[Gettyimages Bank]
As of 2022, some 30,000 food delivery workers rode gasoline engine motorcycles in the capital city. However, electric motorbikes are shunned by deliverymen because of their short travel distance. An ordinary deliveryman travels about 200 kilometers (124 miles) per day. Although there are some electric bikes with a battery pack that can be easily swapped at battery stations, the rate of adoption is very low because of the lack of charging infrastructure. Currently, there are only some 200 swapping stations installed in Seoul and its surrounding province.
Various efforts have been made to increase the number of eco-friendly motorcycles in South Korea. KT Linkus, a battery-sharing mobility platform operator wing of South Korea's telecom company KT, is transforming old phone booths into electric motorcycle battery charging stations in Seoul and other cities. In February 2022, the Ministry of Environment also unveiled a plan to popularize electric motorbikes by investing 18 billion won ($14.2 million) to target the food delivery service market.
Woowahan Youths said in a statement that the company has teamed up with A Rental & Service to launch the electric motorcycle rental service called "BaeMin Connect." The service will allow users aged 30 or older with comprehensive insurance to rent the green motorbike at a monthly minimum of 369,600 won. The food delivery service operator said the monthly rental cost of an electric motorbike is usually about 530,000 won and internal combustion engine motorcycles cost from 400,000 to 500,000 won.
"We hope our consumers will use electric motorbikes at an affordable price through the rental service," an unnamed Woowahan Youths official said in a statement on February 9. For those who met the company's delivery requirements, monthly discounts of up to 80,000 won will be offered for 12 months.
reporter
Kim Joo-heon
jhkim123@ajunews.com
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