[KH Explains] How LG Energy Solution’s bold bet paid off with Tesla, Mercedes deals

Cylindrical 4680 batteries, named for their 46-millimeter diameter and 80-millimeter height, are hailed as a pivotal advanced battery technology in electric vehicles due to enhanced energy storage capacity and power output. Tesla, a trailblazer in the EV industry, gained acclaim with its affordable electric vehicles powered by these cost-effective small batteries, comparable in size to the AA batteries used in handheld devices. To produce bigger cylindrical cells that allow higher productivity

Oct. 29, 2024

Why Kia’s first pickup isn't debuting in US

Kia’s first-ever pickup, the Tasman, is unlikely to debut in the US, the world’s largest pickup truck market, largely due to lower profitability amid protectionist policies there. “We do not have plans to sell the Tasman pickups in the US because of the hefty tariffs imposed on Korea-made pickups under the free trade agreement between the two nations,” a Kia official told The Korea Herald at the Tasman’s media unveiling event in Seoul on Monday. The official also

Oct. 29, 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

SK Innovation replaces heads of key subsidiaries

SK Innovation said Thursday that three of its key subsidiaries -- SK Energy, SK Geocentric and SK IE Technology -- have appointed new company heads with technological expertise to tackle business uncertainties and strengthen core competitiveness. The announcement comes eight days before the mega-merger of SK Innovation and SK E&S, two major energy affiliates of SK Group, which will create Korea’s largest energy giant with combined assets of 100 trillion won ($723.6 billion). The newly

Oct. 24, 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

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

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