SK On, one of Korea’s leading electric vehicle battery manufacturers, has been awarded a Bronze at the 2024 Edison Awards for its innovative cobalt-free battery. The award, presented last Thursday, represents SK On's ongoing efforts to combine advanced technology with sustainable practices in the EV industry. The development of the cobalt-free battery by SK On is a notable breakthrough, addressing the critical challenges traditionally associated with cobalt use in batteries. Cobalt, w

Industry April 21, 2024

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering said Sunday it has partnered with Korea East-West Power and the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency to launch a joint initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the shipbuilding industry. The collaboration, inked at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center, supports small to medium-sized shipyard suppliers. The program will swap outdated air compressors for high-efficiency units, potentially reducing annual emissions by 30 to 60 metric tons per devic

Industry April 21, 2024

Traditionally dominated by Japanese manufacturers like Toyota and Honda, the hybrid vehicle sector is now seeing renewed interest from global automakers looking to improve profitability amid delayed growth of pure electric vehicle sales. Among them, Hyundai Motor Group stands out as one of the few key competitors with robust full hybrid electric vehicle technology. This positions Hyundai uniquely as one of the few automakers to profit from increasing hybrid sales as it navigates the transitional

Mobility April 18, 2024

Renault Korea on Tuesday outlined a brief history of its iconic “lozenge” emblem, revisiting its evolution following the company's rebranding earlier this month. The rebranding replaced the "storm’s eye" logo used exclusively by its Korean branch since 2000 with Renault's original diamond-shaped lozenge emblem. The diamond-shaped logo is prominently featured at the company's new flagship store in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, where the rebranding announcement to

Mobility April 16, 2024

Doosan Robotics has teamed up with LG Electronics to test an automated electric vehicle charging system that uses its advanced collaborative robots to streamline the EV charging process. This system combines LG’s 100-kilowatt fast chargers with Doosan’s high-dexterity collaborative robotics tech to replace the manual process of handling bulky charging cables that drivers often find cumbersome. The companies started a pilot operation for their new automated EV charging station last Th

Mobility April 16, 2024

BMW Group Korea said on Monday that in 2023, BMW Group’s global spending on parts sourced from Korean suppliers totaled approximately 6.53 trillion won ($4.72 billion), surpassing its own sales figures within the country for that year. The global group’s procurement from Korean suppliers increased by 25 percent compared to 2022, and even exceeded the Korean branch’s sales revenue, which was around 6.10 trillion won last year. Major contributors to this supply chain include dome

Mobility April 15, 2024

Korea, home of the world’s third-largest automaker, Hyundai Motor Group, finds itself at a critical juncture as the rise of Chinese-made electric vehicles in the domestic market poses a complex challenge: how to protect national interests while embracing the inevitable shift toward electrification. Unlike the United States and the European Union, which perceive Chinese EVs as a grave security threat, experts argue Korea should adopt a more nuanced regulatory strategy. This involves refinin

Mobility April 15, 2024

Hyundai Motor Group plans to expand operations at its HTWO Guangzhou facility -- its first overseas hydrogen fuel cell system production plant -- by initiating pilot projects for commercial hydrogen fuel cell vehicles this year. Lee Hyuk-joon, executive vice president of Hyundai Motor Group China, detailed the initiative Tuesday at the 10th Annual Guangzhou International Investment Conference. Hyundai HTWO is a dedicated brand created by the Hyundai Motor Group to represent their hydrogen fuel c

Mobility April 12, 2024

Korean automobile exports reached a record $17.5 billion in the first quarter of this year, marking a 2.7 percent increase from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Thursday. Automobile exports surged to $6.2 billion in March alone, following a slight dip to $5.2 billion the previous month. This boost was largely driven by the robust performance of hybrid vehicles, which did not include plug-in hybrids. Hybrid vehicle exports in March soared to a

Mobility April 12, 2024

Korean automaker Kia on Thursday officially unveiled its first-ever pickup truck, the Kia Tasman, setting its sights primarily on the Australian market with a diesel-powered model planned for 2025. The Tasman, whose name pays homage to the Tasman Sea that lies between Australia and New Zealand, represents Kia's most direct nod to Australian culture. It is the first Kia product to bear an Aussie-inspired name. The name also reflects the country’s deep affinity for pickup trucks, colloquiall

Mobility April 11, 2024

Korean shipyard conglomerate HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering said Sunday it has launched a new research and development facility dedicated to comprehensive testing of decarbonizing maritime technologies. The Marine Innovative Decarbonization R&D facility, located at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries yard in Ulsan, was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by key executives, including HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering CEO Kim Sung-joon and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard CEO

Industry April 7, 2024

LG Energy Solution has started construction on its second stand-alone battery manufacturing complex in the United States, located in Arizona, with a groundbreaking ceremony and stakeholder meeting on Wednesday. Announced last year, the $5.5 billion project will stand out as the first of its kind in North America, dedicated entirely to the production of cylindrical batteries for EVs and lithium iron phosphate pouch-type batteries for energy system solution applications. The company aims to comple

Industry April 4, 2024

Renault Korea, the Korean branch of the French automotive firm, announced on Wednesday a significant rebranding initiative and the 2025 launch of the Renault Scenic E-Tech, an all-electric compact crossover SUV, in the Korean market. The announcement was made during a press conference at the Renault Seongsu flagship store in eastern Seoul. The rebranding sees Renault Korea shedding its previous moniker, Renault Korea Motors, in favor of a sleeker identity that simply reads "Renault Korea.&q

Mobility April 3, 2024

HD Hyundai Marine Solution, an industry leader in ship life cycle maintenance formerly known as Hyundai Global Service, has detailed a growth framework for its stock market debut as it gears up for what is expected to be Korea's largest initial public offering in the first half of 2024. The company held a press conference on Tuesday at the company's Global Research and Development Center in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, as it prepares to join the Korea Composite Stock Price Index in M

Industry April 3, 2024

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

Mobility April 2, 2024