Yes, it's true. The good hard-working folks employed by the president's office (of South Korea) are about to get Hyundai hybrid happy. (Or possibly sad if you're the dude or dudette getting the Kia.) The plan, according to office spokesman Lee Dong-kwan, is "...to use the hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV) to raise public awareness of the environment industry as an alternative engine for growth and energy-saving [sic]." He went on to say that the president, newly-elected Lee Myung-bak, would also be using the car "if needed." It is pure speculation on my part that the "need" is unlikely to arise.

The two models being considered are the Hyundai Vernon (sold here in non-hybrid form as the Accent and pictured above) and the Kia Pride. As well as showcasing the environmental attitudes of the country's leadership, the move may also reflect the direction of the South Korean car manufacturer.

[Source: The Korea Times]

You know that around here we are all for saving fuel. We all have probably read various articles on scooting to save on money, emissions or both. In fact, I ride a motorcycle quite often in the summer months to help out a bit myself. But, there is such a thing as taking it too far. Sometimes, motorcycles or scooters just don't fit into our lifestyle. So, what should we do? One enterprising man in South Korea decided to do his part, and he built his own vehicle (I think) from a scooter, a cart and some other ... stuff.

Just for the record, this is not a doctored photo, and no, it was not set up. This is for real folks. I am not sure how he is able to control the vehicle from up there, or how it meets road-worthiness standards. I just thought I would share. Seriously, though, if you ever were to try something like this, make it more like the one in the link under "Related".

Related:

• Microcar builder wants 105mpg vehicle in AltCarExpo

[Source: thescooterscoop.com]

South Korea may become the Asian equivalent to Brazil in producing biofuel. Singapore, one of the largest regional oil refiners, has easy access to palm oil, a component of biodiesel, from Malaysia and Indonesia. Already one entrepreneur, Kom Mam Sun, who opened his biodiesel plant in June, has earned a profit from his biodiesel plant.

But German commodities company Cremer Gruppe has more ambitious plans. It plans to build a biodiesel plant in Singapore by 2007 which will produce over 200,000 tons of biodiesel. According to Cremer Gruppe's marketing director John Hall, the company plans to sell the fuel at $40 a barrel, considerably less than the current $70 a barrel for crude oil. While many environmentalists continue to debate biodiesel productions ultimate effects, analysts say interest in alternatives continue to increase. States analyst Victor Shum, "The fuel market is so big that biodiesel can't make a significant difference and will only be a small fraction of the overall diesel use in Asia. But with oil prices so high these days, biodiesel does get more and more cost-effective."

Related:

• U.S. emission rules to pose trouble for European brands...in South Korea?

[Source: Reuters]

Starting next year, European automakers such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz are going to get a double-whammy selling their vehicles in South Korea. Already required to meet tough European standards for their diesel vehicles sold in the country, the automakers must now comply to U.S. standards for any of their gasoline-powered vehicles as well. The government enacted the requirement as it fights to reduce air pollution. American automakers, interestingly, may benefit from the ruling as their rivals scramble to comply to both rules.

[Source: The Korean Times]