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How Hyundai is closing in on Toyota in US hybrids
Toyota has set the pace in the US hybrid market for decades. The Prius defined the segment, while hybrid SUVs such as the RAV4 and Highlander entrenched Toyota’s dominance as American consumers gravitated toward larger vehicles. What once looked like an overly cautious strategy — prioritizing hybrids while rivals bet heavily on full electric vehicles — is now paying dividends. As US EV demand cools and subsidies fade, hybrids have reemerged as the most commercially resilient powertrain. That shi
Dec. 16, 2025 -
Hyundai Motor CEO reaffirms US investment, says Georgia plant to create 40,000 jobs
Hyundai Motor Company CEO Jose Munoz reaffirmed the automaker’s long-term investment commitment and signaled confidence in its Georgia operations during a visit to the state, despite recent controversy over the detention of hundreds of South Korean workers at a Georgia construction site. In an interview with the Atlanta Business Chronicle published Saturday, Munoz said Hyundai’s previously announced $26 billion US investment over the next four years is still on track. Of that amount, $2.7 billio
Dec. 16, 2025 -
Porsche Korea eyes 10,000 sales under CEO Busse’s value-driven growth
Porsche Korea is on track to surpass 10,000 vehicle deliveries this year, regaining its growth momentum under CEO Mathias Busse, whose focus on a "value over volume" philosophy is boosting the brand’s performance and electrification efforts in the Korean market. The German carmaker’s Korean unit said Friday it sold 9,739 units as of November, up from 8,284 units for all of 2024. Electrified vehicles accounted for 60 percent of sales here, with plug-in hybrid models at 28 percent and battery elec
Dec. 12, 2025 -
Hyundai Motor secures 224 hydrogen-bus order in Guangzhou
Hyundai Motor Group said Friday it has won an order to supply 224 hydrogen-powered buses to the state-owned bus group in Guangzhou, marking the largest single hydrogen bus procurement deal in China. The 8.5-meter hydrogen electric bus, jointly developed by HTWO Guangzhou, Hyundai Motor Group’s hydrogen fuel cell system unit in China, and Chinese commercial vehicle maker Kaiwo Group, secured the top ranking in Guangzhou Public Transport Group’s recent assessment for the city’s bus procurement pro
Dec. 12, 2025 -
SK On ends Ford JV to boost solo US capacity
SK On is unwinding its US battery joint venture with Ford Motor Co., ending a three-year partnership as it accelerates its move toward fully independent production in the North American market. The Korean battery-maker said Thursday that SK On and Ford will separately own and operate the three BlueOval SK battery plants that had been jointly established. Under the restructuring, SK On will take full ownership of the Tennessee plant currently under construction, while Ford, through a subsidiary,
Dec. 11, 2025 -
Korean battery makers rethink Europe strategy as China gains ground
As China’s battery titans face a glut at home and growing political headwinds in North America, they are redirecting their firepower toward Europe — the world’s second-largest EV market and, increasingly, the main battleground for global battery dominance. Backed by aggressive pricing and massive scale, Chinese suppliers are rapidly expanding through exports even before their landmark European plants come online, squeezing the space once firmly held by Korea’s LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and
Dec. 11, 2025 -
Posco, Dongwon weigh fresh bids as HMM sale resumes
As South Korea readies to reopen the sale of HMM after last year’s collapse, steel maker Posco Group and fisheries giant Dongwon Group are weighing whether to join a renewed bidding war for the country’s largest container carrier. The state-run Korea Development Bank, HMM’s largest shareholder with a 35.42 percent stake, recently sent out a request for proposals to local accounting firms to conduct a fair-value assessment, according to industry sources. Market watchers see the move as part of th
Dec. 11, 2025 -
Kia raises global sales target for new Seltos
