(image: KobizMedia/Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Nov. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean automaker Kia Corp. said Monday it had signed a business agreement with domestic startup TBU to verify vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) charging technology.
Under the terms of the agreement, the two parties will promote cooperation to reduce the charging time of electric vehicle (EV) users, secure an income model through the resale of electricity, and verify the expandability of the platform business to cope with the invigoration of the energy market.
At present, Kia is developing new V2V charging technology that can greatly reduce charging time and vehicle modification cost compared to existing mobile charging services that use trucks selling in the market.
Once the new technology is commercialized, users of Kia EVs will be able to exchange power in the format of charging or discharging batteries by linking two vehicles using a charging cable.
If the transaction system is expanded into a platform business, drivers can make profits by selling electric power from their vehicles.
Kia said that the new technology would contribute to greatly reducing restrictions in the use of EVs, since it eliminates the need for end-users to install charging infrastructure or move or wait for charging.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
