Samsung SDI said Monday it has clinched a deal to supply electric vehicle batteries for Hyundai Motor Group – the first battery partnership between the two chaebol groups. Under the deal, Samsung SDI will supply prismatic batteries produced at its Hungary plant for Hyundai EVs made in Europe for seven years, from 2026 through 2032. Although the exact size of the deal was not disclosed immediately, industry sources predict that Samsung SDI could supply batteries to power up to 500,000 high-

Korean battery makers, materials suppliers in search of alternatives before price hikes

Mercedes-Benz Korea has been investing heavily in training employees and young students as part of efforts to enhance customer service and technical expertise in the automotive maintenance field. Since 2007, the Korean unit of the German luxury carmaker has organized “Korea TechMasters,” a biennial technical skills competition, while also running separate automotive training programs including Ausbildung and Automotive Electric Traineeship. This year’s technical contest saw

South Korean battery materials manufacturer EcoPro, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, has laid out a goal to post 10 trillion won ($7.41 billion) in sales next year. EcoPro CEO Song Ho-jun and top executives of the firm's subsidiaries, including EcoPro BM, participated in a celebratory event held at the company’s headquarters in Ochang, North Chungcheong Province, on Friday. Preparing for the next 25 years, EcoPro said it plans to develop game changer materials, diversi

Korean drivers increasingly turning their eyes to Tesla cars for bargains, not for luxury cachet

Hyundai Motor and its affiliate firm Kia were ranked in ninth place on a new Greenpeace study on 15 automakers' decarbonization efforts, down four spots from the environmental organization's assessment a year ago. According to Greenpeace East Asia’s analysis on Thursday, the South Korean carmakers received 5.58 points for the proportion of zero-emission vehicle sales and a mere 3 points for decarbonizing efforts in their supply chains. Noting that the sales of sports utility vehi

Korean automaker Kia presents the EV9, the carmaker’s first three-row battery-powered sport utility vehicle, to its brand ambassador and renowned tennis player Rafael Nadal at the IFEMA Convention Center in Madrid on Wednesday. In October 2021, the company gave Nadal the EV6, its first electric vehicle to have adopted Hyundai Motor Group’s EV platform. Kia has sponsored Nadal since 2004 and recently renewed the partnership until 2025. (Kia)

Hyundai Motor Company and its sister firm Kia announced Wednesday that they have signed a strategic partnership with Infineon Technologies AG, a global top-tier automotive semiconductor developer, to upgrade electric vehicle performance and secure power semiconductor supply chains. Under the partnership, the South Korean automakers will cooperate with the chipmaker to develop technologies with a goal to enhance the power performance of EVs and hybrid vehicles slated to be released in the future.

Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday that its affiliate Kia has reached a tentative agreement with its labor union, continuing wage talks without a strike for a third consecutive year. The management and labor union members sat down for the 16th round of negotiations at Kia Autoland in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. The most pressing item on the agenda was whether Kia would remove a clause in the collective agreement that allows for the hiring of children of workers with more than 25 yea

BMW’s XM Label Red, a limited edition sport activity vehicle under the M performance brand, is displayed Wednesday ahead of the BMW Ladies Championship that kicks off Thursday in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The German carmaker plans to unveil two M cars – the XM Label Red and the i7 M70 xDrive, the first battery-powered 7 Series model --during the four-day event. BMW has showcased its latest models during the nation’s only LPGA tour every year since 2019. (BMW Korea)

Volkswagen’s pure electric sport utility vehicle ID.4 has been gaining traction in Korea, especially among drivers in their 30s and 40s, as one of the most reasonably priced premium EVs. According to Volkswagen Korea, its competitive pricing sets the car apart from other EV rivals. The 2023 all-electric ID.4 is priced in the range of 50 million won ($37,000), but with a government subsidy of up to 5.8 million won, the price can be further lowered to the upper 40 million won range. In Aug

GREEN+Kids, Mercedes-Benz Korea's environmental education program for children here, has been recognized as an outstanding environmental education program by the Ministry of Environment, the automaker's corporate social responsibility committee said Wednesday. The GREEN+Kids program, which is aimed at guiding children toward a carbon neutral lifestyle and teach everyday practices to reduce their carbon footprint, has reached 427 social welfare institutions and elementary schools nation

Hyundai Motor Group said Tuesday that its urban air mobility arm Supernal, along with its sister firm Kia, are showcasing their latest UAM vision and drone technology at this week's Seoul ADEX 2023, Korea’s largest aerospace and defense trade show. This is the first time for the US-based Supernal to set up an exhibition booth at the biennial event since its launch in 2020. During the event, it aims to raise its brand awareness and seek new business opportunities. At this year’s

A Genesis G80 sedan, wrapped with the promotional designs for Busan’s Expo bid, is displayed at Hyundai Motor Studio in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Hyundai Motor Group said the special exhibition will be held until Nov. 28 when the host country of the 2030 World Expo is decided during the general gathering of the Bureau International des Expositions in Paris. (Hyundai Motor Group)

Three new models -- EV3, EV4, EV5 -- unveiled before official launch in coming years