Samsung SDI said Thursday it has set up a team dedicated to pushing forward the development of the next generation all-solid-state batteries. All-solid-state batteries are called “game changer batteries,” in which all the components are solid. Theoretically, they have higher levels of energy density and are more stable than lithium-ion batteries using liquid or polymer gel electrolytes. The new “ASB business team,” headed by Go Joo-young, executive vice president and he

Mobility Dec. 7, 2023

Posco Future M said Wednesday its Pohang plant in North Gyeongsang Province had started the supply of high-nickel cathode materials to the US-based Ultium Cells, the joint venture of LG Energy Solution and General Motors. Following its manufacturing plant in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, the Pohang site is the company’s second production base for high-nickel cathode materials. With the fast-growing demand for the materials from battery makers, it has moved up the schedule for commercia

Mobility Dec. 6, 2023

South Korean carmaker Hyundai and its sibling firm Kia have topped the list of exporters in Korea, posting a record-high of $54.5 billion in total export volume, Hyundai Motor Group said Tuesday. Among 1,700 companies here, Hyundai and Kia ranked first and second place, respectively, the highest record since 2012 when the two recorded $350 billion in exports. From July 2022 to June this year, Hyundai’s exports surged on-year 29.6 percent to $31 billion, while Kia saw a 30.7 percent jump to

Mobility Dec. 5, 2023

Oh Young-ju, formerly ambassador to Vietnam, has been nominated as the new minister of SMEs and startups, the presidential office said Monday. The 60-year-old is an international relations expert who has worked as the nation’s first female second vice minister of the Foreign Ministry since July this year. Before that, Oh served as Korea’s ambassador to Vietnam. Oh majored in political science and international relations at Ewha Womans University. “These days when our economy

Politics Dec. 4, 2023

Tighter rules from the US limiting China-made materials in batteries eligible for electric vehicle tax credits might ironically offer a boon for Chinese companies, who hold huge stakes in joint ventures with South Korean battery manufacturers. The Joe Biden administration on Friday announced new guidance for the Inflation Reduction Act barring electric car buyers from claiming a $7,500 tax credit in case the product uses materials from China and other countries deemed a “Foreign Entity of

Mobility Dec. 4, 2023

EcoPro BM, a battery materials manufacturing subsidiary of EcoPro, said Sunday it has forged a deal with Samsung SDI to supply 44 trillion won ($34 billion) worth of cathode materials for electric vehicle batteries. From next year to 2028, the battery materials company is poised to supply high-nickel cathode materials that consist of more than 80 percent nickel to Samsung SDI’s EV battery manufacturing plant in Hungary. EcoPro BM CEO Joo Jae-hwan, Samsung SDI Vice President Kim Ik-hyeon an

Mobility Dec. 3, 2023

Hyundai Motor Group on Tuesday unveiled a more compact, integrated wheel system that frees up more room for futuristic car designs. Called “Uni Wheel,” short for Universal Wheel Drive System, the system integrates the constant velocity joints – a device that links the vehicle’s transmission to its wheels – and other parts such as the drive shaft and car decelerator into a wheel. The system, the first of its kind, also connects smaller motors to each wheel, instead o

Mobility Nov. 28, 2023

Hyundai Motor Group’s cars will be sold online through Amazon for the first time in the US next year, offering an opportunity for the world’s third-largest carmaker to ramp up sales in the all-important market. During the Los Angeles Auto Show on Nov. 16, Hyundai and Amazon announced that customers can purchase Hyundai vehicles -- internal combustion engine cars, electric vehicles, leased and used cars -- available in their area on the tech giant’s website from a local dealer

Mobility Nov. 27, 2023

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Sunday the recent supply disruptions of hydrogen for automobiles in the central region of South Korea will gradually ease next week. “(The government has made sure) the hydrogen suppliers have secured extra hydrogen, so we expect the supply glitch will slowly improve starting next week,” said Lee Ho-hyeon, head of energy policy at the industry ministry, in a statement. “Until the situation returns back to normal, we will carry out

Mobility Nov. 26, 2023

Tesla has begun making its Superchargers in Korea accessible to all non-Tesla electric vehicles, tightening its grip on the mobility charging network on the home turf of Hyundai and Kia. Starting Wednesday, non-Tesla electric cars can use around 570 of the EV maker’s V3 chargers that can give 261 kilometers of range in approximately 15 minutes at 84 stations. That is around half of the 1,007 Superchargers at 148 stations in Korea. To use the chargers, drivers should download the Tesla app,

Mobility Nov. 23, 2023

LG Energy Solution, the nation’s top battery maker for electric vehicles, said Wednesday that its board of directors has appointed President Kim Dong-myung as its new CEO starting next year. Kim, replacing the firm’s iconic leader Kwon Young-soo, is a chemical specialist who has been leading the aggressive overseas expansion in the burgeoning EV market in recent years. The new CEO joined the company, then a business unit of LG Chem, in 1998 to work at a battery research center. The u

Mobility Nov. 22, 2023

Hyundai Motor Group is expected to post record sales in the UK, the second-largest automotive market in Europe, this year, according to industry estimates Monday. The carmaker sold 173,428 vehicles in the UK in the January-October period this year, up 8.7 percent from the same period last year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders said citing corporate filings. Its market share stood at 10.8 percent. If the current sales momentum continues, the carmaker said, its car sales are highly

Mobility Nov. 20, 2023

EcoPro said Sunday it has joined hands with SK Ecoplant and its electronics waste recycling subsidiary, TES, to set up an electric vehicle battery recycling plant in Hungary. EcoPro CEO Song Ho-jun, SK Ecoplant CEO Park Kyung-il and TES CEO Terence Ng participated in the signing ceremony held at SK Ecoplant’s headquarters in Jongno, Seoul, Thursday. By 2025, the three companies will build recycling facilities in Hungary -- the first project under a business agreement made in March targetin

Mobility Nov. 19, 2023

Group Lotus, the British luxury carmaker, on Thursday unveiled its first flagship store in the posh district of Gangnam in southern Seoul, renewing its commitment to South Korea, a market it left a decade ago after years of lukewarm sales. With its “second debut” in the Korean market, Lotus’ Asian chief showed high expectations about its growth here. “Next year, Korea will become the biggest market for us in Asia outside of mainland China and will overtake Japan, which cu

Mobility Nov. 16, 2023

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun has received the Order of the British Empire from Britain's King Charles III, the carmaker said Wednesday. Among the five classes of the order, Chung was awarded the Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Colin Crooks, British ambassador to the Republic of Korea, delivered the medal on behalf of the king at the British Embassy in Seoul. Chung was recognized for his accomplishments in low-carbon mobility expans

Mobility Nov. 15, 2023