South Korea’s Hyundai Glovis is adding four more pure car-truck carrier (PCTC) newbuildings to its growing fleet.

The Seoul-based logistics company says Ulsan-based Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has been contracted to deliver the 6,500-car-equivalent-unit (ceu) ships in 2015.

“This is not a direct order,” said Jin-Ok Kim, senior vice president of Hyundai Glovis’s ocean-shipping group. “The ships were ordered through a Korean shipping fund and Hyundai Glovis will bareboat charter them for seven years with a purchase obligation when the contract ends.”

The identity of the shipping fund has not been disclosed.

Nor did Hyundai Glovis reveal the charter rate and price of the ships, but market players suggest they will cost just below $60m each.

This is the company’s second newbuilding deal this year. In May, it signed up for four 7,300-ceu vessels for delivery next year.

The company says it has ordered the post-panamax ships to replace older chartered and owned tonnage. It hopes to benefit from having fuel-efficient, state-of-the-art vessels in its fleet.

In addition to the eight ships booked at HHI this year, the Korean owner also has three 7,300-ceu units under construction at Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries for delivery between now and 2014.

Hyundai Glovis says it has opted for 6,500-ceu ships instead of larger vessels due to restrictions at Incheon port. “The post-panamax type of vessels are becoming popular, but we need a different size of ships to operate our services,” it said.

Although better known for its car-carrier business, Hyundai Glovis also operates 24 bulkers, three of which are owned, and tankers.

Earlier this year, it made its debut in the the VLCC arena with four chartered newbuildings after securing long-term, consecutive-voyage deals with Hyundai Oil in Singapore. The 320,000-dwt tankers are under construction at HHI for delivery in 2014 and 2015.

Hyundai Glovis currently operates 54 car carriers, of which 11 are owned.