Daedong Industrial Passes Commercialization Test for 1t Light Electric Truck but Indefinitely Postpones Launch Review Stage
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Daedong Industrial began joint development of a 1-ton light-duty electric truck with Renault Samsung Motors in 2016. After relentless efforts, it passed the pre-certification test in 2019, three years later, reaching the threshold of commercialization. However, these efforts went to waste. The project was put on hold during Renault Samsung's launch review stage, resulting in a stalemate for two years.
In 2016, Daedong Industrial took the lead as the consortium head company for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's '1-ton class light-duty electric vehicle technology development project,' collaborating with Renault Samsung Motors, LG Electronics, and others to develop electric vehicles. The company had already gained experience in electric vehicle manufacturing through the production of agricultural electric carriers and electric golf carts.
They also succeeded in domesticating powertrain technology. Daedong Industrial completed preparations for full electric truck production by directly processing and assembling parts such as cylinder heads and transmissions manufactured by its affiliates Daedong Gear and Daedong Metal, and based on its proprietary engine technology, established a vehicle production assembly line.
In 2019, Daedong Industrial completed a 1-ton electric truck model capable of driving at least 250 km on a single charge by applying a 250kWh lithium-ion battery provided by LG Chem. After completing the vehicle development, the 1-ton electric truck, which underwent demonstrations linked with Daegu City, Coupang, and the post office, was scheduled for release in 2019. However, an unexpected obstacle appeared. The Renault Samsung labor union went on strike, causing the new vehicle launch to be postponed.
According to the original business plan, the 1-ton electric truck was supposed to be released as a finished product by combining the chassis manufactured at Daedong Industrial's dedicated electric truck factory in Daegu Metropolitan City with the body provided by Renault Samsung.
An industry insider participating in the consortium said, "Renault Samsung began review work in 2019, but due to the labor union strike, the Renault headquarters imposed restrictions on domestic new car launches, pushing the project to a lower priority, and ultimately, the launch was not realized."
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