The eco-friendly car market is expected to grow rapidly as the government decided to actively expand the infrastructure for electric and hydrogen car chargers this year. The photo shows the EV station Gangdong, an electric vehicle super-fast charging station recently built by Hyundai Motor Company in Gil-dong, Seoul. Hankyung DB
In order to expand the supply of electric and hydrogen vehicles this year, the government decided to install 30,000 electric vehicle chargers, including 3,000 rapid chargers, and more than 100 hydrogen chargers. Based on this, it was decided to open the era of 300,000 electric and hydrogen cars accumulated this year.
Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki and Minister of Strategy and Finance held the 4th Innovation Growth BIG3 Promotion Meeting at the Seoul Government Complex on the 1st, saying, “It is a very important task to create a convenient charging environment in line with the expansion of electric vehicles.” “’Creating a more convenient charging environment than gas stations’ With the aim of this year, we will expand 3,000 electric vehicle fast chargers.”
As of the end of last year, 9,805 electric vehicle rapid chargers were built nationwide. If 3,000 units are expanded this year, the goal of ‘building 15,000 rapid chargers by 2025’ proposed in the announcement of last year’s Green New Deal policy will be achieved by three years ahead of time. The government decided to install 2280 units, led by the public sector, considering the lack of active private participation due to the high cost of installing fast chargers. The 289 units built by private businesses are supported by the government for half the installation cost.
Deputy Prime Minister Hong said, “We will install 43 ultra-fast chargers for the first time in the public sector this year, which drastically shortens the charging time from 1 to 9 hours to 20 minutes.” I will actively support my back.”
The Ministry of Environment also announced on the same day that through the 2021 business plan, “We will open an era of 300,000 cumulative electric and hydrogen vehicles this year.” “This year, more than 30,000 electric vehicle chargers and 100 hydrogen chargers will be built.
In the first quarter of this year, the government plans to prepare a task to establish an electric vehicle safety foundation and present it to the innovation growth BIG promotion meeting. This is to relieve the anxiety that consumers feel due to the recent electric car fire accident.
Government “build 30,000 electric vehicle chargers and 100 hydrogen vehicles within the year”
Photo = News 1
Environment Minister Han Jeong-ae (pictured) visited Hyundai Motor’s Jeonju plant on the 28th of last month. This is my first site visit after taking office. As soon as the Minister of Environment took office, it is unusual to find it in the industrial field. Kim Eun-kyung and former Minister Cho Joong-rae, appointed by the Moon Jae-in administration, went to the four major rivers as their first steps. It is considered to mean that the Moon Jae-in government, which is pursuing the Green New Deal and carbon neutrality, has put its life and death to expand the supply of electric and hydrogen vehicles this year.
○ The era of 300,000 future cars begins this year
On the 1st, the Ministry of Environment announced that it will achieve the era of 300,000 future cars (electric and hydrogen cars) this year through its 2021 business plan. The Ministry of Environment said, “For this, we will create a more convenient charging environment than gas stations.” As of the end of last year, there were 140,000 domestic electric vehicles and 11,000 cumulative hydrogen vehicles.
On the same day, Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki and Minister of Strategy and Finance held an innovative growth BIG3 promotion meeting at the Seoul Government Complex and confirmed the’plan to expand electric vehicle rapid charging infrastructure’. As of the end of last year, the company plans to add 3,000 electric vehicle rapid chargers, which were only 9800 units this year (2280 public and 289 private units), to a total of 12,000 units and expand to 20,000 units in 2030. Half the cost of installing fast chargers for electric vehicles by private businesses is supported by the government.
Super-fast chargers that reduce the charging time from 1 to 9 hours to 20 minutes are planned to be built in 43 units in the public sector and 80 units in automobile companies. As of the end of last year, the goal is to increase the number of hydrogen charging stations nationwide to 180 this year.
It is not just increasing the number. Even today, the number of electric vehicles per fast charger is 12.4 units, which is good compared to major countries such as the US (67.4 units), Japan (19.4 units) and China (12 units). The problem is that it is mainly located in a place that is easy to install, not a place necessary for electric vehicle users such as urban traffic points. Currently, about 27% of fast chargers are installed in public facilities.
Accordingly, the government decided to prioritize fast chargers where demand for electric vehicles is high through big data analysis such as electric vehicle registration location and charger usage status. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KEPCO are planning to build 1030 rapid chargers in major dense facilities such as marts and hospitals in the city. The Ministry of Environment has decided to install 220 units at high demand points such as highway rest areas and sleepy shelters. Electric vehicle rapid chargers will be built first in Seoul, Jeju, Daegu, and Daejeon, where the ratio of vehicles is high.
From 2023, the government will also impose a penalty-type’contribution’ to manufacturers that fail to achieve the low-emission vehicle supply target within the range of 1% of sales. The specific amount of contributions this year and the method of imposition are determined.
○ Prepare a carbon neutral scenario by June
The reason why the government has pushed its arms to supply electric and hydrogen vehicles is because of carbon neutrality. Carbon neutral is a state where the net emission is zero by offsetting the carbon emission and absorption. As President Moon promised to the international community last year that “by 2050, we will achieve carbon neutrality,” concrete implementation plans and legal foundations must be established this year.
The government plans to prepare a carbon reduction scenario for carbon neutrality by June this year. In addition, the 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target (NDC) will be raised within this year.
Funds are also raised to support low-carbon technology development and business transformation by companies with high carbon emissions. Deputy Minister of Environment Hong Jeong-ki said at a briefing on the day, “The government is pursuing the establishment of the’Climate Response Fund’ to support the transition to an eco-friendly economic ecosystem under the supervision of the Ministry of Science and Technology. The ministry has prepared a fund management plan and aims to operate it from next year.” In addition, by integrating the Greenhouse Gas Comprehensive Government Center under the Ministry of Environment and the National Fine Dust Information Center, the tentatively named’Comprehensive Carbon Information Research Center’ will be established, and a carbon reduction strategy will be established.
It will also promote measures to alleviate concerns about the’garbage crisis’ in the metropolitan area. Most of the trash generated in Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi areas is sent to landfills in Seo-gu, Incheon, and the city of Incheon has recently declared that it will not receive trash from Seoul and Gyeonggi from 2025. The Ministry of Environment is planning to induce local governments to reduce waste while at the same time finding alternative landfills. In 2026, it aims to reduce the amount of landfills brought into the metropolitan area by 60% compared to the amount of landfilled in 2019 (25.2 million tons).
Also, the government decided to reduce the concentration of ultrafine dust this year to 18㎍/㎥. The goal was to achieve this year, one year ahead of the goal originally set for 2022. Last year, the national ultrafine dust concentration was 19㎍/㎥.
Reporter Koo Eun-seo/ Ji-hoon Lee [email protected]