Hyundai and sister brand Kia will supply electric cars to Grab, which recently bought Uber’s operations within the region in Southeast Asia. The Korean carmaker can be increasing its investments in Grab.
Hyundai, Kia and Grab will launch a series of electrical automotive pilot projects in Southeast Asia, starting in Singapore in 2019, based on a press release from Hyundai.
These projects will give attention to putting more electric cars into the hands of Grab drivers. Hyundai said the businesses can even work to enhance charging infrastructure within the region.
Hyundai said one other goal of the partnership is to see how electric cars will be adapted to higher serve passenger transportation. The corporations will test “personalized maintenance packages” for Grab drivers, in addition to examine how electric cars perform in Southeast Asia’s hot and humid climate. Hyundai plans to launch 38 eco-friendly models – including electric cars – across multiple brands by 2025 and hopes to make Southeast Asia a key marketplace for these vehicles.
Hyundai can even invest a further $250 million in Grab as a part of a $2.7 billion financing round that also saw investments from Toyota, Microsoft and travel site Booking. Hyundai invested an undisclosed sum in Grab in January, while Toyota has already pumped greater than $1 billion into the corporate.
Southeast Asia is a vital marketplace for passenger transport. It has many large cities with little public transport, making passenger transport the primary mode of transport for a big a part of the population. After acquiring Uber’s Southeast Asian operations, Grab is now the biggest player within the region.
The company says it has provided greater than 2.5 billion rides since its founding in 2012. Grab says it currently operates passenger transportation and food delivery services in 235 cities across eight countries
