[Test Drive] Hyundai Ioniq 5 N unleashes full EV power

TAEAN, SOUTH CHUNGCHEONG PROVINCE -- Hyundai Motor Company’s Ioniq 5 N, a high-performance vehicle based on the foundations of the automaker’s awards-winning all-electric sports utility vehicle, does not look like a typical car built for motorsports. To be fair, it is not a race car. Nonetheless, Hyundai has put together an everyday sports EV that boasts monstrous power with the Ioniq 5 N. The Korea Herald got a closer look at the automaker’s first N-labeled EV and tested out t

Sept. 24, 2023

[Test Drive] Toyota’s minivan Alphard boasts sedanlike drive

Toyota launched its fourth electrification model in Korea for this year, the luxury hybrid minivan Alphard that features a chauffeured, sedanlike driving experience. The fourth generation of the multipurpose vehicle that has sold some 150,000 units in Japan and abroad hopes to offer “omotenashi” -- a Japanese expression that describes hospitality and mindfulness -- to customers ranging from company executives who need private space, to family car lovers. “Compared to the previo

Sept. 24, 2023

Hyundai Motor marks 25 years of supporting pediatric cancer patients

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun has reiterated the importance of corporate responsibility as the South Korean automaker celebrated the 25th anniversary of Hyundai Hope on Wheels, a US-based nonprofit organization established to support pediatric cancer research and childhood cancer patients. “Under the vision ‘Progress for Humanity,’ Hyundai Motor is committed to doing the right things for the entire world including innovating products and fulfilling corporate

Sept. 22, 2023

[Photo News] For 2030 Busan World Expo

Hyundai Motor Group is promoting South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan with the automaker's electric vehicles -- the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 -- bearing the slogan "Busan is ready" near Duffy Square, north of New York's Times Square. The Group has been driving the specially painted vehicles around the city during the UN General Assembly, which is taking place in the city this week. (Hyundai Motor Group)

Sept. 21, 2023

KG Mobility vows to export 200,000 cars by 2026

KG Mobility on Thursday vowed to sell 200,000 cars in global markets by 2026, expanding its global networks from the Asia-Pacific region to Europe. The South Korean carmaker’s planned sales target consists of 200,000 exports -- 100,000 cars and 100,000 units of complete knock-downs -- unassembled car parts -- and 120,000 units of domestic sales in the citied period. “Based on the cumulative $1 billion exports, we are expected to be awarded as one of the Korean companies to have con

Sept. 21, 2023

Hyundai Motor, Georgia Tech team up for future mobility

Hyundai Motor Group has joined hands with the Georgia Institute of Technology, better known as Georgia Tech, to develop future mobility technologies such as battery, hydrogen and software, the South Korean automaker announced Wednesday. According to the announcement, representatives from Hyundai Motor and Georgia Tech including Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun and Hyundai Motor Company CEO Chang Jae-hoon signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on research and developm

Sept. 20, 2023

[KH Explains] Why Korean battery makers’ mass hiring still ‘not enough’ for tech race

The nation's top three battery makers have gone on a hiring spree, and it shows no signs of stopping. LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and SK On have hired thousands of new employees during the first six months of this year alone, but the mass hiring fell short of easing the talent shortage to keep up with their business expansion at home and abroad. According to their regulatory filings in August, LG Energy Solution, the largest among the three, hired 1,688 workers in the January-June perio

Sept. 19, 2023

[Test Drive] Volvo C40 Recharge introduces one-pedal driving

GANGNEUNG -- Manual cars, typically older models, have three pedals: an accelerator, a brake and a clutch. Automatic vehicles have two pedals: an accelerator and a brake. Battery electric vehicles still come with the same two pedals. The C40 Recharge, Volvo’s EV crossover, however, has taken it a step further, presenting an opportunity to essentially drive with only one pedal. The Korea Herald had the chance to test the C40 Recharge from Gangeung to Goseong in Gangwon Province as part of a

Sept. 18, 2023

[Photo News] EVs in NYC to promote Busan Expo bid

Hyundai Motor Group’s latest electric vehicles – the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and Genesis G80 EV – reading “Busan is Ready” are displayed in downtown New York City on Sunday. With graphics designed by graffiti artist Jay Flow, the cars are scheduled to drive around the city’s landmarks during this week’s UN General Assembly to promote Busan’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo. (Hyundai Motor Group)

Sept. 18, 2023

Passenger travel on S. Korea-China routes at half of pre-THAAD row

Passenger travel on air routes connecting to China in August recovered to around half of the 2016 level before Beijing restricted travel to South Korea in 2017 over a row over Seoul's hosting of a US missile defense system, data showed Sunday. The number of travelers on such routes came to 931,272 in August, which accounts for around 45 percent of the 2.06 million posted in the same month of 2016, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. In 2017, China banned group t

