S. Korea Vows to Persuade France with ‘Unbiased Data’ on New EV Scheme

This file photo taken on May 5, 2023, shows a charging facility for electric vehicles in Paris. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)

SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s industry ministry said Friday it plans to continue to engage in negotiations with the French government on its new electric vehicle (EV) subsidy policy with “unbiased data,” after it excluded domestically produced models from the program.

“The government, along with local companies, will proactively address the French EV subsidy issue based on unbiased data, and continue close talks with the French government,” the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement released during its meeting with business officials.

The French government announced the list of EVs eligible to win subsidies in December, which mostly involved European models, and South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Co.’s Kona SUVs were the only model on the list as they are produced in the Czech Republic.

As the scheme takes the amount of carbon emitted over the course of manufacturing EVs into consideration, Kia Corp.’s Niro EV was excluded as it is manufactured in South Korea before being shipped to Europe.

The ministry added the government will continue talks with its French counterpart in line with efforts to expedite the complaint procedures, which could extend up to seven months.

(Yonhap)