South Korea’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) importer E1 Corp. has launched a pilot service of its connected car commerce platform that authorizes digital identification to vehicles to allow drivers to use their cars as a payment method at gas stations.

E1 said on Monday that the service - which has been launched jointly with BC Card, Lotte Card, and KT Corp. - will be offered at two E1 gas stations in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi, for a trial run. E1 formed a consortium with the three companies and Smartro in November last year for the development.

When an LPG vehicle driver arrives at one of the two smart gas stations, the connected car commerce platform recognizes the vehicle without the driver having to install a separate location recognition equipment. The platform allows the driver to charge gas without a verbal order and pay and save points on their credit or loyalty cards without presenting the plastic cards.

The latest pilot automatic payment service is enabled by differential GPS technology, which offers more convenience to drivers as there is no need for them to confirm their location manually or install a separate vehicle-recognition infrastructure.

An unnamed official from E1 said that when the pilot service is operated successfully, it will expand the service to other gas stations across the country with an aim to take the lead in establishing future smart gas stations. E1 currently operates 380 LPG gas stations in Korea.

Shares of E1 ended at 58,100 won ($53.5) on Monday, up 1.4 percent or 800 won from the previous session.

By Moon Ji-woong and Lee Eun-joo

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]