SKT Collaborates with Byton for Domestic Electric Vehicle Launch

MOU Signed at CES 2020

SK Telecom's Yoo Young-sang, Head of the MNO Division, and Byton's Daniel Kirchert, CEO, signed an MOU on the 7th (local time) at CES 2020 in Las Vegas, USA, aiming for cooperation to launch the next-generation electric vehicle in Korea.
[Photo by SK Telecom]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] SK Telecom announced on the 7th (local time) that it signed a mutual Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with global electric vehicle company Byton at 'CES 2020' held in Las Vegas, USA, aiming for comprehensive cooperation between the two companies for electric vehicles to be launched domestically in the future.

Byton is an electric vehicle company established in Hong Kong in 2017 by former employees of global automakers such as BMW and Nissan. Last September, it signed a contract for consignment production with a domestic auto parts company and is preparing to enter the Korean market. According to this agreement, the two companies will collaborate on developing an integrated in-vehicle infotainment system (IVI) and throughout the process of applying it to vehicles.

At this CES, SK Telecom showcased an integrated IVI system that provides the mobile navigation service 'T map,' music streaming service 'Flo,' and various videos as built-in features in vehicles. Furthermore, by applying 5G to vehicles in the future, it plans to enable seamless streaming of ultra-high-definition large-capacity media services inside vehicles and implement real-time updates of HD maps.

SK Telecom expressed, "The integrated IVI meeting Byton vehicles equipped with a 48-inch ultra-large curved touch display will create synergy," and added, "This cooperation will be an opportunity for consumers' perception of cars to shift from 'a means of transportation' to 'a smart device.'"

Going forward, cooperation will also be carried out in Byton's electric vehicle sales and after-sales service (A/S) fields using SK Telecom's owned channels, and new services or products such as subscription-based mobility services will be explored together.

Yu Sang-young, head of SK Telecom's MNO Business Division, said, "Cooperation with Byton, a promising player in the global electric vehicle market, will symbolize a full-fledged crossover between the ICT sector and the automotive field," and added, "We will continue to present various global cooperation cases that enrich customers' lives."

Daniel Kirchert, CEO of Byton, added, "We will join forces with SK Telecom to develop related services for consumers' diverse in-car digital experiences."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.