Portal service Naver ready to jump into 'car-sharing' operation

By Park Sae-jin Posted : January 31, 2017, 14:03 Updated : January 31, 2017, 14:03

SOCAR is one of the most widely used car-sharing services in South Korea. [Courtesy of SOCAR]


South Korea's largest portal service Naver branches out into car-sharing, a service similar to rent-a-car for consumers who need to use vehicles covering short periods or distances.

The portal said its R&D sister firm, Naver Labs, has included car-sharing to the articles of association. Naver Labs hived off as a totally independent company in early January with its capital estimated at 120 billion won (102.7 million US dollars).

Naver Labs aims to apply artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technology into the daily life of users. It already has been involved in the development of an autonomous vehicle which is capable of driving around by itself but requires human intervention in an emergency.

Many tech firms including Google and Uber seek to fully automate car-sharing services which have emerged as a strong contender in the rent-a-car market. Users can pick up reserved vehicles from designated parking lots and return them at another place.

Unlike previous rent-a-car services, users of the car-sharing service are charged on the basis of hours, preferred by those going only a short distance in a city.

 
기사 이미지 확대 보기
닫기