November 25, 2024

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Toyota Motor Korea's Senior Managing Director Toshiyuki Nakahara (left) and LG Uplus Executive Vice President Hyun Joon-yong pose for a photo after a signing ceremony held at the carmaker's headquarters in Seoul, on Dec. 7. (Toyota Motor Korea)

Toyota Motor Korea and LG Uplus, the nation’s main telecommunications carrier, have joined hands to build an electric vehicle charging network in line with the electrification megatrend, the companies said Monday.

Under the memorandum of understanding, the mobile carrier agreed to supply its EV charging platform named Voltup to the automaker.

Launched last year, Voltup is an independent EV charger business led by LG Uplus. The mobile carrier takes care of the launch, management and customer service of Voltup chargers, as well as the mobile charging platform where customers can search for available chargers, pay online and monitor charging levels.

LG Uplus will first implement a complete EV charging environment in Toyota's official dealership and service centers all over the nation, ensuring long-term customer experience.

The two also plan to offer a membership to customers who purchase an EV. EV owners can use a Toyota membership card to get a complimentary EV charge worth 50,000 won ($37) within their first month of membership.

The membership will be available for customers who purchase the fifth-generation Toyota Prius, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle set to be launched in Korea, on Wednesday.

“While carbon neutrality is addressed as the key to tackling climate change, Toyota aims to meet the needs of customers with various lineups including HEV, PHEV and BEV,” said Toshiyuki Nakahara, senior managing director at Toyota Motor Korea.

Under its electrification strategy, Toyota Motor Korea aimed to introduce eight new electric models in Korea this year, including Toyota’s RAV4 plug-in hybrid.

“With the new business agreement, we will work together to enhance the customer experience via quality EV charging infrastructure," he added.

Meanwhile, the carmaker has also adopted LG Uplus’ infotainment platform in its vehicles since last year.

By Mun So-jeong  (munsojeong@heraldcorp.com)