A self-driving truck by Hyundai Motor completed a 40-kilometer highway drive south of Seoul, in the first successful test-run of an autonomous truck here, the company said Wednesday.The 40-ton Xcient, linked with a trailer, was operated with level 3 of autonomy at a maximum speed of 90 kph. The company applied differentiated sensing technology and a control system by attaching 10 sensors including three cameras, two radars and three lidar sets on the front.  A self-driving truck is tested with a

Samsung Electronics said Tuesday that it would not be acquiring a major car manufacturer, refuting market rumors that the South Korean tech giant might re-enter the automobile business.In a message to its workers, the company said it has no plans to manufacture electric vehicles and self-driving cars, or acquire related companies. (AFP)The company will instead focus on the development of displays and chips for a self-driving control system as part of its automotive business, it added.Rumors of S

The midsized sport utility vehicle Tucson is the most popular Hyundai Motor product in the world. The South Korean carmaker sold more than 640,000 units globally last year alone -- around 8 percent of its annual sales. And such a title must have had its engineers racking their brains in order to keep its popularity afloat with a newer design and novel features. Rather than a dramatic transformation, however, Hyundai appears to have gone back to the basics.  The new Tucson runs on the highway con

Hyundai Motor has invested in Revv, the second-largest car-sharing company in India, making its first move into the country’s emerging mobility market.The company declined to comment on the size of investment. Koo Young-ki, head of Hyundai Motor India shakes hands with Karan Jain, co-founder of Revv at the carmaker's product quality center in India. Next to Jain is Anupam Agarwal, also a co-founder of Revv. (Hyundai Motor)Launched in 2015, Revv provides car sharing services in 11 cities in India

The number of new jobs in July was the lowest in eight years, despite job creation being a priority of the Moon Jae-in administration, data showed Friday.(Yonhap)According to Statistics Korea, the number of newly added jobs last month increased 5,000 from the same month last year, marking the smallest gain on-year since January 2010 when the nation was suffering from the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis.The number of unemployed remained around 1 million for the seventh consecutive m

Controversy escalated here on Friday over a BMW executive’s comments, apparently blaming South Koreans’ driving for the vehicles catching fire.In an interview with the Xinhua News Agency, BMW spokesperson Jochen Frey identified “local traffic conditions” and Koreans’ “driving style“ as two of the many reasons for a series of incidents where BMW cars burst into flames here. This file photo dated Aug. 13 shows a BMW M3 vehicle that burst in to flames while on highway. (Yonhap)The local branch of t

Hanwha Energy, the energy arm of South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group, broke ground Thursday to build a 50-megawatt hydrogen fuel cell plant in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province.The plant is the first in the world to use byproduct hydrogen as fuel, officials said.The plant is to start commercial production from June, 2020 and is set to provide 40,000 megawatt-hours of electricity.  (Hanwha Energy)To build the plant, Hanwha Energy has established a special purpose corporation named Daesan Gree

Posco Energy, an affiliate of South Korean steel giant Posco, appears to be in the process of ditching its money-losing fuel cell business by establishing a new joint venture with a third party, a lawmaker claimed Thursday.According to documents compiled by Rep. Kim Kyu-hwan of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, the company has been seeking ways to spin off its fuel cell manufacturing unit first and then turning it into a joint venture with new investors. The plan is widely expected to mea

Special investigators on Wednesday requested an arrest warrant for Kim Kyoung-soo, the incumbent governor of South Gyeongsang Province, over his involvement in an online opinion-rigging scandal.They sought the court’s approval to arrest Kim on suspicion of obstruction of business and election law violations.Kim was grilled twice by the special counsel investigating the case, on Aug. 6 and 9. South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo speaks to reporters after leaving the special counsel`s off

A BMW vehicle not subject to the carmaker’s nationwide recall caught fire Wednesday, deepening the mystery of the cause of a series of incidents that have fueled safety concerns here.　A BMW X1 vehicle burst into flames while traveling near a village in Imsil country of North Jeolla Province at 4:17 a.m., according to police and firefighters. No injury was reported. The vehicle, manufactured in 2012, is the 40th BMW vehicle to have caught fire this year. However, the compact SUV powered by a dies

