Hyundai Motor Group, Grab extends collaboration to promote e-mobility in SE Asia
Hyundai Motor Group has announced that it has extended its strategic partnership with ride-hailing giant Grab to encourage electric mobility in the Southeast Asian region. The next phase of the cooperation between these two companies will focus on fast-tracking electric vehicle adoption in the region.
Under this corporation, both Hyundai and Kia will work with Grab. These companies are claimed to be working on pilot projects to ease the cost of ownership and range anxiety for the Grab drivers. Grab targets to increase electric vehicles in its ride-sharing and delivery fleet through this project.
Hyundai Motor Group has been targeting to become a mobility service provider instead of just an automobile manufacturer, just like several other automakers around the world. The partnership appears to be a part of that strategy. The South Korean automobile giant plans to launch new pilot projects such as electric vehicle leasing, battery-as-a-service, car-as-a-service. Besides that, it also plans to introduce a dedicated EV financing model.
The pilot programes are projected to start in 2021 in Singapore. Then it will expand to Indonesia and Vietnam as well.
Stating on this strategic partnership, Minsung Kim, Vice President of the Innovation Division at Hyundai Motor Group, said that the automaker and Grab were able to discover the possibility of EV businesses in Southeast Asia through their cooperation since 2018.
"With Grab having the largest driver network in the region and Hyundai's comprehensive mobility solutions, we are confident that together we can help to increase the adoption of EVs and ultimately reduce carbon emissions throughout the region. Beyond its ongoing projects, the Group expects additional cooperation with Grab to be a key driver to lead the mobility market of the future in Southeast Asia," Kim further added.
