The government decided to review a plan to exclude the early morning hours from the parking time allowed for plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) in electric vehicle charging zones, which will be cut in half starting next month. The move follows criticism that drivers who start charging in the evening would have to wake up during sleep to move their cars.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and the EV charging industry on the 28th, starting on the 5th next month, the parking time for plug-in hybrids in slow-charging zones will be reduced from a maximum of 14 hours to 7 hours. If a vehicle remains parked in an EV charging zone after the allowed charging time has elapsed, fines will be imposed.
A plug-in hybrid vehicle's battery capacity is typically 30 kilowatt-hours (kWh). That is smaller than a pure electric vehicle (BEV) battery (70–80 kWh). Considering that a slow charger typically charges at 7 kilowatts (kW) per hour, an EV takes more than 10 hours to fully charge from empty, while a plug-in hybrid takes about 4–5 hours.
EV drivers have argued that the time plug-in hybrids can use EV charging zones should be reduced. They say plug-in hybrid drivers often continue to park even though a full charge takes much less time, causing harm to EV drivers who need to charge for long periods. The government's decision to reduce the allowable charging time for plug-in hybrids stems from this.
But now plug-in hybrid drivers are raising complaints. They argue that if the allowable charging time is reduced to 7 hours, they will inevitably have to move their cars during the middle of the night.
Assuming a plug-in hybrid driver starts charging at 7 p.m. after work, the car must be moved before 2 a.m. Because apartment complexes and other multiunit dwellings often lack parking space late at night, even if they leave the charging zone, they may not be able to find a place to park.
In response, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) decided to maintain its policy of cutting the allowable charging time for plug-in hybrids but will review excluding the hours from midnight to 6 a.m. from the time calculation. A MOTI official said, "We received many comments noting that when charging at night, there is a problem of having to move the car at dawn," adding, "We plan to revise the notice to exclude 6 hours from midnight from the calculation so that charging can continue overnight."
However, if the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) excludes 6 hours from midnight in calculating charging time as planned, conflict over charging zone use between EV drivers and plug-in hybrid drivers will inevitably continue. That is because it would be little different from before the rule change that capped parking time at 13 hours.
An official at a finished-vehicle company said, "EV drivers' frustration was that they could not charge during the late-night hours when charging is needed because of plug-in hybrids," adding, "If 6 hours after midnight are excluded from the calculation, none of the inconvenience for EV drivers will be alleviated."