SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Kakao Mobility Corp., a mobility unit under South Korean internet giant Kakao Corp., said Monday it was launching a trial of an electric vehicle (EV) valet charging service through its navigation app Kakao Navi.
Kakao Mobility expects this service to contribute to enhancing user convenience through the combination of a valet parking service and an EV charging service.
The trial service will be offered at the parking lot of EDIYA Coffee Lab in Gangnam, Seoul which currently only offers valet parking.
After registering a valet pass through the Kakao Navi app, customers can enter the parking lot without a reservation and request the charging service from the valet staff.
The service fee consists of a valet usage fee (3,000 won, US$2.19) and a charging service usage fee.
During the trial period, Kakao Mobility plans to offer a 20-minute-long charging service and valet service for free for up to 500 customers on a first-come, first-served basis.
The company is planning to extend the program to more parking lots and launch an official service by year’s end.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)