Kia has unveiled The All-New Seltos, its top-selling subcompact SUV, setting an ambitious global sales target of over 430,000 units, with the US, Mexico and India as priority markets. “Kia aims to sell 130,000 units in North America — 100,000 in the US and 30,000 in Mexico — and around 100,000 units in India, where the first-generation Seltos debuted and helped the brand secure more than 6 percent market share,” Kia CEO Song Ho-sung said Tuesday during an online press briefing. The first-generat
Dec. 10, 2025 -
Samsung SDI wins over W2tr US ESS battery deal, expands into LFP
South Korean battery-maker Samsung SDI announced Wednesday that its American subsidiary has signed a deal valued at over 2 trillion won ($1.36 billion) to supply lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, batteries to a leading US energy company. Samsung SDI America has entered into a three-year agreement to deliver LFP batteries for energy storage systems to an unnamed energy infrastructure developer, with shipments set to begin in 2027, the company said in a press release. The batteries will be produced
Dec. 10, 2025 -
Hyundai Mobis to debut holographic windshield display at CES
Hyundai Mobis announced Tuesday that it will showcase 30 next-generation mobility technologies at next month’s CES 2026 trade show, underscoring its accelerating push to expand its foothold in the North American market. Slated for Jan. 6 to 9, 2026, in Las Vegas, the company will operate a private booth for preselected global customers, shifting its focus from broad promotion to securing concrete orders in the region. Hyundai Mobis said it aims to make CES a “high-impact business venue” by hosti
Dec. 9, 2025 -
Fescaro sees rising demand for automotive cybersecurity solutions
South Korean mobility software solutions provider Fescaro said Monday that it has secured five consecutive contracts this year for its Key Management System (KMS) as global automakers race to meet tightening cybersecurity regulations. The surge in demand comes as the automotive industry shifts toward software-defined vehicles. While this transition boosts connectivity, it also heightens exposure to hacking risks, prompting regulators — including the EU, South Korea, and China — to impose stricte
Dec. 9, 2025 -
High-speed train services KTX, SRT to merge by 2026
South Korea will push ahead with merging the country’s two largest high-speed rail services, KTX and SRT, by the end of next year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Monday. In an integration roadmap unveiled at the government complex in Sejong, the ministry said it will implement transitional measures between KTX, operated by the state-run Korea Railroad Corp., and SRT, run by its subsidiary SR Corp., with the goal of a full merger. The proposed merger between KTX and SRT h
Dec. 8, 2025 -
LG Energy Solution breaks deeper into Mercedes mass-market EV lineup
LG Energy Solution has secured an additional 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion) battery supply contract with Mercedes-Benz — likely targeting midpriced electric vehicles, according to industry sources — further strengthening its presence across both premium and mass-market segments and widening its lead over Chinese rivals. According to the company’s regulatory filing Monday, the latest deal accounts for 8 percent of LG Energy Solution’s revenue last year and covers battery supply to North America an
Dec. 8, 2025 -
Hyundai Mobis expands India R&D with new Bengaluru software lab
Hyundai Mobis, the auto parts arm of Hyundai Motor Group, announced Monday that it has opened a new software research and development lab in Bengaluru — widely regarded as India’s IT capital — to bolster its global competitiveness. The milestone establishes a dual-track R&D framework in India. The new lab will operate alongside the company’s existing research center in Hyderabad, which was consolidated and expanded earlier this year, to enhance local software development capacity. Bengaluru, loc
Dec. 8, 2025 -
Tesla self-driving debut in Korea sparks regulatory disadvantage for Hyundai
Tesla has begun rolling out its supervised "Full Self-Driving" system in South Korea, making the country the seventh market to gain access to the advanced driver-assistance feature — a capability not yet offered by Hyundai Motor Group or other local carmakers. Industry concerns are mounting with the system arriving just as Korea-US trade revisions scrapped the 50,000-vehicle limit on US-made cars entering Korea under US safety standards. With that cap removed, Tesla now faces fewer regulatory hu
Dec. 7, 2025