LG Chem to develop EV battery specialised services with GS Caltex using big data

LG Chem and GS Caltex will team up with partners in the EV industry to develop EV battery specialised services using big data. Both companies announced that they have entered a ‘MOU for improving the charging environment and finding new business opportunities’ together with Signet EV, Soft Berry, KST Mobility and Green Car.

LG Chem and GS Caltex agreed on the need to develop a charging solution for the sake of developing an EV ecosystem, and will collaborate with partners by deciding to provide battery services using big data generated during the EV charging process.

This MoU signing ceremony was attended by Dong Myung Kim, vice president, LG Chem Automobile Energy Solutions; Jung Soo Kim, executive director, GS Caltex Strategic Planning Office;  Chul Ho Hwang, CEO, Signet EV;  Yong Hee Park, CEO, Soft Berry; Haeng Yeol Lee, CEO, KST Mobility CEO, and Sang Won Kim, CEO, Green Car.

The purpose of this MOU is to utilise EV big data collected at charging stations to find various battery specialised services, and LG Chem and GS Caltex agreed to first develop a battery safety diagnostic service.

Dong Myung Kim, vice president, LG Chem Automobile Energy Solutions said, “By providing services specialised to EVs through this MOU, we have created the cornerstone for drivers to use EVs more safely and conveniently. We will become the global leader not only in EV battery product competitiveness, but also in services.”

Jung Soo Kim, executive director, GS Caltex Strategic Planning Officeadded that, “The EV charging business not only has to offer faster and more convenient charging services, but should also collect data and offer various vehicle diagnostics services at the charging station. We plan to collaborate with partner companies in the EV ecosystem and gather the strengths of each company to create an organic business model.”

The battery safety diagnostic service will save driving and charging data in a cloud server while an EV (Green Car, KST Mobility) charges at a GS Caltex Charging Station, and using the LG Chem big data analysis and battery service algorithm, the current status and dangers of the battery will be checked and provided not only on the charger panel (Signet EV), but also the driver’s mobile phone (Soft Berry).

After completing the empirical project by 2021, LG Chem and GS Caltex will launch domestic service businesses and they also plan to expand the battery specialised service business to overseas charging markets starting in 2022.

The two companies also agreed to search for new services such as smart charging and remaining life prediction that can improve the battery life based on the battery safety diagnostic service in the future. Once the service is developed, the driver can receive one-stop services at the GS Caltex EV charging station including battery safety diagnostics, smart charging that applied degeneration prevention algorithms, and remaining life prediction services.

LG Chem has already supplied batteries to about 3.5 million EVs around the world as of the end of last year. GS Caltex has installed and is currently operating 100kW EV chargers at 44 gas stations/charging stations in South Korea. It plans to continue to expand the EV ecosystem based on its gas stations by having 160 EV charging stations (100kW or higher) by 2022, while also increasing relevant services.