Hyundai Motor Group, South Korea's top automotive group, acquired the largest number of patents on clean energy technology in the United States in the third quarter of 2015, the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index showed Monday. Among 916 clean energy patents registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in the July-September period, the combined patents by Hyundai Motor Co. and its company Kia Motors Corp. ranked top with 54, according to the index released by the Cleantech Group.Japan's To

Sales of hybrid cars have fast risen in South Korea this year as the popularity of diesel vehicles is losing its spark due to the loss of consumer trust and rising concerns over air pollution, data showed Monday. Korean automakers sold a combined 14,173 hybrid cars in the first four months of the year, up 42.4 percent from a year ago, the Korea Automobile Manufacturers' Association said.A hybrid vehicle uses two or more distinct types of power, such as an internal combustion engine and an electr

The 2nd Genesis model G80 will debut at the motor show for the first time in the world

The Korean unit of General Motors will host a premiere night to draw more attention to its new car lineup for the Busan Motor Show on June 1, one day before the official media preview.The carmaker has remained low-key on which cars will take the stage at the premiere event “GM night,” but industry watchers predict GM Korea CEO James Kim will highlight three models from its Chevrolet and Cadillac brands. Cadillac’s new CT6 full-size luxury sedan (GM)For the mass market, GM is forecast to unveil t

Sales of Korean-made products have risen in domestic duty-free shops to reach 40 percent of all sales, according to data from the Korea Customs Service on Sunday.Duty-free outlets in Korea saw revenues of 3.74 trillion won ($3.17 billion) in the first third of 2016, marking an 18.1 percent increase from the same period last year. Korean-made products were credited for 42.2 percent of those sales.Tourists shop for cosmetics at Shinsegae Duty Free in Myeong-dong. (Yonhap)The latest numbers show a

Officials from Hyundai Motor Group, World Vision and state-run international aid agency KOICA take part in a groundbreaking ceremony to build an auto mechanical training center in Ethiopia, Friday. The project is part of Kia Motors’ vocational education support program in Africa, dubbed the “Green Light Project.” Participants included World Vision’s Edward Brown (from left), KOICA head Kim In-shik, Ethiopian First Lady Roman Tesfaye, Hyundai Motor President Chung Jin-haeng and Kia Motors vice pr

The Korean unit of German luxury carmaker BMW is set to unveil its five new models in Korea at the 2016 Busan International Motor Show slated to kick off on June 2, according to the automaker on Sunday. The automaker said it would showcase one flagship model 750Li Individual, two high-performance cars -- M2 Coupe and X4 M40i -- and two plug-in hybrid vehicles -- 330e M Sport and X5 xDrive40e -- at the upcoming biennial auto event. BMW M2 CoupeIts flagship 750Li Individual sedan is limited editio

Given the 2016 Busan Motor Show’s “smart premium” theme, Renault Samsung said Sunday that it would be showcasing three new vehicles at the event: the QM6, a revamped version of the QM5 sport utility vehicle, the Twizy electric smart car and the Renault Clio R.S. -- all of which are slated to be rolled out here in the second half of this year. “We are confident that the high-end QM6 SUV will wow visitors as it is the only fully modified SUV model among mass-produced car brands this year,” the com

The government on Friday ordered Lotte Shopping, a TV shopping channel under retail giant Lotte, to stop operating programs for six hours during prime time for six months, as part of a disciplinary measure for submitting false documents.The suspension is set to begin on Sept. 28, according to the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, adding that the TV channel will be banned from broadcasting programs between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., and 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. daily. The decision came after Lotte

 Fried chicken has found a firm place in present-day Korean cuisine, despite being commonly considered a creation from the United States. Among other things, it is a staple as a midnight snack for Koreans and the food of choice at baseball stadiums, for get-togethers along the river and for those entertaining guests at home. Despite the saturated market, the fried chicken industry remains strong and is still growing, with technology allowing for efficient deliveries and continuously evolving rec

Renault Samsung plans to launch a new sport utility vehicle named QM6 to replace current midsize SUV QM5 in September, company officials said Thursday.“We are aiming to roll out the new vehicle QM6 hopefully in September,” a company spokesperson told The Korea Herald. The company said it would showcase the fully modified SUV at the Busan International Motor Show slated to open on June 2, alongside other vehicles -- electric car Twizy and Renault Clio R.S. -- also to be rolled out in the second h

Sales of diesel cars may be hit as the government is reviewing raising diesel fuel costs and lowering gasoline prices amid growing concerns on toxic nitrogen oxide emitted by diesel engines, according to news reports Tuesday. “The government is considering raising diesel fuel costs and lowering gasoline prices to remove economic benefits going to diesel car owners,” a local media outlet reported, citing a senior government official of the environment ministry. (Yonhap)The speculation on lowering

Mercedes-Benz on Tuesday unveiled its luxury mid-size business saloon, the new E-class, at a media preview event at Wangsan Marina, Incheon, setting a goal of taking the top spot in sales here in 2016. The Korean unit of the German luxury carmaker has high hopes for the 10th generation of its best-selling luxury mid-size executive sedan. The new E-Class is the best in the segment in terms of performance, consumption and efficiency, the company added.  Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Dimitris Psillakis p

Korean parts-maker Mando Corp. has partnered with Tesla Motors to jointly develop key technologies for the automaker’s future autonomous vehicles, according to local reports Monday. Mando began developing fail-safety technologies for the U.S. electric carmaker’s autonomous vehicles in the second half of last year, Maeil Business Newspaper reported.(Bloomberg)The fail-safety technology allows a car to continue its self-driving mode even in times of emergency without requiring drivers to take the

The steelmaker is working closely with Korean automaking contractors like GM Korea, even marketing new cars built with its steel products