BMW Group Korea (CEO Han Sang-yoon) signed a business agreement with the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI, Director Kim Nam-kyun) on the establishment of a 'Global Interoperability Testing Center' to improve electric vehicle charging system compatibility on the 25th at the BMW Group R&D Center Korea.
The Global Interoperability Testing Center (Global Interoperability Testing Center, GIOTEC), which will be created at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute's Ansan branch in the second half of this year, aims to evaluate the interoperability between various electric vehicles and charging systems to improve electric vehicle charging compatibility and create an electric vehicle-friendly environment. Major domestic and foreign automobile brands, manufacturers of electric vehicle chargers, and charging operators are participating.
Through this business agreement, BMW Group Korea plans to contribute to building a cooperative system for improving the suitability and interoperability of electric vehicle charging systems and provide customers with higher charging quality, convenience, and safety by securing better electric vehicle charging compatibility. In particular, the inconveniences due to charging outages and inability to charge caused by compatibility issues are expected to improve significantly.
The agreement ceremony was attended by Andreas Stumm, Head of BMW Group R&D Center Korea, and Kim Min-kyu, Vice President of the Testing Department at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, along with key officials from both organizations. Before the official agreement, they had time to review the latest facilities of BMW Group R&D Center Korea, which are engaged in certification and product development tasks optimized for the domestic market, as well as the electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
BMW Group Korea is continuously expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure to provide convenient charging experiences for customers. Through the 'Charging Next' project, they have installed a total of 2,400 electric vehicle chargers nationwide to date, and this year they plan to install about 600 more chargers, including the opening of 'ESG Charging Stations' reflecting eco-friendly values, reaching a total of 3,000 charging infrastructures.
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