This photo provided by Hyundai Motor shows the carmaker’s hydrogen charging station at an expressway service area.
SEOUL, May 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Drivers of hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles will be allowed to charge their vehicles on their own at charging stations in urban areas, the energy ministry said Tuesday.
The ministry on Tuesday announced a roadmap for regulatory reform to make it easier to build hydrogen charging stations in urban areas by relaxing regulations that previously required them to be 12 to 32 meters away from their surroundings.
The only condition is that additional safety devices, such as protective walls, must be installed.
To achieve this goal, the government will amend the relevant laws to allow urban-type charging stations to be installed even in general areas without requiring a regulatory sandbox exemption.
The regulatory sandbox program is a policy initiative that allows live, time-bound testing of innovations under government oversight without actually changing related regulations or laws.
Additionally, the government plans to allow drivers to charge their vehicles themselves.
South Korea has previously prohibited drivers from charging their hydrogen vehicles, unlike the U.S. and Japan.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
