The International Green Car Exhibition was held on the 29th at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Gwangju. The event has been hosted by the Gwangju Metropolitan City since 2008 and organized by the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center and the Green Car Promotion Agency.
This year, various companies centered around automobile manufacturers participated, beautifully decorating the venue at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center. Standing out among them were Hyundai and Kia, showcasing electric vehicles, as well as the official dealer of Mercedes-Benz, Shinseong Motor.
Hyundai displayed the Kona Electric and Ionic 6, while Kia presented the EV6 and EV9. Visitors observed the electric cars closely while listening to the staff’s explanations. Among them, customers were particularly focused on the second and third rows of the large electric SUV, the EV9, showing thoughtful expressions as they deliberated.
Next to them, the shining star of the three-pointed star, Benz, exhibited its large electric SUV EQS SUV, luxury electric sedan EQS, and EQE, all gleaming with brightness.
In addition to automobile manufacturers, various other companies participated, further heating up the enthusiasm for green cars. The Korea Automobile Safety Research Institute was among them. The Automobile Safety Research Institute is a subsidiary of the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, responsible for testing automobile safety. This year, they brought the ‘Korean Green NCAP’ to the exhibition. The Korean Green NCAP is a test that assesses the eco-friendliness of new cars launched in South Korea.
The Green NCAP is currently implemented only in Europe; however, Korea will be the second place in the world after Europe to implement it in 2025. The assessment will be divided into three categories: fuel consumption rate, cabin air quality, and greenhouse gas lifecycle assessment, categorizing all vehicles sold in the country.
Lee Hyun-woo, the head of the automobile research institute, stated, “We will conduct eco-friendliness tests on all vehicles sold domestically and categorize all models sold in the country to inform consumers.”
Another notable participant was a company named Siot. Siot, established in 2015, specializes in software security, primarily focusing on automotive software security and updates. Additionally, Siot is pushing new initiatives, such as PnC (Plug & Charge) technology for electric vehicles. Unlike conventional electric vehicle charging that requires credit cards or membership numbers, the technology developed by Siot assigns unique numbers to both the electric vehicle and the charger, omitting a series of authentication processes and allowing immediate charging.
Jung Chan-ui, an executive at Siot, explained the PnC technology: “The technology that allows immediate charging by assigning unique numbers to the electric vehicle and charger can be understood as a kind of authorized certificate we use for internet banking.” By recognizing each unique certificate, the entire process is expedited. This PnC technology is something not even electric vehicle manufacturers like Tesla, Hyundai, or Mercedes-Benz have. Siot plans to expand its reach through this PnC technology.
This International Green Car Exhibition not only showcased automobiles but also had a variety of companies participating, raising expectations for a completely electrified world and a self-driving era arriving sooner than anticipated.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr