Hyundai Motor said Friday it has delivered the first batch of 20 Ioniq EVs to Indonesia, entering the ride-hailing market in the Southeast Asian country in partnership with Grab.

The South Korean carmaker and Grab will operate ride-hailing services in Jakarta with the electric version of the compact starting early next year. They plan to expand the number of vehicles in operation by the end of the year.

The Ioniq EV is capable of running 271 kilometers per single charge. It can be recharged to 80 percent in less than an hour if a high-speed battery charger is used.

The EV ride-hailing service is expected to attract interest in the electric vehicle market in the Southeast Asian country.

Hyundai and its sister company Kia invested $275 million in Grab to build new mobility services with EVs.

The Korean auto giant has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indonesian government to build its first manufacturing facility in the Southeast Asian region. The planned plant in Indonesia will be capable of producing 150,000 cars a year, the company said.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)