Seoul City Accelerates Electric Vehicle Era... 270,000 Electric Vehicles to be Distributed by 2025

Focus on Public Transportation Closely Linked to Daily Life: 3,500 City Buses and 10,000 Taxis Supplied
200,000 Chargers Installed, Establishing 'Electric Vehicle Charging Network Within 5-Minute Walk' Around Living Areas... Electric Vehicle Charging Convenience Increased

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City is accelerating the electric vehicle era by distributing 270,000 electric vehicles by 2025 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, which accounts for 19.2% of Seoul’s total greenhouse gas emissions (based on 2018 data).

On the 30th, Seoul City announced that as of July, the number of registered electric vehicles was about 29,300, which is only 0.9% of the total 3.17 million registered vehicles in Seoul. However, by distributing 210,000 electric vehicles (excluding electric two-wheelers) by 2025, the share of electric vehicles is planned to be raised to about 6.6%. By 2025, the distribution targets by vehicle type are 175,000 passenger cars, 19,000 freight vehicles, 10,000 taxis, 3,500 buses (including 490 village buses), and 62,000 two-wheelers.

Passenger cars are seeing a rapid increase in demand for electric passenger vehicles due to the continuous improvement in electric vehicle performance such as driving range per charge and the launch of various new models. The plan is to significantly increase the distribution volume by about 50% annually, distributing a total of 175,000 units by 2025 to lead the electric vehicle era.

Taxis, which emit more than 13 times the greenhouse gases compared to passenger cars due to their long driving distances, will see about 10,000 electric taxis converted by 2025, accounting for about 15% of all taxis in Seoul. For private taxis, the distribution volume will be increased from 630 units this year to 2,000 units next year to encourage conversion to electric taxis in response to the surge in demand following the lifting of driving restrictions. For corporate taxis, which have had insufficient conversion to electric vehicles due to charging issues, the plan is to accelerate the transition to electric taxis by providing charging infrastructure together at taxi garages.

City buses will see 3,500 electric buses (including 490 village buses) distributed by 2025, converting more than 40% of the city buses operating in Seoul to electric buses. Starting this year, the purchase of zero-emission vehicles is mandatory for city buses, prioritizing the conversion of old buses (over 9-10 years) to electric buses. In the future, the target for electric bus distribution will be expanded not only to city buses but also to buses for religious facilities, company commuter buses, and tourist buses.

Two-wheelers will see 62,000 electric two-wheelers distributed by 2025 to meet the increased demand for delivery vehicles due to COVID-19. In particular, 35,000 dedicated delivery electric two-wheelers, which emit large amounts of greenhouse gases due to driving distances more than five times longer than general two-wheelers and are recognized as a major source of noise in residential areas, will be fully converted to electric two-wheelers.

Freight vehicles will see 19,000 units distributed by 2025, with a focus on delivery freight vehicles that have long driving distances and are closely related to citizens’ daily lives. From 2022, newly registered delivery freight vehicles will be 100% converted to electric freight vehicles. Additionally, for school buses, since various models of school buses have not yet been released, Seoul City plans to create demand through subsidy support to encourage the development of various school bus models. Starting with a pilot distribution of 20 units this year, the plan is to gradually expand so that from 2023, 100% of newly registered school buses will be electric vehicles.

Meanwhile, a public demand survey by Seoul City revealed that charging-related obstacles, such as lack of charging stations (41.7%) and charging speed (19.0%), accounted for more than 60% of the barriers to purchasing electric vehicles. In response, Seoul City plans to shift from a policy focused mainly on electric vehicle subsidies to concentrating on expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure, proactively responding to the expansion of electric vehicles and improving convenience for electric vehicle users.

By 2025, Seoul plans to distribute a total of 200,000 chargers, including 5,000 fast chargers and 195,000 slow chargers, establishing a “5-minute walking distance charging network” around daily living areas to create charging demand for 500,000 electric vehicles. Charger distribution will be promoted with a strategic approach by type and installation location to eliminate blind spots in electric vehicle charging and build a living charging infrastructure that allows charging anytime and anywhere. Considering the charging patterns and demand of electric vehicle users, fast chargers will be concentrated at major transportation hubs and public places, while slow and outlet-type chargers will be distributed in residential and office facilities.

Seoul City is actively cooperating with related organizations such as the Ministry of Environment, Korea Electric Power Corporation, electric vehicle manufacturers, and charging service providers to expand electric vehicle chargers. Through this, Seoul plans to establish an efficient collaboration system by dividing roles between the public and private sectors and preparing focused strategies for each institution, thereby creating a dense charging infrastructure.

Yoo Yeon-sik, Head of Seoul City’s Climate and Environment Headquarters, said, “To overcome the climate crisis, carbon neutrality in the transportation sector, which accounts for 19.2% of Seoul’s greenhouse gas emissions, is of utmost importance,” and added, “Seoul City will proactively build charging infrastructure to create a city where using electric vehicles is convenient.”

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