First card to link Hi-Pass tolls with EV charging
Charging stations to expand across SM Group assets including resorts
SM Hi-Plus, a manufacturing and services affiliate of SM Group, signed a memorandum of understanding with Everon on Wednesday at SM Group's Sinchon headquarters in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, to launch an EV Hi-Pass card and expand their smart mobility service partnership. SM Hi-Plus CEO Ahn Byung-hyun and Everon CEO Yoo Dong-su attended the signing ceremony along with executives and staff from both companies.
Founded in 2012, Everon is an electric vehicle charging service provider that operates more than 55,000 chargers nationwide as of last month. Through the partnership, SM Hi-Plus plans to introduce an EV membership Hi-Pass card that integrates highway toll payments with EV charging.
Roaming services between charging operators are already available in South Korea's EV charging market, but most users carry an average of about five separate cards to reduce costs. The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy has been working to eliminate that inconvenience through a unified membership card, yet the hassle of managing multiple cards persists.
The two companies agreed to address this market pain point by improving convenience while also aligning with the government's eco-friendly policy of minimizing plastic card issuance.
Alongside the new card launch, the companies plan to strengthen customer benefits by linking payments to "Hi Money," the digital wallet within the HIPLUS mobile app. They also intend to connect their respective apps and run cross-marketing campaigns so that customers' mobility experiences are seamlessly integrated.
The partnership will also accelerate offline infrastructure expansion. The two sides agreed to steadily add Everon EV charging stations at SM Group-owned assets, including major parking facilities and resorts, to broaden customer touchpoints. As part of that effort, a charging station was established at a parking facility on Chungjang-ro in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, in August.
"The core of this partnership is integrating Hi-Pass and EV charging into a single card to eliminate the burden of carrying multiple cards and maximize convenience," SM Hi-Plus CEO Ahn said. "We will offer customers new and differentiated services while building a sustainable mobility ecosystem through ESG — environmental, social and governance — management practices."
Ahn added that the company would also drive innovation in the car rental, used-car and car-sharing sectors, and expand its service scope through collaboration with global electric vehicle manufacturers including Hyundai, Kia, Tesla, BYD and Zeekr.
Meanwhile, SM Hi-Plus recently signed a separate MOU with CP6, an AI data analytics firm, to develop and commercialize next-generation mobility services.
Under that agreement, the company plans to combine mobility data from the HIPLUS app with CP6's AI analytics technology to maximize synergies in the mobility solutions sector.
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