[Asia Economy Reporter Park So-yeon] GS Caltex's gas stations are transforming into Kakao electric bicycle charging stations.
On the 21st, GS Caltex signed a 'business agreement for electric bicycle business cooperation' with Kakao Mobility at GS Tower in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Through this business agreement, GS Caltex plans to develop its existing gas station network into mobility hubs. Kakao Mobility will secure infrastructure services such as electric bicycle charging and maintenance through cooperation with GS Caltex.
GS Caltex, together with Kakao Mobility, plans to install and operate facilities to charge batteries of Kakao Mobility's electric bicycle, 'Kakao T Bike,' in five idle spaces at gas stations located in Songpa-gu, Seoul, Incheon, Jeonju, and Ulsan starting next month.
GS Caltex currently operates 100kW-class electric vehicle chargers at 44 gas stations and charging stations nationwide. It plans to increase the number of ultra-fast chargers of 100kW or more to around 160 by 2022.
Until now, Kakao Mobility has collected electric bicycle batteries that need charging and electric bicycles that require maintenance through regional dedicated operation teams and performed batch charging and maintenance.
GS M-Biz, a subsidiary of GS Caltex, also participated in this business agreement with Kakao Mobility. GS M-Biz will provide electric bicycle maintenance services at the auto maintenance franchise autoOasis.
In the future, GS Caltex and GS M-Biz plan to expand electric bicycle charging and maintenance services to major cities nationwide.
A GS Caltex official said, "It is significant that the infrastructure owned by our company and the platform-based service capabilities of Kakao Mobility have combined to create synergy," adding, "In the future, both companies will strengthen their partnership through various collaborations based on the gas station network."
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