly of BMW, will take on their new roles as head of the Kia Design Center Europe and head of the Kia Design Center China, respectively, on April 1. Samson and Lim will report to Karim Habib, executive vice president and head of Kia Global Design. The appointments are expec

March 26, 2024

BMW looks to continue winning streak with new hybrid 5 Series

After topping the sales charts in South Korea’s import car market last year, BMW Korea is looking to sustain its momentum with its new 530e, a plug-in hybrid model that is part of its 2024 eighth-generation 5 Series lineup. Introduced earlier this month, the 530e complements the 2024 lineup of gasoline, diesel, and electric models with its advanced plug-in hybrid technology. The 530e features a combination of a gasoline engine enhanced with BMW's TwinPower Turbo technology that uses a spec

March 26, 2024

Hyundai Motor ranks 2nd in US EV sales

Hyundai Motor Group ranked second behind Tesla in terms of electric vehicle sales in the United States in January, a report showed Monday. Citing statistics from S&P Global Mobility, Automotive News said the Korean auto conglomerate’s three brands -- Hyundai Motor, Kia and Genesis -- combined for 8,262 newly registered EVs in the US in January 2024 to account for 9.3 percent of the total market. According to the report, Tesla registered 48,757 EVs to retain the top spot, while traditio

March 25, 2024

Hyundai Motor, Saudi Arabia join efforts for future mobility ecosystem

Hyundai Motor Group said Monday that it has joined hands with Red Sea Global to implement eco-friendly future mobility to Saudi Arabia’s development project to open luxurious and pro-nature tourism resorts along the west coast of the Middle Eastern country. According to the announcement, the representatives of the Korean automaker and the Saudi Arabian megaproject signed a memorandum of understanding in Riyadh on Sunday. Red Sea Global, which is entirely owned by the Public Investment Fund

March 25, 2024

[Photo News] New electric Mini in Seoul

Mini Korea will hold an exhibition to shed light on the past, present and future of the brand in Seoul from Friday to April 21, the premium small car brand under BMW Group said Monday. Showcasing the new all-electric Mini Cooper and new all-electric Mini Countryman, the "Mini Heritage and Beyond" exhibition will be held at the K Museum of Contemporary Art in Gangnam-gu. The new Mini EVs are to hit the local market later this year. (BMW Group Korea)

March 25, 2024