One Step Closer to a Green Smart City... Busan City Installs 160 Electric Vehicle Fast Chargers

Busan City Hall.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] Busan City will install an additional 160 electric vehicle fast chargers at major public parking lots in the city by the first half of next year to realize the 'Green Smart City Busan.'

The city has prepared a 'Plan for Installing Electric Vehicle Charging Facilities in Public Parking Lots' and is set to begin full-scale implementation.

The plan was created to proactively respond to the increasing demand for charging by turning public parking lots with good accessibility for citizens into electric vehicle charging hubs, thereby taking a step closer to realizing a green smart city and practicing carbon neutrality.

Fast chargers will be expanded by 160 units mainly in public parking lots with 50 or more spaces owned and managed by Busan City. This is eight times the 20 electric vehicle chargers installed in 18 public parking lots with more than 100 spaces.

The city explained that although the mandatory installation rate for fast chargers is 50% of all charging facilities, all electric vehicle chargers installed in the future will be fast chargers to accommodate the expansion of electric vehicle distribution and improve convenience for citizens.

The installation locations include 52 major public parking lots in Busan with good accessibility, such as Dongnae Station Public Parking Lot, Yacht Stadium Front Public Parking Lot, Nopo Station Public Parking Lot, and Sasang Station Plaza Public Parking Lot.

Public parking lots not only offer excellent accessibility for citizens but also provide a benefit of one hour of free parking when charging electric vehicles, according to related ordinances.

The city expects demand from various electric vehicles, including cargo trucks and private taxis using public parking lots, as well as nearby residents.

Busan City plans to open a public contest to select businesses to install electric vehicle chargers.

The contest will be conducted in three rounds to ensure rapid installation and fair participation opportunities for various companies. After verifying the technology and qualifications of the businesses, qualified candidates will be selected. The first contest is scheduled to be held in April, and installation costs will be fully borne by the businesses.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun said, “We will turn public parking lots with good accessibility into electric vehicle charging hubs to eliminate blind spots in electric vehicle charging and ensure that citizens using electric vehicles can use charging stations without difficulty.”