By Oh Young-jin
When U.S. Ambassador to Korea Kathleen Stephens drove a Volt, a GM-made electric car, as part of her embassy’s “Green” campaign, also aimed at promoting her country’s hardware, Wednesday, she also promoted products made in Korea.
More specifically, about one quarter of the price of the car, set at about $40,000, is accounted for by a rechargeable battery, made and supplied by LG Chem.
In other words, the Volt lives up to the truest of the phrase ― Korean-American cooperation as said in an embassy invitation to reporters for Stephens’ Volt ride for a short distance from her residence to the embassy in downtown Seoul. The release dubbed car, “the one-of-a-kind Chevy Volt.”
According to an account by a reporter who was on hand, it was a flawless ride, with the ambassador in the driver’s seat for a change. Stephens appeared to be in a good mood judging from a photo taken of her at the start of her test run.
There are conflicting accounts about the popularity of the Volt in the United States but one thing experts in the industry agree on is the car can be an alternative for the future, in which mankind has to reduce its dependence on dwindling fossil fuels at a time when climate change also serves as a constraint.
“We have brought in three Volts,” said Tony Bower, a GM representative.
One is for the ambassador and the other two are in the GM factory in Pupyeong, Incheon.
Bower sounded assured of greater accessibility of the Volt to ordinary drivers, when he said that it comes with a package that sees the car recharged at home. It is assumed that the Volt will be made available to Korean consumers sooner rather than later, although the GM official didn’t speak about marketing plans.
LG Chem was nothing less than enthusiastic about the ambassador’s Volt run.
“We are part of a great revolution,” an LG Chem official said, pointing out the interlocked fortune of his company with GM.
GM picked LG Chem as the supplier of the rechargeable batteries for Volt.
U.S. President Barack Obama attended a ground-breaking ceremony for the Korean firm’s battery factory in Holland, Mich., in 2010, together with the top brass of the conglomerate. The factory will be completed next year, strengthening LG Chem’s position as a car battery supplier.
Already, LG Chem has emerged as a global leader in the area.
Now, the company has seen its share price skyrocket and some speculate that it may grow to replace LG Electronics as the flagship firm of the group.
Behind its success is its CEO Kim Bahn-suk, who is noted for his aggressive marketing and research initiatives.