Automotive

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  Hyundai Wia makes foray into EV heat management component market SEOUL -- Hyundai Wia, South Korea's car parts maker, has entered the global electric vehicle heat management component market with a coolant hub module that manages the heat released by the batteries, motors, and other electric components. Hyundai Wia's module will be installed into Hyundai Motor and Kia's EV models. Heat management is an important aspect in the operation of an EV. When an EV's parts are heated, the overheating could lead to degraded performance or 2023-05-16
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  ​Sales of Hyundai and Kia cars increase in India for more than 12 consecutive months SEOUL -- Sales of Hyundai Motor and Kia vehicles in India, the world's third-largest automotive market, are steadily increasing. Sales of Hyundai cars have increased for 12 consecutive months while Kia's sales increased for 14 months in a row. According to data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on May 15, accumulated sales of Hyundai and Kia cars in India in the first four months of 2023 stood at 295,359 units, up 15.5 percent from the same p 2023-05-15
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  S. Korean clean energy vehicle makers target overseas commercial vehicle markets SEOUL -- While many countries around the world are joining a global initiative that aims to achieve net-zero carbon emission by 2050, South Korean clean energy commercial vehicle makers including Hyundai Motor are eyeing overseas markets with electric buses and hydrogen fuel cell commercial heavy-duty trucks. Commercial clean energy vehicles are mainly divided into two sectors -- electric and hydrogen fuel cell -- and while the electric drive system is widely adopted by many countr 2023-05-09
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  KG Mobility selected as preferred negotiator for acquisition of domestic electric bus maker SEOUL -- KG Mobility, formerly known as Ssangyong Motor, has set out to negotiate with Edison Motor, a domestic electric bus maker to meet an agreement in an acquisition deal. Edison Motor creates electric buses with up to 85 percent localized parts. The South Korean carmaker well-known for its lineup of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) said in a statement on April 26 that the company has been selected by a bankruptcy court in Changwon some 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Seoul as 2023-04-27
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  Hyundai's car parts maker wing showcases crab-walking vehicle SEOUL -- Hyundai Mobis, the parts-making unit of South Korea's Hyundai auto group, has demonstrated an electric vehicle capable of crab driving, which enables cars to move sideways like a crab to evade obstacles or move out of a tight spot. Using four wheels that move at different angles, the crab-walking vehicle can also spin around 360 degrees. The car parts maker released a video showing Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 equipped with the all-in-one electric vehicle (EV) wheel modul 2023-04-24
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  S. Korea's SUV maker KG Mobility launches special brand for car tuning and customizing parts SEOUL -- KG Mobility, formerly known as Ssangyong Motor, will launch a new subsidiary specializing in tuning and customizable parts for vehicles, targeting South Korea's tuning car parts market that is projected to reach 10.5 trillion won ($7.9 billion) by 2030. Ssangyong Motor, which started business in South Korea as a small vehicle workshop founded by the late automotive titan Ha Dong-hwan in 1954, gained a reputation as the maker of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) in the coun 2023-04-18
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  Hyundai and Kia cars excluded from list of EVs eligible for US tax credits of up to $7,500 SEOUL -- The US Treasury Department has sidelined Hyundai and Kia's electric vehicles from the list of 16 EVs that are eligible for the United States federal tax credit of up to $7,500, which branches out from the Inflation Reduction Act that was signed into law in 2022. The exclusion cast a dark cloud over the South Korean carmakers as their products lost competitiveness in the North American EV market which is growing at an average annual growth rate of about 37 percent to 2023-04-18
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  Kia reveals big plan to accelerate electrification of vehicles to sell 2.3 mln eco-friendly cars by 2030 SEOUL -- Kia, a South Korean carmaker affiliated with Hyundai Motor, has revealed a big plan to go full throttle on the electrification of its vehicle lineups in a bid to capture the global future clean energy vehicle market. The world's clean energy vehicle market, mainly dominated by electric vehicles (EVs), is growing at a whopping speed of an average annual growth rate of about 55 percent to reach 10.2 million units sold in 2022, according to global market research firm Cou 2023-04-06
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  Hybrid model of Hyundai's new full-sized sedan Grandeur garners popularity in S. Korea SEOUL -- About 40 percent of consumers who buy the latest model of Grandeur, Hyundai's full-sized sedan also known by the name of Azera in foreign markets, choose the hybrid option, data released by the South Korean carmaker showed. Grandeur, first released in the domestic market through collaboration with Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi in 1986, gained iconic recognition among South Koreans as the "car of a successful person." The full-sized sedan was popular among busi 2023-03-27
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  Hyundai unveils automatic charging robot for electric vehicles SEOUL -- To ease electric vehicle drivers' hassle of having to plug a charging cord into their cars every time, South Korean carmaker Hyundai has developed an intelligent robot that can communicate with vehicles and automatically connect a car to a charger. Currently, electric vehicle (EV) drivers have to park their cars in a parking lot section where EV chargers are installed and manually plug the charger cord into their vehicle. The process is simple but it gets tr 2023-03-22
