[Electric Vehicle Era][Report] Is 'Charging Impossible' True? ... Confusing Information on Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

On the Zero-Emission Vehicle Integrated Website, 'Unavailable' but Operable
Situation Improving as Large Corporations Enter, Yet Regulations Hinder Progress

Editor's NoteAccording to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, 117,000 electric vehicles were sold from January to September this year. This figure has already surpassed last year's total annual sales of 97,000 units. Last month, for the first time ever, electric vehicle sales exceeded those of hybrid vehicles. As we enter the full-fledged era of electric vehicles, major domestic companies including automakers, SK, LG, Hanwha, and LS are moving swiftly to capture the expanding market. Just 20 years ago, smartphones were merely a distant future imagination. Now, we are preparing for a mobility revolution comparable to the smartphone era. This article examines the current issues and challenges faced by the automotive industry in transitioning to the era of electric vehicle popularization.

A 7kW public charger is exhibited at the '2022 International Electric Power Exhibition' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] At 11 p.m. on the 18th, I visited the public electric vehicle charging stations around Mapo Station, as listed on the 'Zero-Emission Vehicle Integrated Website,' which provides information on the location and availability of public chargers. Upon checking, 4 out of 6 stations were operating normally as indicated by the website, while 2 were marked as 'Unavailable.'

Among the two unavailable stations, I first visited the Changcheon Public Parking Lot. This location is popular due to its affordable parking in the busy Sinchon area. The integrated website showed that there was one electric vehicle charger at Changcheon Public Parking Lot, but it was marked as 'Unavailable.' However, upon inspection, the charger was functioning normally. The next day, after contacting the parking lot's information center, I received confirmation that the charger was indeed operating properly.

At Gongdeok 1-1 Public Parking Lot, there was one 50kW rapid charger installed. The integrated website indicated that the parking lot was 'inaccessible due to a parking system replacement,' and the charger status was 'Unavailable,' meaning that even if someone was using it, the system would not reflect that. Upon visiting, I found that it was a 'resident-priority parking zone,' so unregistered vehicles could not enter at all. Even if the system is replaced, unregistered vehicles cannot use the charger. Additionally, one charger marked as 'Unavailable' was actually being used by an electric vehicle charging for about 40 minutes.

Electric Vehicle Charger at Changcheon Public Parking Lot

Last month, a total of 20,485 electric vehicles were sold domestically. For the first time ever, electric vehicle sales surpassed those of hybrid vehicles. As the mobility market is expected to be led by electric vehicles in the future, sales are anticipated to increase further. However, charging infrastructure remains severely insufficient. Inconveniences due to malfunctions persist, and uncertainty regarding charging information is causing growing confusion among users each year. Therefore, there are calls for urgent regulatory improvements to support active expansion of charging stations and new business ventures by related companies.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and related industries on the 21st, the cumulative number of registered electric vehicles in the first half of this year reached 298,633. The number of registered electric vehicles in Korea has shown explosive growth, increasing from 135,000 in 2020 to 231,000 last year, with an average annual growth rate exceeding 30%.

Electric vehicles have also rapidly become dominant in the used car market. According to the Kaizyu Data Research Institute, from January to August, the total number of used cars sold was 1,297,796, of which 9,897 were electric vehicles, marking a 53.3% increase compared to the same period last year.

On the other hand, electric vehicle charging stations remain insufficient. According to the Ministry of Environment, as of the end of last year, 93,415 public chargers were installed. This roughly means that three vehicles share one charger.

Not only are charging stations insufficient, but malfunctions are also problematic. In particular, inaccurate information increases the likelihood of users making wasted trips. According to the Zero-Emission Vehicle Integrated Website, as of the 19th, out of 7,060 public rapid chargers, 60 were out of service due to malfunctions. Notably, the malfunction list did not include the Changcheon Public Parking Lot mentioned earlier.

Recently, the situation has been gradually improving as large corporations enter the charging business. In charger manufacturing, SK acquired Signet last year, Lotte Information & Communication handles central control, and GS and LG jointly acquired Apple Mango. The competition is fiercer in charging infrastructure operations. SK Networks invested in Everon and acquired the electric vehicle charging division of Estraffic. SK E&S acquired Parking Cloud and partially entered the charging business. GS established G-Connect through a joint venture with G&Tel and recently renamed it GS Connect. Hyundai Motor Company established its own rapid charging brand, E-Pit, and acquired Korea Electric Vehicle Charging Service.

However, regulations remain a significant obstacle. Especially, active support from relevant government ministries is needed for the development of new technologies. Hyundai Motor Company is a representative example of new technology development. In September last year, Hyundai received approval for an electric vehicle wireless charging service through a regulatory sandbox demonstration exemption. Hyundai currently operates 23 wireless electric vehicle chargers and 22 wireless charging electric vehicles.

The problem is that wireless chargers require separate permits for each installation location. This issue was discussed when Minister Jongho Lee of the Ministry of Science and ICT visited Hyundai Motorstudio in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, last August. Hyundai and related companies requested the minister to change the management method for wireless chargers. The minister responded, "We will review regulatory improvements in a way that can promote market activation."

Frequency allocation is also a challenge for the wireless charging business to proceed. The industry is requesting the allocation of the 85kHz frequency band for new businesses such as wireless charging, similar to the United States. Minister Lee also stated that a plan regarding this would be announced early next year.

Researcher Jaegon Hwang of Shinhan Investment Corp. diagnosed, "The biggest concern for consumers purchasing electric vehicles is the lack of public charging infrastructure," adding, "The residential culture centered on apartment complexes and the mismatch between charging demand and supply are identified as major causes."

He continued, "Until now, the electric vehicle charging infrastructure market has grown through investments by small and medium-sized enterprises, venture capital, and some private equity funds. However, for future growth, large-scale investments supported by infrastructure funds, project financing, and participation of large corporations are necessary."

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