Hyundai Glovis develops system for EV transportation

Hyundai Glovis' PCTC (pure car and truck carrier) at the port of Bremerhaven in Germany. [HYUNDAI GLOVIS]

Hyundai Glovis has set up a dedicated logistics system for the marine transportation of electric vehicles (EVs) to cope with the growing number of EV deliveries globally.

The logistics company said the system, which prioritizes safety, will be used for the loading, shipping and unloading of EVs.

"EVs need special care unlike internal combustion engine vehicles because the battery cells are installed lower in the vehicle," said the company in a release on Wednesday.

"The company believes a customized system is necessary to handle EVs."

The new system starts by identifying EVs on shipping requests so they are loaded on to the ship with special care.

Information from the shipper, such as the state of the battery, will be shared through the logistics company's customized internal system. The battery and the vehicle’s condition will be monitored on a regular basis during travel, according to the company.

The data will be shared with the shipper along with temperature and humidity on deck.

Hyundai Glovis also set up an accident and emergency correspondence manual in regards to EVs and mandated emergency training at least once a quarter.

The company expects the manual will be especially helpful for small and mid-sized EV manufacturers as they lack experience in logistics.

Hyundai Glovis, 4.88 percent owned by Hyundai Motor, has been keen on updating its logistics process to better cater to deliveries of EVs and their batteries.

Early this year, the company earned a patent on a container that is dedicated to carrying used batteries from EVs. The patented container can be reconfigured so that different types and sizes of batteries from different EV models can be shipped. The container is more optimized for stacking, according to Hyundai Glovis, increasing the number of batteries that can be carried on an 11-ton cargo truck from five to 17.

Last year, the company said it carried 180,000 EVs, or 40 percent of global EV shipments.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]