[Electric Vehicles, Now It's About Infrastructure③] Transition Accelerated by Policy... EVs Are No Longer a Choice, but an 'Obligation'

The third-generation rapid charger 'SuperSonic'. Provided by Chaebi

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The era of 1 million electric vehicles has arrived. Driven by lower prices, improved driving range, and changing consumer perceptions, the market is already shifting toward electric vehicles. In addition, three pillars of policy-demand stimulation, supply-side pressure, and infrastructure transformation-are simultaneously in play, making the shift to electric vehicles not a choice but a necessity. The market moved first, and policy has put the finishing touch on top of it.

This trend is clearly reflected in recent policy measures. In order to manage energy demand, the government plans to implement an alternate-day vehicle operation system for public institutions starting April 8, but electric vehicles will be exempt from this measure. In contrast, hybrid vehicles will face the same operational restrictions as internal combustion engine vehicles. This indicates that the preferential treatment for electric vehicles is materializing not just through subsidies but also in real-world driving conditions. The policy direction centered on electric vehicles is now permeating everyday life.

This year, the purchase subsidy-which had been reduced every year-has been maintained. Moreover, the new "EV Transition Incentive" has been introduced, further strengthening real incentives for buyers. When an internal combustion engine vehicle is scrapped or sold and replaced with an electric vehicle, the government provides up to 1 million won from the national budget and up to 300,000 won from the local budget (based on Seoul City standards), paid separately from the existing subsidy.

This is not a simple expansion of subsidies. While previous policies targeted new buyers, the transition incentive is the first case to directly target the tens of millions of existing internal combustion engine vehicle owners for conversion. The government has made it clear that it aims not just to create new demand, but to bring existing internal combustion vehicle owners directly into the electric vehicle ecosystem. As further government supply policies and fluctuations in oil prices intersect, the pace of the transition to electric vehicles is expected to accelerate even more.

With the 300,000-vehicle subsidy budget allocated by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment being depleted faster than expected, the government has adopted a "national budget first, local budget reimbursement later" approach to prevent subsidy disbursement gaps. As a result, even after local subsidies are exhausted, buyers who contract for electric vehicles can receive the full amount of subsidies-including both national and local portions-upfront from the national budget, and any excess national funding is later reconciled with local governments.

Structural changes have also begun on the supply side. Under administrative rules revised in January in accordance with the Air Quality Conservation Act, automobile sellers are now legally required to meet annual zero-emission vehicle deployment targets. If they fail to do so, they must pay a "low-emission vehicle supply contribution." The zero-emission vehicle target will increase from 24% in 2026 to 50% by 2030. The Ministry of Climate is also planning to announce the K-GX (Korea Green Transformation) Vision in the first half of 2026.

The key is a change in the calculation method. Previously, one gasoline vehicle sale was counted as 0.6 of an electric vehicle, which meant there were effectively no cases of actual contributions being levied. However, starting in 2026, the performance calculation ratio for internal combustion vehicles will be set to "zero," making the regulation an immediate and effective measure. From 2028, it will also be impossible to meet targets through hybrid sales. For automobile sellers, increasing the proportion of electric vehicle sales is now a mandatory requirement, not a choice.

If they fall short of the target by 20%, sellers could face a contribution burden of about 510 billion won in 2030. The industry interprets this as a "structural penalty system for internal combustion vehicle sales." This structure has now brought sellers, the suppliers, into the market led by consumers, completing the two-way pressure on both supply and demand sides.

Changes in infrastructure policy have followed a similar trajectory. The grace period for mandatory installation of slow chargers under the Eco-friendly Vehicle Act ended in January, effectively ending the "mandatory installation market" dominated by slow chargers. The institutional demand that drove early expansion is now gradually evaporating. In addition, Seoul City ended its incentive policy in January that provided up to a 20% bonus in allowable floor area ratio for buildings installing more than 50% above the legal requirement for EV chargers. As a result, even the policy tools that encouraged additional slow charger installations have disappeared.

Given that apartment buildings account for 79.6% of Korea's residential environment, the physical potential for expanding slow charging infrastructure is structurally limited. This is not simply a reduction in installations, but a shift from a phase of expansion driven by mandates and subsidies to a market phase focused on profitability and operational efficiency. To maximize the efficiency of infrastructure resources by increasing charger turnover rates, a shift to rapid charging station-centered patterns is inevitable. Since the rapid charging market requires significant initial investment and technological capability, it already has a high entry barrier and has been reorganized around the "big three"-Chaebi, SK, and Lotte.

With all three policy pillars in action, the transition to electric vehicles is becoming an irreversible structural trend. And what actually determines the speed of this transition is not the vehicles themselves, but the charging infrastructure. The critical point for adoption is not how many electric vehicles are sold, but how conveniently they can be charged.

Chaebi is in the most advantageous position within this structure. It holds an overwhelming market share, accounting for about 60% of public rapid charging facility deliveries, and its operational quality is supported by data. Analysis comparing public rapid charging facility failure rates from 2022 to 2025 shows that Chaebi's average failure rate was half that of competitors, and its average response time to failures was 1.5 times faster. The data confirms that it has installed the most and managed them best in Korea.

An industry representative stated, "The charging infrastructure industry is no longer a secondary sector to electric vehicles, but is being redefined as the core infrastructure industry that actually enables the transition to electric vehicles. In particular, Chaebi-which has secured overwhelming installation references, operational quality, and key locations-stands to benefit from this structural transformation."

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