Check Electric Vehicle Charging Facility Installation Status Yourself
Experts Say "Charging Zones Must Be Clearly Marked"
Kim (35), a hybrid vehicle driver, parked his car last month in a space labeled ‘environmentally friendly vehicle.’ However, shortly after, he received a fine notice for 100,000 KRW. When Kim inquired at the district office, he was told that “since an electric vehicle charging facility is installed next to the ‘environmentally friendly vehicle’ parking space, that space is designated exclusively for electric vehicles and externally rechargeable hybrid vehicles.”
Kim expressed, “Usually, I judge whether I can park by looking at the ground markings, but at that time, it was difficult to recognize the charging facility as such,” and added, “The district office did not clearly mark it as an ‘electric vehicle charging zone,’ and they just blamed the driver, so I feel unfair.”
A public parking lot in Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, on the 14th. The ground is marked with "Eco-friendly Vehicle," but since an electric vehicle charging facility is installed right next to the parking space, it has effectively become an "Electric Vehicle Only Parking Zone." Photo by Shim Seong-ah
Citizens continue to express dissatisfaction after being fined for illegal parking due to unclear signage for electric vehicle-only parking zones. There are calls to accurately indicate parking space information for users.
On the 14th, at a public parking lot in Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, it was difficult to distinguish the electric vehicle-only parking zones as Kim described. Two parking spaces were labeled ‘environmentally friendly vehicle,’ and a charging facility was installed next to one space. On the same day, a similar situation was observed at a public parking lot in Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul. An electric vehicle charging facility was located behind the white line of a parking space labeled ‘environmentally friendly vehicle.’
According to the current Eco-friendly Vehicle Act, city and provincial governors must clearly mark electric vehicle charging zones with boundary lines or letters designated and announced by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy. ‘Eco-friendly vehicle parking zones’ allow parking for environmentally friendly vehicles such as electric and hybrid vehicles. However, spaces labeled ‘EV charging station’ are electric vehicle charging zones where externally rechargeable hybrid vehicles are not allowed to park.
Han (58), a hybrid vehicle driver, said, “I usually only look at the road surface before parking,” and added, “If it says ‘environmentally friendly vehicle,’ I thought it was fine. If there is an electric vehicle charging facility, I hope it is clearly marked so drivers can recognize it.”
Regarding this, a Seoul city official explained, “If a charging facility is installed in an eco-friendly vehicle-only parking zone, that zone becomes an electric vehicle charging zone. A six-month guidance period was already conducted in 2022,” and added, “Drivers should check not only the road surface but also the presence of charging facilities before parking.” The official further noted that “the marking standards are not mandatory regulations.”
Experts suggest that unclear signage can confuse users and call for system improvements. Professor Lee Hogun of the Department of Automotive Engineering at Daeduk College stated, “If it is marked as an eco-friendly vehicle parking zone but is actually an electric vehicle-only zone, confusion is inevitable. From the driver’s perspective, it is an unfair situation,” emphasizing, “If an electric vehicle charging facility is installed, the text on the ground should be changed, and the boundaries of the charging zone should be clearly defined.” Professor Kim Pilsoo of the Department of Automotive Studies at Daelim University also pointed out, “Causing confusion among general car owners is clearly the fault of local governments,” and stressed, “If it is an electric vehicle-only zone, the ground markings must be clearly revised.”
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