The Korea Herald

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GS Caltex to showcase drone delivery tech, next-gen gas station at CES

By Kim Byung-wook

Published : Jan. 6, 2021 - 16:31

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Caltex’s next-generation gas station Energy Plus Hub as seen in the company’s promotion video to be released at CES 2021 (GS Caltex) Caltex’s next-generation gas station Energy Plus Hub as seen in the company’s promotion video to be released at CES 2021 (GS Caltex)


GS Caltex will introduce a next-generation charging station that offers drone delivery services in its debut at the world’s biggest tech show, the company said Wednesday.

According to the South Korean refinery, at this year‘s Consumer Electronics Show set to kick off online Monday, the company will offer three videos that show how drones can deliver items, utilizing gas stations as logistics bases.
The first video contains two drone delivery tests GS Caltex conducted together with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute in June and October. In the video, drones take off from GS Caltex gas stations to deliver items to customers who placed orders through an app for GS25, a convenience store chain owned by GS Retail.

In the second video, a drone carrying food and drinks takes off from a gas station in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, to make a delivery to an elementary school located on a far-off island.

“The second video shows how drone delivery services can offer new business opportunities in the future in South Korea, which is comprised of many islands,” a GS Caltex official said.

The last video highlights the future of gas stations envisioned by GS Caltex. Using computer graphics, GS Caltex showed how its Energy Plus Hub -- the company’s first pump station under the new brand Energy Plus launched in November -- can function simultaneously as a hydrogen and electric vehicle charging station, a car-sharing and micro-mobility platform, a logistics hub and a base for drone taxis.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)