[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] SK Rent-a-Car is partnering with Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) to develop next-generation electric vehicle (EV) charging services. This initiative aims to enhance customer convenience for the EV rental products first launched domestically in 2014 and to establish a comprehensive mobility life service system.
On the 25th, SK Rent-a-Car and KEPCO signed a business agreement for the 'Development of New EV Services' at the Walkerhill Hotel in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, with key figures including Hyun Mong-joo, CEO of SK Rent-a-Car, and Lee Junho, Head of KEPCO's Renewable Energy Business Division, in attendance, the companies announced on the 26th.
Through this memorandum of understanding, both companies will develop EV charging services utilizing KEPCO's charging infrastructure, advance next-generation EV charging technologies such as V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid connection) and smart charging, and conduct demonstration projects. Additionally, they have selected and will pursue three key collaborative tasks, including joint development of future mobility service businesses.
SK Rent-a-Car signed a business agreement to collaborate on the development of new electric vehicle services with Korea Electric Power Corporation on the 25th at the Grand Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul. (Left in the photo) Hyun Mong-ju, CEO of SK Rent-a-Car, and Lee Junho, Head of the Renewable Energy Business Division at Korea Electric Power Corporation, are taking a commemorative photo after signing the MOU. Photo by SK Rent-a-Car
V2G, defined as grid connection or bidirectional charging technology, allows electricity stored in EV batteries to be supplied externally when needed. Through this, EV owners who do not drive their cars during peak power demand periods, such as in summer, can supply surplus electricity to other EV users in need via KEPCO, enabling the use of electricity at lower rates. Cooperation will also be strengthened in smart charging technologies, including reservation charging systems.
Through this collaboration, SK Rent-a-Car will be able to reliably provide its EV rental customers access to over 8,600 chargers nationwide operated by KEPCO. Utilizing KEPCO's charging infrastructure, products including various value-added services will be launched in the market in the future. KEPCO will be able to target the future EV charging market based on EV charging data diagnosed and analyzed through SK Rent-a-Car's vehicle monitoring and management platform, 'SmartLink.'
Hyun Mong-joo, CEO of SK Rent-a-Car, said, "This collaborative project is a good precedent demonstrating the development of various services using electric vehicles," adding, "We expect it to serve as an opportunity for meaningful EV-based services to be introduced to the market in the future."
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