Automotive

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  Volkswagen vehicle installed with LGES battery sets new Guinness record in Bolivia mountain SEOUL -- A Volkswagen vehicle installed with a high-capacity and high-performance battery from LG Energy Solution, a major battery maker in South Korea, has set a new Guinness record as the world's highest driving electric vehicle which was tested in rough terrains in a dormant volcano in Bolivia. Volkswagen's new top-of-the-range model, ID.4 GTX, has successfully completed its mission to drive Mount Uturuncu in the Sur Lípez Province of Bolivia on May 18. The moun 2022-05-24
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  Hyundai Mobis unveils next-generation 'swivel' display for self-driving cars SEOUL -- Hyundai Mobis, the parts-making unit of South Korea's Hyundai auto group, has developed the world's first variable display technology that moves a large curved screen. It is optimized for an integrated diver's seat system for self-driving cars. The 34-inch swivel screen applied with 6K high-resolution OLED panels moves up and down. It is a multi-curved screen that can be bent in three stages from top to bottom, Hyundai Mobis said, adding that the display can be 2022-05-20
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  Hyundai auto group unveils massive investment plan to boost domestic electric vehicle production SEOUL -- In an unheralded announcement, South Korea's Hyundai auto group came up with the proposed investment of some 21 trillion won ($16.6 billion) to boost the domestic production of electric vehicles to 1.44 million units per year by 2030. The domestic production of electric vehicles in 2022 is estimated at 350,000 units. Without specifying where and how much their investment will be funneled, Hyundai Motor and its affiliate, Kia Motors, vowed to enhance a domestic electri 2022-05-18
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  Hyundai Motor works with domestic firm to develop lidar for self-driving robots SEOUL -- As part of its strategy to implement a new "Mobility of Things" ecosystem using robots, South Korea's Hyundai auto group will work with a domestic company to develop a miniaturized lidar system for mobile robots. The goal is to develop a self-driving robot that can move stably between obstacles or on uneven roads by expanding the range of object recognition. Hyundai Motor Group said that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Smart Optical Sensors 2022-05-17
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  Hyundai's future mobility concept envisages Ondol underfloor heating method SEOUL -- South Korea's Hyundai auto group has released a future mobility concept that would allow passengers to fully rest while on the move in the era of self-driving by applying a specially designed "full-flat" seat and a unique heating system inspired by the underfloor heating method of Ondol that can maintain heat for an extended period and keeps both the floor and the air warm. In traditional Korean architecture, Ondol used heat from kitchen furnaces to warm the 2022-05-16
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  Hyundai Mobis works with German partner Vector to develop AUTOSAR-based standard software platform SEOUL -- Hyundai Mobis, a parts-making wing of South Korea's Hyundai auto group, will develop a standard software platform with its German partner, Vector, to maximize the competitiveness of vehicle software in the global automobile market. Hyundai Mobis has signed a memorandum of understanding with Vector for the joint development of AUTOSAR-based software platform. AUTOSAR is a development partnership of automotive interested parties with the aim of creating an open and sta 2022-05-12
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  Vertical Aerospace joins consortium to demonstrate UAM service in S. Korea SEOUL -- Vertical Aerospace, a British aerospace manufacturer, will provide its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft as the sixth member of a South Korean consortium that will participate in the demonstration of urban air mobility (UAM), an ecosystem covering personal air vehicles and infrastructure. Vertical Aerospace's eVTOL aircraft is the same model that will make a pilot flight along established flight paths in Paris during the 2024 Olympics. Vertical Aer 2022-05-11
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  Autonomous trucking company Mars Auto raises $12 million Series A SEOUL -- Mars Auto, an artificial intelligence startup that develops self-driving technology for trucks in South Korea, has raised $12 million in the Series A funding round led by GFT Ventures, a venture capital investment firm based in California, reflecting investors' interest in the level of the company's technology development. Autonomous truck driving must be implemented with completely different models in a high-speed environment. Mars Auto develops a perception-ba 2022-05-04
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  Hyundai Motor's first metamobility NFT collection to be offered through official NFT website SEOUL -- South Korea's Hyundai auto group will offer its first exclusive metamobility non-fungible token (NFT) collection, "Shooting Star," through its official NFT website. A full-fledged NFT project will be created within the concept of the group's metamobility universe. As the first automaker which has built a global NFT community, Hyundai Motor launched an official website on May 2, as well as dedicated channels on Twitter and Discord, a VoIP, instant messagin 2022-05-03
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  Doosan Fuel Cell partners with Canada's Ballard to develop hydrogen fuel cell system for mobility SEOUL -- Doosan Fuel Cell partnered with Ballard Power Systems, a Canadian manufacturer of polymer-electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), to develop a hydrogen fuel cell system for mobility. PEMFC is being developed mainly for transport applications as well as for stationary and portable fuel-cell applications due to its high energy efficiency, simple structure and excellent durability. Hydrogen fuel cells use hydrogen as fuel to produce electricity. Small-sized cells are insta 2022-04-28
