This photo taken on July 3, 2017, shows state power provider KEPCO’s charging station for electric vehicles in Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — The Ministry of Environment announced that it would exclude hybrid and gas-powered vehicles from the target for distribution of low-emission vehicles.
The low-emission vehicle distribution program was introduced to impose penalties on carmakers failing to increase the share of low-emission vehicles among their overall sales up to a certain level.
The penalties will be imposed starting from 2023.
It has been pointed out that the setting of a low-emission vehicle distribution target by classifying gas-powered vehicles as low-emission vehicles cannot contribute to expanding the actual number of low-emission vehicles.
This year’s low-emission vehicle distribution target was set at 20 percent, of which 8 to 12 percent should come from electric and hydrogen vehicles.
Although the ministry has not yet set the distribution target for next year, it is expected that it will set next year’s target at a level similar to that of this year.
However, there are chances that the date for excluding hybrid vehicles from the low-emission vehicle distribution target could be delayed due to opposition from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy, the main authority responsible for the supervision of eco-friendly vehicle industries.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
