2023.11.10
Renault Korea CEO pledges to accelerate future mobility transition
Byun
Hye-jin, The Korea Herald - Korea Motors CEO Stephane Deblaise has pledged to
ramp up the transition to electric vehicles with cutting-edge hybrid car
technologies, the company said Wednesday.
With
additional investments, the company will add hybrid cars to its Busan plant
production lineup, Deblaise was quoted as saying at the Invest Korea Summit
2023 that wrapped up Wednesday in Busan. No time frame was mentioned.
Under
the vision of a “thriving automotive tech company,” the CEO added the carmaker
has advanced its software research and development capabilities for cars. Its
innovative digital services include in-car payment and fast-track booking,
which offers real-time maintenance reservations at auto repair shops.
Stressing
that Korea’s top-class industrial infrastructure and labor force are the key
factors driving foreign investment, Deblaise touted that the Korean unit has
produced and exported a total of 3.7 million cars as of October, based on the 5
trillion won ($3.8 billion) investment. Its No. 1 car model in terms of export
volume has been the XM3 or Arkana, a small-sized sport utility vehicle, since
its launch in March 2020.
“Renault Korea Motors has played a vital role as
a global hub for Renault Group in developing and producing high-end mid- and
large-sized car segments,” he said in his speech Tuesday.
Last
year, Deblaise invited Renault Group Chairman Luca de Meo to Korea for the
first time, raising the company’s profile in the French carmaker’s future road
map, according to the Korean unit.
During
the past two years as CEO, Deblaise has led conflict-free management-labor
union negotiations and the communication between executives and staff, as well
as the company’s development of new car models, it added.
In
August, he announced that Renault Korea’s utmost priority is to launch hybrid
cars under the codenames Aurora 1 and 2 until it boosts battery-powered EVs in
2026. The Aurora 1 is to debut by the second half of next year.
Invest
Korea Summit 2023 was hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and
organized by the state-run Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. The annual
event, in its 19th edition, ran from Monday to Wednesday.
Source: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20231108000573