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  Solus clinches 5-year contract to ship copper foils for ACC electric vehicle batteries SEOUL -- Solus Advanced Materials, an electric component and copper product maker in South Korea, has secured a five-year contract to provide copper foils to Automotive Cells Company, an automotive battery producer in Europe. Copper foils for secondary batteries work as the bridge between external components and internal lithium-ion transports. In a deal worth some 200 billion ($158 million), Solus said that its subsidiary in Hungary would ship copper foils for five years from 20 2022-04-27
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  SK Telecom aims to launch air tax service with eVTOL from American partner Joby Aviation SEOUL -- SK Telecom aims to launch an air tax service based on an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) from its American partner, Joby Aviation. On a trial basis, the mobile carrier will introduce an unspecified number of eVTOL units from Joby. SK Telecom (SKT) said it has secured an advantageous position on the introduction of Joby's eVTOL in South Korea. The deal followed a strategic partnership signed by the two companies in February 2022 to cooperate in urb 2022-04-25
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  LG Chem develops plastic material capable of delaying flame propagation in battery pack SEOUL -- LG Chem, a chemical unit of South Korea's LG Group, has developed a highly functional fire-retardant engineering plastic material that delays thermal runaway in electric vehicle batteries for the longest time in the world. The commercial construction of the new material that can help drivers earn time to evacuate and extinguish a fire is to begin in 2023. LG Chem said its fire-retardant engineering plastic material can help prevent flame propagation caused by thermal 2022-04-25
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  Hyundai Rotem selected for demonstration of liquefied hydrogen charging station SEOUL -- Hyundai Rotem, a subsidiary of South Korea's Hyundai auto group, has been selected for a provincial government project to demonstrate a liquefied hydrogen charging station. This is the first time to demonstrate a liquefied hydrogen charging station with domestic technology. Under a deal with Gangwon Technopark, the operator of science and technology centers in the province of Gangwon, Hyundai Rotem would lead the demonstration of a liquefied hydrogen charging station w 2022-04-22
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  Battery makers take different path in commercializing all-solid-state batteries SEOUL -- There is no disagreement among South Korean companies over the marketability of all-solid-state batteries for electric vehicles as they strive hard to gain a competitive edge in a global battery war by releasing efficient next-generation products with affordable manufacturing costs ahead of other countries. The only difference is about what form of materials South Korean battery makers focus on. All-solid-state batteries are seen as a next-generation power source for elect 2022-04-14
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  Hyundai auto group provides new digital key service for Samsung and Apple smartphones SEOUL -- Even If drivers carry Samsung and Apple smartphones in their cloth pockets or bags, they can open the car door and start the engine by using new digital keys from South Korea's Hyundai auto group, which has developed digital key technology that allows drivers to access, start, operate and control cars only with smartphones. The auto group has launched a contactless "digital key 2" service applied with ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, which is a short-range, wi 2022-04-12
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  Researchers develop low-cost flexible high-energy density lithium-sulfur battery SEOUL -- South Korea's government-funded research body has developed a low-cost flexible high-energy-density lithium-sulfur battery that lowered manufacturing costs by using resource-rich sulfur as a cathode material instead of expensive rare-earth. The energy density of lithium-sulfur batteries developed by a research team at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) is the world's highest level. The institute said lithium-sulfur batteries would be widely used i 2022-04-11
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  KAERI researcher use 3D printing to develop cheaper fuel cell separator plates SEOUL -- A research team at South Korea's state nuclear energy research body has developed a 3D printing technology that can drastically lower the price of metal separator plates used in fuel cell stacks. The surface of the stainless alloy was coated with a chromium aluminum alloy with high corrosion resistance instead of gold using 3D printing technology. The popularization of hydrogen cars has been hampered by high prices. Because gold is chemically very stable and hardly re 2022-04-11
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  BMW works with KEPCO to introduce plug and charge service in S. Korea SEOUL -- The South Korean branch of BMW will work with South Korea's state power company to develop a plug and charge (PnC) service intended to make charging and paying uncomplicated and safe for the customers of electric car manufacturers. BMW is the first imported car brand in South Korea to develop a PnC service based on international standards. The German company would complete the demonstration of its PnC service between BMW electric vehicles and Korea Electric Power Corp 2022-04-11
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  France's UTAC works with S. Korea's research body to strengthen future car competitiveness SEOUL -- UTAC, a French automotive inspection and testing company, joined hands with South Korea's state research body specializing in automotive parts to strengthen future car competitiveness through technical cooperation. Korea Automotive Technology Institute (Katech) said that a business agreement on cooperation in future mobility technologies was signed at the French headquarters of UTAC, which delivers a complete range of automotive technical tests. Katech has been involved 2022-04-05