[Car Talk Forest] This Year Again a Regular at the National Audit... The Long Road to 'Eco-friendly Vehicle Charging'

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52% of Electric Vehicle Owners Complain of "Charging Inconvenience"
Addressing Regional Imbalance of Hydrogen Charging Stations Also a Challenge

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The first National Assembly inspection of the 21st National Assembly has concluded. Although there were criticisms calling it a "toothless inspection," the inspection serves a positive function by allowing lawmakers to exercise their powerful rights of on-site investigation and data submission, enabling access to information that is usually difficult to obtain.

Among these, what caught my eye was information about "eco-friendly vehicles," especially "charging stations for eco-friendly vehicles." Although the government announced a major policy on the 30th of last month, the biggest concern for consumers choosing vehicles remains the "charging issue." This is confirmed by numbers as well. 52% of electric vehicle owners complained that charging is the most inconvenient. This is despite the fact that there are as many as 24,480 electric vehicle charging stations nationwide. This reflects a policy direction of "build first, figure out later" without research on demand along travel routes. There were as many as 17 rapid charging stations that had no users for an entire year.

The criticism that "there are no charging stations when needed" continued throughout the inspection. As of September this year, only 6,355 electric vehicle charging stations have been installed in apartment complexes. Based on last year's population census, this translates to only 0.56 charging stations per 1,000 households. This is the reality even in apartment complexes, where it is relatively easier to access electric vehicle charging stations compared to general residential areas.

Electric vehicle charging stations are somewhat better off compared to hydrogen vehicle charging stations. As of September this year, 9,266 hydrogen vehicles are in operation domestically. However, there are only 47 hydrogen charging stations, of which 8 are for research purposes. Moreover, the localization rate of core parts and technology for hydrogen charging stations is only 42%, and seven charging stations currently under construction are facing delays in completion due to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the supply of parts from Linde in Germany. Additionally, from January to May this year, 10 charging stations struggled due to the lack of imported parts caused by the COVID-19 situation.

Regional imbalance is also a problem for hydrogen vehicle charging stations. As of the end of August this year, the total daily hydrogen supply capacity is 12 tons 835 kilograms, which translates to only 1.44 kilograms of daily charging capacity per registered hydrogen vehicle. The Hyundai Nexo requires 6.3 kilograms per full charge. Therefore, a "full tank" is impossible. The situation is even more severe regionally. In Gangwon, which has only one charging station, only 0.43 kilograms per vehicle can be charged daily. Based on the Nexo, the only regions where a full charge is possible are Sejong (6.94 kg), Jeonnam (7.0 kg), and Gyeongbuk (31.25 kg). This result is not due to a large number of charging stations. Sejong and Gyeongbuk each have only one station, and Jeonnam has two. The relatively ample capacity is due to the low number of registered hydrogen vehicles.

The issue of insufficient installation of protective covers at charging stations to shield from rain and wind was pointed out in the 2018 inspection but remains unresolved. This issue was also raised at the Future Vehicle meeting hosted by the Democratic Party in August this year. Although the inspection has been called "toothless" and "ineffective," I hope that the issues raised this year will not be repeated in next year's inspection.

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