[Gettyimages Bank]
South Korea is striving to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 by promoting the use of renewable energy and clean fuels. As of the third quarter of 2022, about 340,700 EVs were registered in the country with a total of more than 25 million registered vehicles. Government data showed that the domestic sales of EVs are increasing at the rate of about 80 percent every year.
The Gyeonggi provincial government said in a statement that the number of EV chargers will skyrocket to 125,339 in 2023 from 48,529 in 2022. The provincial office has also provided subsidies for purchasing EVs. In 2022, subsidies were provided to 33,448 EV buyers, up 50 percent on-year.
About 170,000 private and public EV chargers are installed across the country. However, most charging facilities are located in public areas such as public car parks and multi-purpose facilities. EV drivers should normally wait in line to charge their cars at a charging station in highway rest stops.
To expand the establishment of EV chargers, Seoul has also tried various experimental methods. In May 2022, the capital city unveiled its scheme to install 12,000 chargers in residential areas. A flowerbed of an apartment complex was turned into a parking lot with chargers so they could be used by residents and courier vehicles.
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