Ultra-fast Charging Stations Established at Korea's First Highway Rest Area to Build Electric Vehicle Ecosystem
72 Units Installed Across 12 Highway Rest Areas Nationwide, Pilot Operation Begins on the 15th
[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] Hyundai Motor Group is stepping up efforts to expand ultra-fast charging infrastructure, a key project for building a domestic electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem.
On the 14th, Hyundai Motor Group announced that it held an opening ceremony for the ultra-fast EV charging station ‘E-pit’ at Hwaseong Rest Area (toward Mokpo) on the Seohaean Expressway.
The ceremony was attended by officials including Hwang Seong-gyu, 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; Park Jin-gyu, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; Hong Jeong-gi, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Environment; Gong Young-woon, President of Hyundai Motor Company; and Kim Il-hwan, Vice President of Korea Expressway Corporation. The charging stations will begin operation at 12 highway rest areas nationwide starting from the 15th.
The E-pit charging station is the first ultra-fast EV charging station established by Hyundai Motor Group at highway rest areas in Korea to enhance charging convenience for long-distance drivers and contribute to the activation of domestic EV adoption. It features ultra-fast charging equipment with a maximum output of 350kW, the highest level in Korea.
The opening ceremony included a welcome speech by Hyundai Motor Group officials, congratulatory remarks from government representatives, and a video message from general EV customers, followed by presentations on the status and operation of the E-pit charging stations and a charging demonstration. During the demonstration, Hyundai’s new electric vehicle ‘Ioniq 5’ and Kia’s ‘EV6’ rapidly charged from 10% to 80% battery capacity within 18 minutes, signaling the popularization of ultra-fast charging.
The E-pit charging stations are built with a canopy structure that protects charging vehicles and customers from harsh weather, providing a comfortable charging space. New services have been applied, such as ‘Plug & Charge,’ which allows charging and payment simultaneously by simply connecting the charging connector using authentication information stored in the EV without additional operation, and ‘Digital Wallet,’ which enables charging without a physical card through the dedicated E-pit application.
Hyundai Motor Group explained that to activate the domestic EV market, E-pit charging stations will also be open to customers using other manufacturers’ EVs. EVs adopting the domestic charging standard Combo 1 as the basic charging method can be charged regardless of the manufacturer. (Adapters are not supported.)
A total of 72 chargers, six units each, have been installed at 12 highway rest areas nationwide, and they will operate 24 hours a day, year-round.
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