KEPCO and TEPCO seek cooperation for electric vehicle battery chargers

Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), South Korea’s state-run power company, said Wednesday it has agreed with Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), Japan’s largest utility, to develop preemptive global standards for electric vehicle battery chargers. The agreement follows a meeting between top management from the two companies held last month, KEPCO said in a statement.

KEPCO has been pushing to develop technologies for electric vehicle battery chargers under the sponsorship of the government amid mounting global competition, the company said.

Electric vehicles are propelled solely by electric power, while hybrid electric vehicles are powered by both batteries
and gasoline.

Last October, KEPCO signed an initial deal with South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group to jointly develop electric vehicles and battery chargers.

Under the deal, KEPCO plans to complete the development of battery chargers for electric vehicles by 2010, while Hyundai Motor Group plans to start selling electric vehicles in 2011.

www.kepco.co.kr/eng/