[Herald Interivew] Mercedes stands by Farasis batteries in EV fire scrutiny

STUTTGART, Germany -- Following a fire involving a Mercedes-Benz EQE electric vehicle in South Korea in August, executives are defending their use of batteries from Chinese supplier Farasis Energy, even as investigations continue to probe the cause of the incident. The August fire, which occurred in the basement of an apartment building in Incheon, has raised questions around the safety of the vehicle's battery cells and the automaker’s quality control practices. During an Oct. 21 med

Oct. 28, 2024

Mercedes-Benz raises Drive Pilot speed limit

Mercedes-Benz announced Monday that it is upgrading its automated driving system, Drive Pilot, allowing it to operate at speeds of up to 95 kilometers per hour on German motorways. The upgrade is expected to be available in early 2025, following this year’s anticipated approval from Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority. With this update, Drive Pilot will become the fastest Level 3 automated driving system in a production vehicle. The enhanced system will allow drivers to hand

Oct. 28, 2024

[Photo News] Passion for motorsports

Hyundai Motor and Toyota -- two of the world's largest automakers -- organized the Hyundai N x Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival at the Everland Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. The two companies said they aimed to offer an event to delight motorsports fans. The event featured driving performances by professional racers, an exhibition of high-performance vehicles from the two brands and opportunities to ride along on the racing track. In this photo, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Ch

Oct. 27, 2024

Kia logs record-high operating profit for 3Q

Hyundai Motor Group’s smaller affiliate Kia said Friday that it has posted 2.9 trillion won ($2.1 billion) in operating profit, marking the highest ever for a third quarter, despite mounting challenges in the automotive industry. The carmaker’s profit increased 0.6 percent from the same period last year, while its sales revenue surged 3.8 percent to 26.5 trillion won. The sales volume decreased 1.9 percent to 763,639 units, due to a temporary production hiatus from its two car manufa

Oct. 25, 2024

[From the scene] How a Mercedes plant is turning dead EV batteries into fresh materials

KUPPENHEIM, Germany -- A two-hour drive southwest of Mercedes-Benz’s Stuttgart headquarters, a new facility in the small town of Kuppenheim is poised to play a big role in the auto giant’s sustainability efforts. On Monday, brightly lit tanks, each glowing with a different hue, lined the walls of the 6,800-square-meter space, labeled with symbols for essential elements: lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese. This is not a scene from a sci-fi movie, but a staged media presentation -

Oct. 24, 2024

[KH Explains] Tesla’s vague robotaxi vision may let Hyundai-Waymo narrow gap

Tesla’s recent unveiling of its Robotaxi prototype has generated some buzz, but the absence of critical details leaves room for competitors -- such as Hyundai Motor Group -- to potentially make up ground in the race toward autonomous vehicles. While Tesla remains a dominant force in electric vehicles and self-driving technology, its latest announcement raises as many questions as it does excitement. At the Tesla event named "We, Robot," held at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank,

Oct. 23, 2024

Samsung SDI showcases next-gen battery lineup at mobility show

Samsung SDI said Wednesday it has showcased its battery lineup, ranging from the prismatic battery P6 to the next-generation all-solid-state battery, at the Daegu International Future Auto & Mobility Expo. The company’s all-solid-state battery for electric vehicles boasts an energy density of 900 watt-hours per liter with a cathode-free structure. It is known to be theoretically safer than conventional lithium-ion batteries that use flammable liquid electrolytes. It sent samples to cli

Oct. 23, 2024

[Hello India] Hyundai Motor makes landmark stock debut in India

Hyundai Motor India made a monumental debut on the Indian stock market, marking the largest initial public offering in India’s history and the first overseas subsidiary of a Korean company to go public in global markets. Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun and key executives, including Chang Jae-hoon, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company; Kim Un-soo, vice president of Hyundai Motor India; Tarun Garg, chief operating officer at Hyundai Motor India; and some 250 people fro

Oct. 22, 2024

Hyundai Motor chief vows full-support for India’s mobility innovation

Expanding its footing in India, the world’s third-largest automotive market, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to explore ways to enhance cooperation and advance the country’s mobility industry. After expressing gratitude for the Indian government’s continuous support to Hyundai Motor, Chung said during the meeting held at the PM’s office in Delhi, India, “Hyundai Motor Group has operated a successful bu

Oct. 22, 2024

[From the Scene] Hyundai Motor offers sneak peek at software-driven manufacturing

UIWANG, Gyeonggi Province – Hyundai Motor Group on Monday unveiled its 200 key automotive solutions powered by artificial intelligence, big data and robotics, aimed at transforming the carmaker’s auto manufacturing plants from hardware-centered facilities to software-driven smart factories. “Like software-defined vehicles, which add functions and services through software updates, (auto) manufacturing bases can turn into agile and intelligent smart factories with data-based ope

Oct. 21, 2024

KG Mobility, China’s Chery to develop plug-in hybrids

KG Mobility, a South Korean sport utility vehicle maker, has teamed up with China’s Chery Automobile to co-develop a range of vehicles including plug-in hybrid cars to expand its global presence. According to a KG Mobility regulatory filing on Monday, the auto brand signed a platform technical license agreement with Chery Automobile on Friday to collaborate in areas as such the design and development of vehicles as well as car manufacturing and distribution. The deal includes sharing the i

Oct. 21, 2024

[Photo news] Double podium

Hyundai Motor said Monday that its racing teams picked up two wins at the 2024 World Rally Championship's 12th round of the Central European Rally and the 2024 TCR World Tour's sixth race in China over the past weekend. According to the automaker, Ott Tanak on Hyundai Motor's world rally team took the highest spot on the podium after he came out victorious with the brand's motorsports car i20 N Rally1 Hybrid. For the TRC race, Mikel Azcona on the BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse w

Oct. 21, 2024

Hyundai Motor to make EV in India

Hyundai Motor Group said Sunday it is set to launch its first electric vehicle in India, the electrified version of its popular sport utility vehicle Creta, in January next year, solidifying its top-tier position in the fast-growing automotive market. The Creta EV will be produced at the carmaker’s manufacturing plant in Chennai, southern India, which started operations in 1998. The company has recently pushed sales of SUVs, with the face-lifted three-row Alcazar SUV hitting the market in

Oct. 20, 2024

[Photo News] Kia's design exhibition

Hyundai Motor Group said on Friday that it will hold an exhibition to showcase Kia's design philosophy, "Opposites United," in Seoul starting Saturday. The automaker previously held a similar exhibition under the same theme at the Milan Design Week in northern Italy in April this year, drawing about 15,000 visitors for its seven-day run. Kia plans to offer various performances by collaborating with numerous artists at the exhibition, which will be held at Space S1 in Seongsu-dong

Oct. 18, 2024

Hyundai Motor, Toyota join forces for AI robot

Hyundai Motor Group and Toyota -- the world’s third and first top-selling auto giants, respectively -- have teamed up to advance the development of artificial intelligence and robotics. According to Hyundai-backed Boston Dynamics and Toyota Research Institute on Wednesday, the two sides decided to join forces to accelerate the development of general-purpose humanoid robots using the former’s two-legged Atlas robot and the latter’s large behavior models, or LBMs. “There ha

Oct. 18, 2024

Kia to start EV production in Slovakia by year-end

Hyundai Motor Group’s smaller affiliate Kia is poised to start electric vehicle production in Europe by the end of this year at its Slovakian manufacturing plant, according to Marc Hedrich, president and CEO of Kia Europe. “(I had a) very good meeting today with Slovakian Economy Minister (Madame) Denisa Sakova and State Secretary Vladimir Simonak,” stated Hedrich in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday. “I had the opportunity to discuss challenges the automotive industry is faci

Oct. 17, 2024

[Photo News] New Hyundai Casper

Hyundai Motor Company launched the new Casper, an upgraded model of the subcompact sports utility vehicle first released in 2021, in the Korean market on Friday. According to the automaker, the new Casper sports a stronger and more stylish design than the previous version while offering a wider range of safety features and convenient functions. The price for the new Casper, which is sold under the name Inster in overseas markets, is set to begin at 14.5 million won ($10,615). (Hyundai Motor Grou

Oct. 17, 2024

[Photo News] Rolls-Royce Cullinan with new Grille

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars introduced the refined Cullinan Series II and Black Badge Cullinan Series II in Korea on Thursday, with updates that hone the SUV’s reputation. The first-ever Illuminated Pantheon Grille lends a modern touch to the vehicle’s already iconic front fascia, enhancing its presence in low light. Inside, the new Duality Twill upholstery, made from bamboo-based rayon, features a unique natural texture and is intricately embroidered with up to 2.2 million stitches, taki

Oct. 17, 2024

Hyundai Mobis to build 1st EV power system plant in Slovakia

Hyundai Mobis, an auto parts manufacturer under Hyundai Motor Group, said Thursday that it signed an agreement with the Slovakian government to set up its first manufacturing plant for electric vehicle power systems in Europe. With a 350 billion won ($256.7 million) investment, Hyundai Mobis will construct a plant in the Novaky region of western Slovakia to produce EV drive units consisting of an electric motor, inverter and reducer. Once completed next year, the facility will have the capacity

Oct. 16, 2024

Hyundai, Kia develop 1st automatic system for press die design

Korea’s two leading auto brands -- Hyundai Motor Company and Kia -- announced Wednesday that they developed the world’s first automatic press die system for all designs. Press dies are used to form a vehicle’s body parts such as the trunk, hood and fender. Depending on the part’s design, automakers usually conduct the press dying process three to five times to manufacture a part while press die designers line up numerous requirements for the production of each part. Accor

Oct. 16, 2024