Police to probe e-scooter firms after unlicensed teen crash leaves mother in coma

South Korean police are weighing criminal liability for e-scooter rental companies after a teen riding a scooter critically injured a woman in Incheon last month, a case that has intensified public anger over a service already strained by years of accidents, sidewalk conflicts and government crackdowns. Police confirmed they are reviewing whether rental platforms facilitated unlicensed riding in the Songdo accident on Oct. 18, which involved two middle school students who crashed into a woman wa

Nov. 16, 2025

Hyundai Motor plans record W125.2tr Korea investment by 2030

Korea's automotive-to-steelmaking conglomerate Hyundai Motor Group will invest an unprecedented 125.2 trillion won ($86 billion) in Korea over the next five years, as tariff pressures have eased following a recent US-Korea agreement. According to the group on Sunday, the investment is intended to secure long-term growth engines and support Korea’s push to become a global mobility innovation hub, while also protecting Korea’s supply chains amid rising global protectionism. The amount will surpass

Nov. 16, 2025

Mercedes-Benz to launch 40 new models, deepens ties with Samsung, LG

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a plan on Friday to launch 40 vehicle lineups globally and in Korea by 2027, while highlighting partnerships with Samsung and LG that it says will add further momentum to its technology ambitions. At the Mercedes-Benz Future Strategy Conference in Incheon earlier in the day, Mercedes-Benz Group AG CEO Ola Kallenius said the upcoming lineup will span fully electric models, plug-in hybrids and electrified high-end combustion vehicles. He also offered a preview of next ye

Nov. 14, 2025

Kia completes 1st PBV production plant in Hwaseong

Kia unveiled its newly built EVO Plant East — Hyundai Motor Group’s first factory dedicated to platform beyond vehicle, or PBV — in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province on Friday, signifying the automaker’s emphasis on the electrification of light commercial vehicles. Kia, Korea’s second-largest automaker behind its affiliate Hyundai Motor, held a completion ceremony for the EVO Plant East and a groundbreaking ceremony for the EVO Plant West at Kia Autoland Hwaseong on the same day. According to Kia, the

Nov. 14, 2025

LG, Samsung discuss automotive industry partnerships with Mercedes-Benz

Top executives of South Korea's LG and Samsung groups on Thursday held meetings with Mercedes-Benz Group AG to discuss cooperation in automotive parts for advanced cars, including electric vehicles. Cho Joo-wan, chief executive officer of LG Electronics Inc., met with Mercedes-Benz Group Chairman Ola Kallenius in Seoul to share visions on the future mobility industry led by EVs, the business group said in a release. Three other LG affiliate leaders -- Kim Dong-myung of LG Energy Solution Ltd., J

Nov. 13, 2025

Will Hyundai’s fuel-cell buses accelerate hydrogen mobility?

Hyundai Motor Group is pushing ahead with hydrogen buses as a core pillar of its mobility strategy, betting that commercial fleets will give the technology a clearer path to scale than passenger cars. Despite high costs and slow global infrastructure rollout, experts say buses are better suited to showcase hydrogen’s advantages, especially for heavy loads and long-distance operation. While hydrogen is viewed as a potential replacement for diesel in commercial transport, high prices and the slugg

Nov. 13, 2025

Will Hyundai’s Georgia training center meet US demand for local talent?

Just over two months after a US immigration raid on Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution’s joint battery plant in Georgia, the Korean automaker moves to reinforce its commitment to local workforce development, opening a training center in the same state as part of its $12.6 billion investment pledge. The 26,700-square-meter Hyundai Mobility Training Center of Georgia, launched last week, will be the core facility for Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America and its five affiliates, training o

Nov. 12, 2025

Hyundai Motor on edge as Korea-US tariff deal stalls

Hyundai Motor Group is growing uneasy, as the release of a joint fact sheet on the outcome of Korea-US tariff negotiations faces delays, leaving its US-bound vehicle exports still subject to a hefty 25 percent duty. According to industry sources Tuesday, nearly two weeks have passed since Seoul and Washington were expected to release the document shortly after the Oct. 29 meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump, held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Coo

Nov. 11, 2025

Hyundai Motor to supply electric buses to Bali

Hyundai Motor has been selected as the official supplier of electric buses for Indonesia’s Bali, the Korean automaker said Tuesday. According to Hyundai Motor, which won the bid led by the Global Green Growth Institute on behalf of the Indonesian government in August this year, it received high ratings in the competitiveness of electric bus quality, after-sales services and experience in pro-environmental official development assistance projects. The automaker will supply 10 units of its battery

Nov. 11, 2025

Will Hyundai feel the pinch as Chinese EV makers flood Europe?

As China grapples with a glut of electric vehicles coupled with an intensifying price war at home, more low-cost Chinese EVs are now flowing into Europe — the world's second-largest EV market, increasing competitive pressure on Hyundai Motor Group. A report released Monday by the Korea Automotive Technology Institute shows the scale of China’s oversupply problem. China’s auto production capacity reached 55.07 million vehicles in 2024, more than twice its domestic sales of 26.9 million. Major aut

Nov. 10, 2025

Korea’s mid-tier automakers struggle to reverse domestic plunge

Korea’s three mid-sized automakers are facing a steep fall in domestic sales, with their market share shrinking to just above 7 percent this year. The downturn, driven by aging lineups, is prompting concerns over the weakening of the country's auto industry base. According to market tracker Carisyou, Renault Korea, KG Mobility and Chevrolet all posted double-digit year-on-year declines in domestic sales in October, falling 29.8 percent, 23.1 percent and 45.2 percent, respectively. The decline is

Nov. 7, 2025

Hyundai Motor Group partners with UK AI startup for new material innovation

Hyundai Motor Group announced Friday that it has teamed up with CuspAI, a United Kingdom-based artificial intelligence start-up, to accelerate its research into new materials for future mobility solutions. The company, located in Cambridge, developed an AI-powered platform that combines generative AI, deep learning and molecular simulation to accelerate the discovery of materials optimized for specific purposes by analyzing their properties and combinations. Hyundai Motor Group expects the colla

Nov. 7, 2025

Hyundai bets on Nvidia to reboot its autonomous driving ambitions

For Hyundai Motor Group, the road to autonomous driving has been far longer than expected. Once an early mover among legacy automakers, the company’s self-driving push has lost momentum in recent years amid technological setbacks and internal struggles. While rivals like Tesla and Waymo have advanced their autonomous driving technology, Hyundai’s own road map — despite a high-profile investment in US joint venture Motional and the acquisition of Seoul-based startup 42dot — remains mainly in the

Nov. 6, 2025

[Photo News] Hyundai Motor CEO sets 2026 course

Hyundai Motor Company's executives -- Lee Yeong-ho (second from left), head of the global operations division; CEO Jose Munoz (center); Kim Hae-in (second from right), head of the human resources division; and Kim Chang-hwan (first from right), head of the electrification energy solutions tech unit -- speak to the company's employees during a town hall meeting held on Wednesday in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. The town hall meeting -- the third presided over by CEO Munoz since he was appointed las

Nov. 6, 2025

Fescaro enters agricultural machinery cybersecurity with Daedong

South Korean mobility software solutions provider Fescaro said Thursday that it has secured a cybersecurity project from Daedong, a leading agricultural machinery manufacturer here, marking the company’s entry into the specialized mobility market. The deal comes as the European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act, adopted in 2024, requires cybersecurity measures for all products containing digital elements. Beginning in 2027, the regulation will make cybersecurity mandatory for all mobility-related pro

Nov. 6, 2025