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  Kia showcases concept model for compact electric SUV 'EV5' exclusive for Chinese market SEOUL -- South Korean carmaker Kia has showcased a concept model for the company's new electric compact sport utility vehicle exclusive for the Chinese market during an unveiling event held in Shanghai on March 20. Kia will seek to secure its foothold in the Chinese electric vehicle market which is growing 87 percent year-on-year. China has the world's largest passenger EV market where one in every four cars sold is an EV, according to Counterpoint Research, a global market 2023-03-21
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  ​Hyundai Motor company becomes world's third-largest carmaker: market data SEOUL -- South Korea's Hyundai auto group has become the world's third-largest carmaker, thanks to the motor group's clean energy vehicles including electric vehicles which became popular in major car markets in North America and Europe, investor relations data released by various car companies showed. Also, increased sales of Hyundai's luxury car brand Genesis played a vital role in boosting the company's global recognition around the world. Hyundai entered the 2023-03-15
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  Hyundai signs term sheet to acquire GM car factory in India SEOUL -- Hyundai Motor is pushing to acquire a foreign car factory in India for the first time since entering the Indian market in 1996. The company aims to increase its annual production to around 900,000 units and surpass the current leader Maruti Suzuki to take the top spot in the world's fourth-largest car market. According to data released by Statista, a global market analyst firm, India's automobile market is rapidly growing at an annual average growth rate of about 3 2023-03-14
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  Lotte Himart to establish EV charging infrastructure in electronics stores' parking lots SEOUL -- Lotte Himart, a South Korean retailer of electronic goods, has teamed up with domestic electric vehicle charger manufacturer Jungang Control to establish EV charging infrastructure in parking lots at its electronics stores. The retailer has some 400 stores nationwide. South Korea is trying hard to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 by promoting the use of renewable energy and clean fuels. As of the third quarter of 2022, about 340,700 EVs were registered in 2023-01-13
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  LG Uplus to acquire subsidiary's EV charging service business division SEOUL -- LG Uplus, a major mobile carrier in South Korea, will make a foray into the country's rapidly growing electric vehicle charging service industry by acquiring the EV charging business division of LG HelloVision, the cable television network wing of the mobile carrier. South Korea with more than 25 million registered vehicles has 340,700 EVs registered as of the third quarter of 2022. According to the trade ministry, the domestic sales of EVs are increasing by some 80 pe 2023-01-13
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  SwRI to work with Korean automotive technology researchers for autonomous vehicle-related projects SEOUL -- The Southwest Research Institute, a Texas-based nonprofit organization specializing in smart mobility, has partnered with an automotive technology research institute in South Korea to gain a competitive edge in self-driving technology. Various projects such as pedestrian behavior prediction and automatic speed control technology will be carried out. The Korea Automotive Technology Institute (KATECH) said in a statement that it has partnered with the Southwest Research Inst 2023-01-10
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  LG Chem's lightweight plastic material used as exterior part of Mitsubishi vehicles SEOUL -- A lightweight plastic component developed by LG Chem, the chemical unit of South Korea's LG Group, was used as an exterior part of vehicles made by Mitsubishi Motors, one of Japan's largest car makers. The new material which is about 8.8 pounds lighter than steel material can improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. The plastic material called "LUCON TX5007" was used in the front fender of Mitsubishi Motors. Front fenders located on the side o 2023-01-10
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  Tmap Mobility to provide Volvo's new EV with HD map system and driver assistant system SEOUL -- Tmap Mobility, a smart mobility solution wing of South Korea's SK Group, will provide Volvo's new electric vehicle EX90 with a self-developed high-definition map and advanced driver assistant system. The autonomous driving technology solutions will help Volvo's EV safely navigate its way around roads in South Korea. A high-definition (HD) map is a highly accurate map that contains just about every detail which is not normally provided by ordinary maps. The digi 2023-01-09
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  Researchers discover new ways to commercialize batteries with manganese spinel cathode SEOUL -- A surge in the price of nickel and other metals used for lithium-ion electric vehicle batteries prompted researchers to utilize inexpensive manganese (Mn) without performance degradation. The of Mn-rich chemistry has attracted attention as a promising option to realize cathode materials with high economic sustainability, price competitiveness, and reasonable energy density. The state-run Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) said that its energy materials resea 2022-12-20
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  Hyundai releases upgraded version of luxury EV GV60 with facial recognition feature for all trims SEOUL -- Hyundai has released an upgraded version of GV60, a compact sport utility electric vehicle of the South Korean carmaker's luxury brand Genesis, featuring facial recognition, vehicle-to-load, and over-the-air update features to all trims. GV60 was first released in 2019. The first Genesis full-electric SUV was developed using Hyundai's E-GMP platform, a versatile EV platform that plays the role of a base framework for Hyundai and Kia EVs. The rear-wheel-drive mode 2022-12-16