Sept. 17, 2023

Posco Holdings to boost EV battery value chain integration

Posco Holdings said on Friday it has reduced its dependence on China by strengthening the integration of its electric vehicle battery value chain that covers mining and refining minerals, manufacturing materials and recycling batteries. “It’s almost impossible to be a top-tier firm in the battery materials business without the vertical integration of manufacturing,” said Nam Sang-cheol, head of the research and development division at Posco Holdings, during the Korea Advanced B

Sept. 15, 2023

EcoPro vows to accelerate closed-loop EV battery recycling

South Korean battery materials manufacturer EcoPro said Friday it will boost its closed-loop electric vehicle battery recycling business amid rising concerns over battery waste disposal. Closed-loop recycling refers to the process that can convert a used product back into raw materials to create a new version of the same product. EcoPro operates a battery recycling value chain called Eco-battery Pohang Campus in North Gyeongsang Province where its six subsidiaries -- EcoPro CnG, EcoPro Innovatio

Sept. 15, 2023

‘Korean battery makers to catch up with Chinese rivals by 2025’

South Korea’s top three battery makers are highly likely to see a surge both in sales and operating profits despite their reduced market share in the global electric vehicle battery market, which is dominated by Chinese rivals, according to market tracker SNE Research on Thursday. “Due to China-made low-priced lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and SK On’s combined market share worldwide dropped from 30.4 percent in 2021 to 23.8 percent in t

Sept. 14, 2023

Hyundai Motor, labor union reach tentative agreement on wage increase

Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday it has signed a tentative wage agreement with the company’s labor union, extending their strike-free negotiation streak to five consecutive years. The management and labor union members including Lee Dong-suk, president of the domestic production department at Hyundai Motor Group, and the company’s union representative Ahn Hyun-ho carried out the 21st round of negotiations at the Ulsan plant on Tuesday. The key agendas on the table were the wage hik

Sept. 13, 2023

[Photo News] McLaren 750S unveiled

Head of Asia Pacific at McLaren Charlotte Dickson (second from left), McLaren Seoul CEO Lee Tae-heung and other executives pose for a photo next to the McLaren 750S to celebrate its launch in Korea, in Seocho-gu, Seoul on Wednesday. The spider model features a more advanced weight-saving option, powertrain performance and dynamic driving experience than the renowned 720S coupe, according to the company. “With the new 750S, the British luxury sports car brand plans to expand its footing in

Sept. 13, 2023

Incheon Airport plans W1.2tr massive renovation

Incheon Airport's Terminal 1 will undergo a 1.2 trillion won ($903 million) refurbishment starting from next year, the airport's operator said Wednesday. Separately, it added that it would seek to attract Chinese travelers, whose travel demand is expected to surge amid China’s recent lifting of a group travel ban to South Korea. “After conducting an open survey of Terminal 1’s facilities’ operational status, Incheon Airport will conduct a comprehensive repair of

Sept. 13, 2023

[Test Drive] Mercedes-Benz’s new CLE Coupe not your average 2-door

SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN -- If someone were asked to talk about the traits of a regular two-door coupe, words like quick, slick and compact might come to mind. Mercedes-Benz is looking to change these norms with the launch of its new CLE Coupe. The Korea Herald got to experience the new CLE Coupe 450 4 Matic first hand during a global media test drive event held in the northern Spanish city of San Sebastian from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1. The vehicle's facade embodies both athleticism and elegance, wi

Sept. 13, 2023

LG Energy Solution makes big ESS push in US

LG Energy Solution said Tuesday it will expand its footing in the burgeoning energy storage systems market in the US. ESS refers to a device or group of devices assembled to convert the electrical energy from power systems and into energy that can be stored for later use. It can be used in a variety of settings ranging from power grids to commercial buildings and residences. The company has unveiled its latest ESS business vision and technologies at the Re+ 2023, one of the biggest renewable e

Sept. 12, 2023

[KH Explains] Hyundai Motor feels cost pinch of ‘French IRA’

Hyundai Motor Group, having already spent billions of dollars to respond to the US Inflation Reduction Act, is tackling another protectionist policy looming large in Europe, a crucial market for the carmaker’s extensive EV strategy. The French government recently announced its new EV subsidy policy, which is based on measuring the carbon footprint throughout the whole process of car manufacturing from production to shipping. Carmakers importing EVs to France from their faraway home countri

Sept. 11, 2023

[Photo News] Education for children

BMW Korea Future Fund said Monday that it recently carried out special education activities for elementary school students in areas of North Gyeongsang Province and the Chungcheong Provinces damaged by the heavy rainfall in July. The free education programs, which allowed students to assemble a miniature version of BMW's all-electric vehicle, and gave them the chance to think about global warming, were offered to 238 students at five schools from Aug. 30 to Sept. 8. (BMW Korea)

Sept. 11, 2023