[Car Talk Forest] Electric Vehicle Charging Station Shortage... Could 'Mobile Charging and Occupancy Fees' Be the Solution?

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] As the number of registered electric vehicles in South Korea surpassed 100,000, solving the electric vehicle charging issue has emerged as a new challenge for the automotive industry. Until sufficient electric vehicle charging infrastructure is established, various methods must be employed to enhance charging convenience.

According to the Federation of Korean Industries on the 5th, as of the end of last year, the number of electric vehicle charging facilities in South Korea was 23,000, which is only 0.8% of China’s 2,918,000, 1.4% of the United States’ 1,639,000, and 10% of Japan’s 227,000.

The South Korean government has set a plan to establish a cumulative total of 45,000 charging infrastructure units by 2025, but considering the recent rapid growth of the domestic electric vehicle market, it is expected to take considerable time to resolve the shortage of charging facilities.

For this reason, automakers are trying various methods to supplement the insufficient charging infrastructure. They are expanding mobile charging services that come to the customer and installing brand-exclusive charging stations that provide free charging services for a certain period.

Hyundai Motor Company's Ultra-Fast Electric Vehicle Charging Facility 'Hi-Charger'

They are also expanding the distribution of home chargers and ultra-fast rapid charging stations, and introducing mobile applications that allow users to find available charging stations and make reservations and payments all at once. Recently, some companies have started imposing a 'parking fee' to reduce the number of selfish users who occupy parking spaces even after charging is complete.

The company making the most diverse attempts to improve charging convenience in South Korea is Hyundai Kia Motors. Hyundai introduced the first mass-produced electric vehicle under its brand, the Ioniq EV, in 2016 and was the first in the country to launch a mobile charging service, which continues to this day. Customers can call a mobile charging station up to four times a year to their desired location, providing about 44 km worth of driving range with a 7 kWh charge.

Recently, Kia also started a pilot project for an 'on-demand charging service,' where a service vehicle visits the selected time and place via mobile app to charge the vehicle directly. This charging station allows a single charge sufficient for 240 km of driving (40 kWh), and Kia plans to enable customers to use the mobile charging service on a regular basis.

Imported car manufacturers, which are rapidly increasing their electric vehicle market share in South Korea, are also trying various methods. Companies such as Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi have installed brand-exclusive chargers across the country and provide home chargers free of charge.

Tesla, whose fleet has recently grown rapidly, announced that starting from the 26th of next month, it will introduce a 'parking fee' for using its rapid charger Superchargers. This is to filter out selfish users who occupy chargers even after charging is complete. To truly enter the electric vehicle era, not only infrastructure development but also a mature civic consciousness must be cultivated together.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.