Let's Move Toward a Carbon-Neutral City! ... Busan City Promotes Installation of Jeonju Stationary Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Jeonju Stationary Electric Vehicle Charging Station.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] Busan City is taking the lead nationwide by installing pole-mounted charging stations to eliminate blind spots in electric vehicle charging in old downtown areas and mountain roads.

On the 14th, the city held a “Pole-Mounted Electric Vehicle Charging Station Installation Business Agreement Ceremony” at the 26th-floor conference room of City Hall, with the participation of the Busan-Ulsan Headquarters of Korea Electric Power Corporation and six districts.

The ceremony was attended by Mayor Park Hyung-joon, Lee Kyung-sook, head of the Busan-Ulsan Headquarters of Korea Electric Power Corporation, and the district heads of the six pilot project areas: Dong-gu, Busanjin-gu, Haeundae-gu, Geumjeong-gu, Suyeong-gu, and Sasang-gu.

There are currently 5,683 electric vehicle chargers installed in the Busan area, but as the supply of electric vehicles has recently expanded, citizens have raised complaints about the shortage of charging stations.

In old downtown areas and mountain roads, it has been difficult to secure sites for charging facilities, making it challenging to even install electric vehicle charging stations.

Accordingly, the city plans to resolve electric vehicle charging blind spots by installing the nation’s first “pole-mounted charging stations” using utility poles in residential parking lots within the city.

Based on the agreement, the city will promote a pilot project utilizing residential parking lots in six districts?Dong-gu, Busanjin-gu, Haeundae-gu, Geumjeong-gu, Suyeong-gu, and Sasang-gu.

The “pole-mounted charging stations” will be installed, and at least one parking space will be designated as an electric vehicle-only parking zone to be used as a charging station.

The city will oversee the pilot project and provide administrative support. The Busan-Ulsan Headquarters of Korea Electric Power Corporation will be responsible for the installation, operation, and maintenance of the pole-mounted charging stations.

The six pilot districts will provide sites for the charging stations and plan to supplement parking zone operation systems as needed based on the pilot project.

Busan City aims to expand the number of electric vehicle chargers to 22,000 by 2025 to completely eliminate citizen inconvenience caused by charger shortages.

Mayor Park Hyung-joon said, “Due to Busan’s mountainous terrain, it has been difficult to secure sites for charging facilities, but through this agreement, charging facilities are expected to expand in residential areas and mountain roads. We will strive to make Busan a carbon-neutral city first through the stable operation and widespread distribution of pole-mounted charging stations.”