6 electric car battery chargers installed on highways

By Kim Se-jeong

An electric car battery charger installed at a highway service area in Anseong, GyeonggiProvince

/ Courtesy of Korea Environment Corp.

The Ministry of Environment said Tuesday it recently installed six battery chargersfor electric cars along highways.

Two chargers are installed at each of three highway service areas in Anseong,Hwaseong and Gapyeong, all in Gyeonggi Province, according to the ministry.

Drivers can use the chargers for free, and the charging time will take about 20minutes.

It marks the first time the government has installed battery chargers for electriccars along highways. The ministry hopes the measure will prompt people to buymore electric vehicles, considered more environmentally friendly than gas-fueledcars.

"This means you can now travel from Seoul to Sejong City, Chuncheon inGangwon Province and Dangjin in South Chungcheong Province with yourelectric car without having to worry about running out of battery," Park Yeon-jae, a

ministry official, told reporters.

He added the ministry will install 600 more chargers on highways through 2017.

"For electric vehicles, it's critical to establish infrastructure," Park said.

Battery charging is an obstacle in getting people to buy electric vehicles.Compared to gasoline cars, batteries in these cars do not last long, and chargingusually takes more time.

According to the ministry's statistics, as of June, Korea had 1,871 registeredelectric cars. The ministry's goal is to increase the number to 200,000 by 2020.

The prices of electric vehicles are another issue.

The cheapest model costs around 40 million won ($38,960) here. Despite statesubsidies, it's still more expensive than gasoline-powered vehicles.

The biggest subsidy comes from the central government which offers up to 15million won ($14,608) to an electric car buyer. Provinces like Jeju Island, Gwangjuand Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province provide additional subsidies.

Firms and public organizations are among the main buyers.

On Jeju Island, which has active support programs for individual drivers, it is lesscostly to drive electric vehicles.

In the province, electric cars have been a success story. Governor WonHee-ryong even pledged on Monday to replace all the vehicles on the island withelectric models by 2030.

For the central government, creating a pool of subsidy funding is a majorchallenge.

The environmental ministry is unsuccessfully pushing the program of "bonus andmalus" intended to collect penalties from consumers who buy vehicles with highgreenhouse emissions, and to give the money back to electric car drivers.

Opposition has come from the automobile industry which argues the program willdamage automobile makers and hurt the Korean economy.

Controlling transportation is critical in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Statistically speaking, one vehicle emits on average 2.4 tons of greenhouse gasannually.

skim@koreatimes.co.kr,