SK Energy launches integrated car management platform

SK Energy has launched an integrated car management app called Muffin that offers services including non-face-to-face refueling, car wash, valet parking, insurance and maintenance on a single platform.

According to the SK Innovation subsidiary, the app will be available at some 200 gas stations directly to begin with and will be expanded to all franchise locations in the country by year-end.

Drivers can input their vehicle’s license plate number using Muffin; the gas station personnel will then refuel their vehicles based on the information that the customer entered on the mobile app, including fuel type and the amount of their purchase. The payment is then processed automatically using the credit card entered by the customer on the mobile app. Other mobile payment solutions, such as Kakao Pay, can also be used to pay for their fuel purchase.

Muffin also offers non-face-to-face refueling options using voice recognition. When drivers turn on Bluetooth on their mobile phones, Muffin automatically activates, and drivers can give commands via the mobile app to begin refueling or make a payment during their visit to the gas station. The service is currently available at 20 locations in major cities in South Korea. SK Energy said availability of this service will be gradually expanded.

Earlier this year, SK Energy announced plans to improve its customer digital platform to maximize customer convenience. The company has about 3,000 gas stations across the country.

Founded as the first oil company in South Korea in 1962, SK Energy has been producing various petroleum products at its Ulsan Complex, which has a refining capacity of 840,000 barrels of crude oil per day, and selling them in both domestic and overseas markets.