Jang Ka-yoon, a 27-year-old office worker in Seoul, had thought about leaving her home country after watching TV news reports on the worsened security situation upon threats exchanged between North Korea and the US last year. Fluent in English, Jang said she had imagined herself living in Canada or New Zealand, as both countries are known to have good environments for education and high living standards, if she had to choose to leave the country in case of an imminent war.　  This undated photo s

The South Korean government ordered BMW vehicles subject to recall off the roads if they have not gone through an emergency checkup after dozens of cars burst into flames this year.In a nationally televised address, Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee urged the head of municipalities to issue administrative orders to stop BMW drivers from using their vehicles, stressing escalating public safety issues related to the German cars. This is the first case of the government banning the operations of a sp

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles on South Korea’s latest measures, hurdles and the market drive for hydrogen economy. This is the second installment. -- Ed. YONGIN, Gyeonggi Province -- Hyundai Motor, which introduced the world’s first mass produced fuel cell vehicle, is reviewing production of fuel cell trucks, hoping to achieve economies of scale in hydrogen-powered mobility. Cars powered by hydrogen are not as popular as electric vehicles. But battery cars are no match for

In the world of automobiles, Hyundai Motor is still perceived as a fast follower. But when it comes to hydrogen technologies, the South Korean carmaker is a pioneer, leading a herd of auto giants that have been searching for a new way to replace the internal combustion engine and reduce greenhouse gases.It all began in 1998, when the carmaker joined a government research and development project into fuel cell technology. Back then, Hyundai was a latecomer in the field of hydrogen energy, with ma

BMW Korea, the local importer and distributor of the German luxury car, on Thursday faced escalating criticism from customers, the government and the political circle, as its vehicles continued to catch fire on motorways here, despite its apology earlier this week and nationwide safety checks. BMW 730Ld that caught fire on Thursday morning was manufactured in 2011, not subject for the carmaker's recall. (Yonhap)Two BMW diesel vehicles -- the 320d and the 730Ld -- reportedly caught fire this morn

Posco Chairman Choi Jeong-woo has sent an email to executives to encourage suggestions for reforms at the steelmaker, the company said Tuesday.Choi appears to be seeking reform ideas from executives and stakeholders of the world’s fifth-largest steelmaker, for a new vision he plans to present in the next three months. Posco Chairman Choi Jeong-woo (Posco)Before taking office, Choi initiated the “Posco Love Letter” campaign to hear the public’s thoughts on the former state-run company, not just f

The tire arm of Hyosung Corp. saw its market share in four Southeast Asian countries grow to 40 percent this year from 22 percent two years ago, the company said Monday.The number of clients in India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam also increased from two to 12 in the same period, according to Hyosung Advanced Materials. (Hyosung Corp.)The company’s technical team has contributed in expanding its market share by hold regular seminars to introduce its latest materials, as sales of vehicles have

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles on South Korea’s latest measures, hurdles and the market drive for hydrogen economy. This is the first installment. -- Ed.After a decade of dragging its feet, the South Korean government has come up with a set of measures to nurture an ecosystem for hydrogen vehicles, seeking a transition from fossil fuels to zero emission energy.For more than a decade, the state drive for a hydrogen economy has been sidelined, due to policy inconsistencies thr

It started with smoke coming from the engine or an alert sign going off to advise the driver to add more coolant, according to owners of BMW vehicles that caught fire in motion in recent weeks. Sharing their experiences of watching their BMW vehicles burning on the road, some said via online communities that they at least had time to escape from the vehicles as it was not like the engine exploded.Since December 2017, a total of 30 BMW vehicles have caught fire on motorways here. Of the number, 1

BMW Korea, the local importer and distributer of the German carmaker, vowed to complete the inspection of more than 100,000 vehicles suspected of having faulty parts by operating its service centers nationwide 24 hours a day for the next two weeks.In an announcement released Monday afternoon, the company said that all vehicles subject to its voluntary recall would go through an hourlong inspection service and that the parts would be replaced. Alternative vehicles will be provided during inspecti