Tolerance weight measurement standards are different from those in Europe, and improvement is necessary
"We will build up references in the public domain"

Kim Jong-bae, CEO of Mybe, declared a head-on breakthrough through market expansion such as exports despite the unstable supply of parts due to the Chinese lockdown caused by COVID-19, and expressed his ambition to secure market competitiveness.

Kim Jong-bae, CEO of Mybe, said that the 2022 shipment target was set at 1,000 units, but the supply of parts itself was not smooth due to the blockade of China.

The first half of the year has ended, but as of June 29th, when the interview was conducted, the cumulative number of vehicles delivered was only about 150.

CEO Kim said that although they placed a significant number of orders for parts in the first half of the year, delivery dates were not met and there were issues with the quality of parts due to the aftermath of the blockade, so shipments were not smooth.

He expressed concern, saying, “The process of receiving parts from China and assembling them is not going smoothly,” and “It seems like it will take quite some time to normalize things again.”

Myve is scheduled to release the M2 model in the second half of the year, which can travel at least 150 km with a battery swap system that can overcome the driving range limit, but this too has not been answered due to parts supply and procurement issues.

He then expressed regret, saying that he felt sorry for the customers waiting for their vehicles to be delivered, as there were three times more people waiting than vehicles delivered.

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▲Mive CEO Kim Jong-bae is talking about the domestic ultra-compact electric vehicle market. (Photographed by: Kwon Ki-beom)

He also explained why it is difficult to obtain Korean parts.

Electric vehicles require many parts, including battery packs, reducers, motors, and onboard chargers, but there are not many suppliers in Korea who can supply parts tailored to ultra-compact electric vehicles.

Myve currently uses Kumho Tire tires, but in the past, it was impossible to obtain tires, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not even meet the company's minimum quantity, so his range of choices was limited.

President Kim cautiously predicted that the situation could change once exports begin and volumes are secured.

He expressed his hope that various measures, including institutional measures, would be implemented in parallel to develop the domestic ultra-compact electric vehicle market.

He expressed his opinion on easing vehicle weight limit regulations, saying that it is impossible to increase the battery capacity of ultra-compact electric vehicles even if they want to.

The reason why the driving distance is only about 100km even with a fully charged battery is because the weight of the vehicle is limited to 600kg according to regulations related to ultra-compact electric vehicles in our country.

For the target delivery industry workers, the average daily driving distance is 150 km, which is longer than the current battery capacity.

Accordingly, CEO Kim said that Europe measures the weight excluding the battery when measuring the curb weight, and that Korea also needs to make various attempts to overcome the limitation of a 'car that can only go 100 km.'

He also argued for infrastructure expansion, saying that dedicated parking areas for micro electric vehicles could also play a role in the development of the market, and that three Myve vehicles can be parked in the space that would accommodate two regular cars.

When asked about Myve’s market strategy, CEO Kim cited references from the public sector.He said that he would continue to build up.

By deploying around 40 vehicles in the Gangneung Smart City project, Myve will narrow the gap between Myve and potential customers and provide a driving experience through car sharing.

He added that he plans to supply to rental car companies and steadily expand with a focus on promoting Mybe.

Meanwhile, Myve plans to build a factory capable of producing more than ten thousand units per year in the second half of the year, once overseas markets become visible and production volumes are secured for 12 months.

We are currently in discussions with various local governments, and Gyeongsangbuk-do, where the auto parts industry is concentrated, is ranked first.

CEO Kim Jong-bae said, “Mybe will do its best to protect the market by overcoming the problems caused by the economic downturn and the blockade of China,” and “We will grow Mybe to be competitive in the global market.”

The interview video related to the article can be found at the top of the article and on the e4ds YouTube channel 'Electronic's for Design and Software'.