Vice President Hur Chul-hong of GS Caltex, President Ryu Geung-sun of Kakao Mobility and Executive Vice President Kim Chul-min of GS Mbiz pose after they signed an MOU on cooperation in the electric bicycle business at GS Tower in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on July 21. (Photos: GS Caltex)

GS Caltex and GS Energy have joined forces with Kakao Mobility to expand the future mobility business using filling stations.

GS Caltex said on July 26 the company made a 30 billion won strategic investment in Kakao Mobility along with GS Energy.

GS Caltex and GS Energy invested 25 billion won and 5 billion won, respectively, to obtain a 0.73 percent stake in Kakao Mobility.

The latest investment may be construed as GS Group’s move to ramp up collaboration by forging a strategic partnership with Kakao Mobility, the nation’s No. 1 car hailing service.

GS Caltex will facilitate to future-oriented data of Kakao Mobility 2,300 filling stations and about 370 LPG charging stations across the nation.

The move is designed to transform a space designed to fill gas and wash cars into one in which a variety of services, including shopping and dining, are also offered.

Kakao Mobility will use GS Caltex’s infrastructure as off-line centers and explore ways of promoting cooperation in areas such as light maintenance of cars, directly operated by the former and fuel supply.

A GS Caltex official said, “If intangible assets such as future data, self-driving and AI, possessed by Kakao Mobility are combined with our tangible infrastructure, it will have huge synergetic effects.”

GS Caltex’s investment in Kakao Mobility is believed to have reflected GS Caltex President Hur Sae-hong’s intent.

GS Caltex became the nation’s first refinery company to have introduced a contactless filling settlement service by investing OWiN, a connected car startup, in 2017.

GS Caltex had put shared cars by investing in Greencar, a car sharing service company, in 2018.

 
GS Caltex plans to expand cooperation with companies specializing in a variety of businesses to pursue mobility innovation.

The refinery company plans to bear fruits by sowing seeds bit by bit rather than investing with a huge money.

GS Caltex is aggressively engaged in delivery and car sharing businesses using filing stations. GS Caltex introduced the “Energy Plus Hub,” a combination of mobility infrastructure for charging EVs and hydrogen fuel cell cars as well as logistics centers, deliveries via drones and life services like convenience stores.

A bird’s eye-view shows GS Caltex’s convergence energy station in which electric bicycles with Kakao Mobility can be charged and repaired.

GS Caltex Steps on Gas to Tap Hydrogen Business

GS Caltex has teamed up with Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS) to make inroads into the hydrogen market, which is emerging as a future energy source.

GS Caltex and KOGAS struck an MOU on the successful launching of the business of liquefied hydrogen production and supply, and the forging of a strategic alliance at GS Tower in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul, on May 28.

GS Caltex President Hur Sae-hong and KOGAS President Chae Hee-bong participated in a signing ceremony. The takeaway of the deal is about the building of a liquefied hydrogen plant.