Audi Korea began test running its partially self-driving car at the country’s test bed for automated vehicles in Gyeonggi Province, the company said Wednesday, becoming the first import carmaker to test out its self-driving technology here.Since receiving authorization to test out its driverless Audi A8 flagship car this March from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, experts from German headquarters flew in last month and held a pre-test run at K-City, Korea’s test bed for self-d

Mobility Sept. 5, 2018

South Korea’s first-ever driverless vehicle to be developed by a municipality -- dubbed Zero Shuttle -- began a test drive Tuesday at the second Pangyo Techno Valley in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.Two of the level-four autonomous 11-seaters will run between the entrance of the second Pangyo Techno Valley and the Pangyo subway station, a distance of about 5.5 kilometers. The vans will travel at 25 kilometers per hour. There are five levels of autonomy among self-driving vehicles, with a level-fiv

Mobility Sept. 4, 2018

Iveco, an Italy-based industrial vehicle manufacturer, unveiled the New Daily Euro 6 in South Korea with the aim of boosting its sales in the mid-to large-sized commercial vehicle segment, the company said Tuesday. “Based on Iveco’s revolutionary technology, fuel efficiency has been maximized, while fuel consumption and emissions have been lowered, ultimately minimizing environmental effects and providing outstanding performance,” said Choi Jeong-sik, country manager of CNH Industrial Korea, whi

Mobility Sept. 4, 2018

South Korea’s No. 1 steelmaker Posco will invest 45 trillion won ($40.5 billion) over the next five years from 2019 in its steel, secondary battery materials and clean energy businesses, creating some 20,000 jobs in the process, the company said Monday.The plan was the first major investment announcement by the company’s ninth Chairman Choi Jeong-woo, who took office in July. “To lead the global steel industry and to become a pioneer in the manufacturing industry in the fourth industrial revolut

Industry Sept. 3, 2018

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- As Fiat Chrysler Korea eyes to make the most of South Korea’s growing sport utility vehicle market and boom in leisure activities, the sixth-generation JL Wrangler was launched here last month amid high expectations from the carmaker and local off-road adventurers.The fully changed Wrangler is back in the market 11 years after the mega-hit fifth-generation Wrangler was launched in 2007. It boasts upgraded off-road driving performance, convenient driving functions

Mobility Sept. 2, 2018

South Korea’s largest steelmaker Posco will build and repair 125 housing units and public facilities for the next three years in Indonesia as part of its steel village project, the company said Thursday.A total of 150 volunteers consisting of Posco staff and executives, along with members of Posco Beyond, a volunteer group of university students, will take part in the project. Posco’s global volunteer group and residents of the Tegal Ratu village in Cilegon city, Indonesia, pose for a photo. (Po

Industry Aug. 30, 2018

A team of 30 investigators from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency searched the BMW Korea office in central Seoul to seize documents related to exhaust gas recirculation, the defective part BMW cited as the reason behind its vehicles catching fire, according to police Thursday.This is the first time police have searched BMW Korea’s office. It has been investigating whether BMW intentionally hid the defect, upon criminal investigation sought by 41 BMW owners earlier this month against BMW offic

Mobility Aug. 30, 2018

진행자: 김보경, Kevin Lee Selzer1.   BMW Korea chief says he will consider halting sales of fire-prone models기사요약: 화요일 국회에서 BMW 코리아 김효준 대표, 국토부 김정렬 제2차관 등이 참석한 가운데 BMW 주행 중 화재 공청회가 열렸습니다.아이튠즈(아이폰): https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2 팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638[1] As confusion surrounding BMW vehicle fires continues, BMW Korea Chairman Kim Hyo-joon said Tuesday that he would look into halting sales of fire-prone BMW models until the investig

Podcast Aug. 29, 2018

Ride-hailing service Uber’s Chief Operating Officer Barney Harford on Wednesday said the company is seeking new partnerships with technology companies in South Korea, an important market equipped with advanced technology. “The size of Korea as an economy is very significant. Also this is a country that is deep in technology. I think there is potential for us to work closely with some of the great companies in Korea and develop partnerships that serve the Korean market well, but also help us take

Technology Aug. 29, 2018

As confusion surrounding BMW vehicle fires continues, BMW Korea Chairman Kim Hyo-joon said Tuesday that he would look into halting sales of fire-prone BMW models until the investigation into the cause of the engine fires is completed. His remarks were made during a hearing at the National Assembly, where members of the Land, Infrastructure & Transport Committee grilled Kim and questioned five experts involved in the BMW incidents, including Transport Vice Minister Kim Jeong-yeol.Chairman Kim sai

Mobility Aug. 28, 2018

BMW Korea, the Korean importer and distributor of the German carmaker, is set to face lawsuits by more than 2,000 customers in the coming days following engine fires involving its vehicles. Law firms Bareun, You&Me and Heon said Friday they are preparing further legal action against the German carmaker and Korean authorities over increasing complaints and inconvenience due to insufficient measures after the incidents. According to Heon, some 1,500 customers have agreed to join the group lawsuit

Mobility Aug. 24, 2018

SK Innovation has started construction of an electric vehicle battery factory with its Chinese joint ventures, state-run automaker BAIC and Beijing Electronics Holding, at the Changzhou Jintan Economic Development Zone in Jiangsu, north of Shanghai, the company said Friday.The factory is run by BESK, an electric vehicle battery joint venture between SK Innovation, BAIC and Beijing Electronics Holding established in 2013, in which the Korean firm had invested 1 billion yuan ($145 million).  (SK I

Industry Aug. 24, 2018

Korean tiremaker Hankook Tire has signed a deal with AMG Speedway run by Mercesdes-Benz Korea to exclusively supply tires for cars used at the track, the company said Thursday.The tiremaker will supply six tire products: semi-racing tires Ventus R-s4 and Ventus R-s3 as well as ultra-high performance tires Ventus S1 evo2, Ventus S2 AS, Ventus S1 evo2 SUV, and Ventus V12 evo2. (Hankook Tire)“We expect our high-performance tires made with latest technology to deliver top-notch racing performance an

Mobility Aug. 23, 2018

Posco, South Korea’s leading steelmaker, is accepting applications for the fourth round of its free online and offline education on artificial intelligence, big data and the internet of things for job seekers, the company said Thursday.The program comes as part of the company’s efforts at outreach in creating social value, presented among Posco Chairman Choi Jeong-woo’s “With Posco” vision introduced last month.The program on AI, big data and IoT was put together with Pohang University of Scienc

Industry Aug. 23, 2018

Here’s a suggestion for excitement seekers and adventurers looking for an activity to relish the last days of the scorching summer before bringing on the fall: go-kart racing.The go-kart racing experience center located at Songpa Tancheon parking lot, near Jamsil Sports Complex in eastern Seoul, is the place to go for drivers of all ages, literally, as it does not require a driver’s license to hop on the mini race cars.The degree of competition and thrill behind the wheel are second only to Form

Mobility Aug. 23, 2018