Conflicts among EV drivers are growing due to the shortage of charging facilities. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent study has shown that South Korean electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure is failing to catch up with the rapid prevalence of EVs, posing a stumbling block to the nation’s shift towards eco-friendly vehicles.
The Korea Automobile Technology Institute (KATI) announced on Tuesday that the growth in the number of private and public chargers per 100 EVs slowed down to 50.1 units in August after rising to 59.7 units in late 2017.
In contrast, the number of such chargers per 100 EVs in advanced countries is estimated to be more than 150 units.
Conflicts among EV drivers are also growing due to the shortage of charging facilities.
The monthly average number of civil complaints reported to the Seoul Metropolitan Government related to EV charging obstruction rose to 228 in the first half of this year, up 49 percent from 153 a year ago.
The KATI said that thorough preparations are needed to supply EV chargers swiftly and flexibly depending on demand rather than making the installation of EV chargers mandatory.
Reckless expansion of EV chargers could lead to a shortage of parking spaces in public housing such as apartments. In addition, it’s also uncertain whether demand for EV charging will continue to grow or not.
In South Korea, the ‘Environmentally Friendly Automobile Act’ mandates the installation of at least one EV charger per 200 parking spaces for apartment complexes with more than 500 households.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
