JEJU-DO < invest Korea

According to Yonhap News,

(SEOUL=Yonhap News) An international expo for electric vehicles will be held early next year in South Korea, with major EV-related companies to showcase their latest eco-friendly products, organizers said Wednesday.

The 3rd International Electric Vehicle Expo (IEVE) will kick off March 18 next year for a seven-day run on the southern resort island of Jeju, according to the organizers.

The expo will bring together around 120 EV makers and related businesses from home and abroad, including Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Google and Apple.

Talks are also under way to invite Tesla, one of the world's leading EV makers, the organizers said.

About 8,591 square meters of indoor floor space will be set aside at the International Convention Center for electric cars and other products. The organizers expect some 80,000 people to visit the expo to see the latest EV trend.

During the seven-day exhibition, South Korea's No. 1 carmaker Hyundai Motor plans to unveil its first dedicated EV model, which it expects will compete with the market leader Prius of Toyota.

BYD of China will also showcase its e6 model that can run about 400 kilometers on a single charge. It plans to start its South Korean entity and start the sale of the car next year.

On the sidelines of the expo, an international forum will be held to provide a platform for business leaders and experts to exchange views on the standardizations of batteries, charging methods and others, an issue that could be the key to a fast advance of the EV industry, the organizers said.

The forum will be organized by the Geneva-based International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the commerce ministry here, they added.

kokobj@yna.co.kr

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