UIWANG, Gyeonggi Province – Hyundai Mobis, a car parts manufacturing affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, on Wednesday opened its electrification research wing to the press in Uiwang, 24 kilometers south of Seoul. The wing, built as a leading tech center for developing and testing key parts for electric vehicles, was completed in August 2023, and has been in use since December. With a record-breaking 1.7 trillion won ($1.3 billion) in investment this year alone, the company has introduced 65

Mobility Oct. 3, 2024

Ever since a Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle burst into flames in Incheon in August, an “EV phobia” has gripped drivers here. Less than two weeks from the massive fire, Hyundai Motor Group, the nation’s largest carmaker, preemptively disclosed the list of its EV battery manufacturers, prompting its foreign rivals to hustle to reveal their respective battery origins. A series of safety measures have also been unveiled from a new battery certification system to EV charger upgrades

Mobility Oct. 1, 2024

Hyundai Motor Company marked the global cumulative production of 100 million cars Monday, a landmark record coming 57 years since the carmaker’s foundation. The company held a celebratory event at the car manufacturing plant in Ulsan earlier in the day, joined by Lee Dong-suk, head of domestic sales and chief strategic officer at Hyundai Motor Group, and Moon Yong-moon, head of the company’s labor union. The executives and staff marked the production of the first car after passing th

Mobility Sept. 30, 2024

With a renewed push toward a leading green energy supplier with its vast energy resources, Chilean government officials urged South Korea, which shares similar goals in reducing dependence on fossil fuels, to expand investments to Chile and boost strategic partnerships. “The challenge today for Chile is to increase the participation of Korean companies in the Chilean economy and the flows of Korean capital into Chile,” Chilean Ambassador Mathias Francke told The Korea Herald at the E

Industry Sept. 29, 2024

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea said Friday it has completed the five-day business trip to Washington DC held earlier this month, reasserting Korea-US economic partnership. The AmCham delegation comprising senior executives from key member companies, such as LG Energy Solution and Posco Holdings, met with US senators and representatives from 12 states and 10 US government organizations including the White House National Economic Council (NEC) and the Office of the Vice President. Throu

Industry Sept. 27, 2024

Hyundai Motor Group said that it is partnering with battery materials company EcoPro BM on Thursday to develop its own lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, batteries for electric vehicles. Executives from Hyundai Motor Group, EcoPro BM and Hyundai Steel -- the carmaker’s steel manufacturing affiliate -- met Wednesday in Daejeon to discuss details on the joint research and future cooperation. With the strategic partnership, which is part of the four-year project supported by the Ministry of Trad

Mobility Sept. 26, 2024

Hyundai Glovis, Hyundai Motor Group’s logistics and distribution subsidiary, said Wednesday it had partnered up with China’s BYD, the world’s biggest electric vehicle maker, on automotive transport across the ocean. Kim Tae-woo, managing director of the shipping division at Hyundai Glovis, and Wang Junbao, general director of the corporate division at BYD, participated in a signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding on Monday at BYD headquarters in Shenzhen, China. Base

Mobility Sept. 25, 2024

Hyundai Motor Company’s smaller sibling Kia is poised to enter Japan’s purpose-built vehicle market, a tricky segment already crowded with Japanese rivals. Kia said Tuesday it joined hands with Japan-based trading company Sojitz to launch its PV5 van, the carmaker's first PBV model built on an electric vehicle platform, in Japan in 2026. The car's Japanese debut hopes to benefit from the country’s net-zero goals. Currently, Japan offers hefty incentives to EV buyers

Mobility Sept. 24, 2024

Samsung Electro-Mechanics, the electronic parts manufacturing subsidiary of the chip giant Samsung Electronics, has developed the world’s first all-solid-state battery for wearable devices, industry sources said Monday. According to sources, the company made an all-solid-state battery prototype with an energy density of 200 watt-hours per liter. It is slated for mass production in 2026. All-solid-state batteries are rechargeable batteries with solid electrolytes filling the gap between the

Technology Sept. 23, 2024

Hyundai Motor Group has renewed its commitment to the hydrogen fuel cell vehicles industry in the Czech Republic, a booming market for the clean mobility sector. Ken Ramirez, vice president of global commercial vehicle and hydrogen Business division at Hyundai Motor Group, and Skoda Electric CEO Jaromir Silhanek participated in the signing ceremony held in Prague on Friday to join forces in hydrogen-powered mobility. The partnership agreement comes during South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol&rsq

Mobility Sept. 20, 2024

South Korea’s defense firm LIG Nex1 said Friday it has signed a 3.7 trillion won ($2.78 billion) deal with Iraq’s defense ministry to export its medium-range surface-to-air missile defense system Cheongung-II. This is the third export contract worth over 1 trillion won that LIG Nex1 has clinched, following those with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Cheongung-II includes four launch vehicles with eight tubes, multi-function radar and traffic management command. It will be p

Industry Sept. 20, 2024

South Korean electric wire and cable maker Taihan Cable & Solution said Thursday it has secured a 90 billion-won ($67.5 million) cable system supply deal in the US. The company has been selected as supplier to US-based LS Power Grid California for 320-kilovolt voltage source converters used in high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission and a 500-kilovolt heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) power systems. Making its first foray into North America’s high-capacity, long-

Industry Sept. 19, 2024

In the aftermath of the massive fire caused by a Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle in August, Mathias Vaitl, CEO of the German auto giant’s Korean unit, might appear for next month's government audit, industry insiders said Friday. Given the severity of the incident that took out an apartment complex parking lot and over 100 vehicles in Incheon on Sept. 1, the Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee of the National Assembly is reportedly considering calling Mathias as a key witness f

Mobility Sept. 13, 2024

Posco Future M said Thursday it has signed a 1.8 trillion won ($1.4 billion) deal to supply high-nickel cathode materials for electric vehicle batteries with a battery maker. The details of the agreement including the other signing party will not be disclosed until Dec. 31, when the two companies will finalize the terms and conditions, according to Posco Future M. “We sometimes hold back the information on the parties involved following the company’s request (of not making a full dis

Mobility Sept. 12, 2024

Collapsing lithium prices are expected to put more pressure on Korean battery companies that are already reeling from an electric vehicle chasm, industry insiders said Wednesday. According to a recent Goldman Sachs report, the global lithium price is projected to fall by 18 percent from the monthly average price of $12.70 per kilogram in August to $10.40 next year. The price would be an 84.1 percent drop compared to the lithium boom in 2022 and on a similar level to 2015, when automakers just st

Mobility Sept. 11, 2024