The number of citizen application supports: 300 rapid chargers, 1,300 slow chargers, and 10,000 outlet-type chargers
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government will accept citizen applications for electric vehicle (EV) charger installation sites through its official website for one month until the 13th of next month. Any citizen, including EV users and facility owners or managers, can apply, and installation subsidies will be provided for the selected sites.
On the 10th, Seoul announced plans to distribute a total of 35,000 EV chargers this year, including about 12,000 units scheduled for installation by related organizations such as the Ministry of Environment. Of these, the city plans to support 22,000 units. The number of chargers supported through this site application includes approximately 300 fast chargers, 1,300 slow chargers, and 10,000 outlet-type chargers. The final number of supported units will be confirmed after evaluating site suitability.
Earlier in January, Seoul announced its comprehensive climate change response plan, revealing a vision to lead the era of 10% EV adoption by distributing 220,000 various chargers by 2026. It plans to supply 12,000 (ultra)fast chargers at key locations such as transfer parking lots and gas stations, 43,000 slow chargers at workplaces and other public facilities, and 150,000 outlet-type chargers in residential areas such as apartments and detached houses.
As a follow-up measure, the city will discover EV charger installation locations through citizen applications. Previously, projects were mainly carried out based on sites selected by private subsidy operators, with a low proportion of citizen-applied sites. However, starting this year, opportunities for citizen participation will be expanded. Anyone can apply for charger sites by filling out and submitting the application form posted on the Seoul city website. However, if the applicant is not the site owner, written consent from the owner is required. In the case of apartments or other multi-unit housing, written consent from the residents' representative council or similar body is necessary.
The types of chargers supported per site will reflect EV users' opinions: fast chargers will be supported at public (transfer) parking lots, gas stations, public facilities, and downtown commercial facilities, while slow chargers including outlet-type chargers will be supported at residential and workplace locations.
For fast chargers, sites will be selected mainly at publicly accessible locations open 24 hours such as public (transfer) parking lots, gas stations, public offices, cultural and sports facilities, and large shopping malls with high citizen accessibility. Slow chargers will be selected primarily at parking lots near residential areas where vehicles can be parked for extended periods, including public and private parking lots, detached houses, row houses, and multi-family housing. Additionally, slow charger installation will be supported at public-use facilities such as retail, office, and educational research facilities depending on on-site conditions.
Outlet-type chargers will be supported mainly at multi-unit housing and office facilities. These chargers, supported since the second half of 2021, are installed as outlets embedded with communication equipment and meters on walls, allowing convenient charging similar to charging a mobile phone by simply plugging in. For commercial vehicles such as city buses, taxis, and delivery vehicles that emit large amounts of greenhouse gases and fine dust, fast charger installation will be supported at garages and logistics centers upon application by the respective companies.
Site selection will be finalized after a joint on-site inspection by subsidy operators designated by the city, district officials, and applicants to evaluate site suitability, followed by review by the ‘Charging Facility Installation Site Selection Committee.’ The number of chargers supported will be appropriately distributed by district, considering factors such as EV adoption numbers, vehicle traffic volume, and current charger distribution, to ensure an evenly established EV charging network across districts.
Seoul plans to prioritize support when applicants are owners or operators of EVs for persons with disabilities or children’s school transportation vehicles during site selection. For persons with disabilities, additional subsidies are provided when purchasing EVs, and slow charger installation will be supported if they wish to install chargers at their residence. This aims to create an environment where EV charging is not a barrier to EV use, enabling everyone to use EVs conveniently.
Meanwhile, the EV chargers operated through this support project will be subject to a pre-approval system for charging fees to ensure appropriate usage charges. Furthermore, post-management and supervision of subsidy operators will be strengthened to support stable charger operation. Yoo Yeon-sik, Head of the Climate and Environment Headquarters, stated, “Through this citizen-participation type charger site discovery application, we hope to eliminate EV charging blind spots and establish a customized charging infrastructure where anyone can conveniently charge their EV at their desired location.”
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