By Park Jin-hai
Ahead of the launch of the Sonata plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) next month, Hyundai closed an agreement with POSCO ICT, a leading firm that specializes in EV charging stations, to build 120 charging stations this year, the company said Monday.
PHEV shares characteristics of both a conventional hybrid electric vehicle, which has an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, and of all-electric vehicles, which have a plug to connect to the electrical grid. They are an upgraded model of hybrid cars currently available in the market as they can run longer distances through electricity.
Under the agreement, Hyundai will build the infrastructure, while POSCO will operate and manage the charging facilities. Some 180 charging stations that POSCO has been operating and some 120 more it plans to build across the country will be open to Hyundai customers as well.
Those stations will be within discount stores and movie theaters and places that have better daily access to people.
So far the charging stations have been criticized for inconvenience because most of them are located near public buildings such as city halls and government offices.
Separately, Hyundai will also build 121 charging stations within its showrooms and service centers until the end of the year.
In July, the automaker plans to jointly establish a special purpose company (SPC) with KEPCO to participate in the country-wide project to build infrastructure for environmentally friendly vehicles.
"We will continuously invest in building more infrastructures for environmentally friendly cars, including the Sonata plug-in hybrid," said a company official. "In steps, we will have all our 2,200 showrooms and services centers equipped with EV chargers."
The Sonata PHEV is the company's first developed PHEV model. Powered by a 2-liter Nu GDI engine, 50-kilowatt electric motor and six-speed transmission, the vehicle can run more than 40 kilometers only using electricity.
Hyundai will launch a new brand for its hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars at the end of this year, while its smaller affiliate Kia Motors, which is selling EVs including Soul and Ray, will launch new K5 plug-in hybrid this year.
Ahead of the launch of the Sonata plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) next month, Hyundai closed an agreement with POSCO ICT, a leading firm that specializes in EV charging stations, to build 120 charging stations this year, the company said Monday.
PHEV shares characteristics of both a conventional hybrid electric vehicle, which has an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, and of all-electric vehicles, which have a plug to connect to the electrical grid. They are an upgraded model of hybrid cars currently available in the market as they can run longer distances through electricity.
Under the agreement, Hyundai will build the infrastructure, while POSCO will operate and manage the charging facilities. Some 180 charging stations that POSCO has been operating and some 120 more it plans to build across the country will be open to Hyundai customers as well.
Those stations will be within discount stores and movie theaters and places that have better daily access to people.
So far the charging stations have been criticized for inconvenience because most of them are located near public buildings such as city halls and government offices.
Separately, Hyundai will also build 121 charging stations within its showrooms and service centers until the end of the year.
In July, the automaker plans to jointly establish a special purpose company (SPC) with KEPCO to participate in the country-wide project to build infrastructure for environmentally friendly vehicles.
"We will continuously invest in building more infrastructures for environmentally friendly cars, including the Sonata plug-in hybrid," said a company official. "In steps, we will have all our 2,200 showrooms and services centers equipped with EV chargers."
The Sonata PHEV is the company's first developed PHEV model. Powered by a 2-liter Nu GDI engine, 50-kilowatt electric motor and six-speed transmission, the vehicle can run more than 40 kilometers only using electricity.
Hyundai will launch a new brand for its hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars at the end of this year, while its smaller affiliate Kia Motors, which is selling EVs including Soul and Ray, will launch new K5 plug-in hybrid this year.
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