Gangnam-gu Leads Seoul’s Districts
with 8,083 Electric Vehicle Chargers Installed
Gangnam-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) is collaborating with Seoul City to promote a project that provides subsidies of up to 16.67 million KRW for the installation of safety facilities for electric vehicle chargers in underground parking lots of multi-family residential facilities such as apartments and officetels.
Gangnam-gu has the highest number of electric vehicle chargers installed among Seoul’s autonomous districts, with 8,083 units, and is now actively promoting this project to enhance the safety of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
The district supports 50% of the installation costs for safety facilities, providing subsidies ranging from a minimum of 4.17 million KRW depending on the number of parking spaces. This applies to multi-family residential facilities (apartments, officetels, row houses, etc.) that have installed and operate electric vehicle chargers in underground parking lots, either fulfilling mandatory installation requirements or voluntarily installing chargers in small-scale facilities that are otherwise not subject to the mandate.
The supported items include seven categories: a battery temperature monitoring system, which is a joint control system based on OBD (On Board Diagnostics) that can pre-diagnose battery abnormalities; an upward water spray device (which sprays water under the vehicle’s battery to cool it in case of an electric vehicle fire); a simple sprinkler (for small-scale facilities not required to have sprinklers); an early response sprinkler head (which reacts faster to airflow temperature and speed than standard models); a thermal imaging camera; and a fire early detection system that applies artificial intelligence (AI) video analysis technology to existing closed-circuit (CCTV) cameras.
Applications can be submitted by mail or email until the 11th of next month. Required documents include the application form, floor plans of the installation site, on-site photos, and installation plans (estimates). Detailed information can be found on the district office website (Administration > Notices).
Additionally, the district will strengthen safety in 31 public parking lots’ electric vehicle rapid charging zones. In addition to the existing 96 unmanned enforcement devices, 46 new fire detection unmanned enforcement devices equipped with thermal imaging cameras will be installed by the end of this year. The newly installed equipment will not only enforce regulations but also monitor the temperature of the charging zones 24/7 to prevent fire risks in advance.
The number of electric vehicle chargers installed in Gangnam-gu has more than doubled compared to a year ago. As the charging infrastructure rapidly expands, the district plans to strengthen safety management systems including fire prevention and expand support for electric vehicles and electric two-wheelers to realize a carbon-neutral city.
District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong said, “Expanding the adoption of electric vehicles is an important task for moving toward a green Gangnam. We will continue to thoroughly secure the safety of electric vehicle charging infrastructure to create a charging environment that anyone can use with peace of mind.”
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