EV Charging Fees Restructured into Five Tiers... Slow Charging Reduced to 294.3 Won per kWh

The government will subdivide the public electric vehicle charging fee system from the current two tiers to five tiers and lower the fee for slow charging.

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced on April 29 that it has prepared a "Plan for the Restructuring of Public Electric Vehicle Charging Facility Fees," which will be made available for public comment from April 30 to May 19.

According to the plan, public charging fees will be divided from the current two categories—100 kilowatts (kW) or more and less than 100 kW—into the following five categories: less than 30 kW, 30 kW or more but less than 50 kW, 50 kW or more but less than 100 kW, 100 kW or more but less than 200 kW, and 200 kW or more. This measure is intended to more accurately reflect the actual cost differences based on charger output.

From this year, if you scrap or sell an internal combustion engine vehicle such as a gasoline car and then purchase an electric vehicle, you can receive an additional subsidy of up to 1 million KRW. Photo by Yonhap News, taken on the 2nd at an electric vehicle charging station at a large supermarket in Seoul.

In particular, the slow charging fee for chargers with less than 30 kW output, which are widely used, will be reduced from 324.4 won per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 294.3 won per kWh. The revised fee will apply when using "roaming" payment with a membership card at public and affiliated chargers installed and operated by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.

The existing seasonal and time-of-day discounts will remain in effect. During spring (March–May) and autumn (September–October), users can receive a discount of up to 48.6 won per kWh from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekends and public holidays.

Charging infrastructure management will also be strengthened. Charging service providers will be required to install signs or notices at charging sites so that users can check the fees on-site. At highway rest areas, fee boards will be installed outside, similar to those at gas stations, to allow users to easily check charging fees at a glance.

Additionally, the obligations for preventive maintenance and regular inspections by charging facility operators will be reinforced, and a system will be established to respond to malfunction reports and user inquiries, aiming to reduce user inconvenience. Grounds for issuing corrective orders will be established for operators who fail to meet management standards.

Operators will be required to disclose information such as charging fees, facility locations, and real-time availability on the Korea Environment Corporation’s Zero Emission Vehicle website in real time. Furthermore, requirements and procedures for designating a dedicated organization to check the registration of charging facility information and compliance with management standards will be newly established.

This restructuring aligns with the revision of subordinate regulations in accordance with the Clean Air Conservation Act, which will take effect on November 12. The government also plans to consider introducing a charging fee system linked to seasonal and time-of-day electricity rates in the future.

In addition, when replacing charging facilities that have not yet reached their eight-year durability period, subsidies will only be provided in cases of unavoidable circumstances, such as irremediable malfunctions. A standard contract for the installation and operation of charging facilities, which can be used in new buildings and apartment complexes, will also be provided.

Jung Sunhwa, Director of Green Transition Policy at the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, stated, "Reasonable pricing and user convenience are key to the adoption of electric vehicles. Through the restructuring of the charging fee system and the establishment of management standards, we will build a stable charging ecosystem."

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