The government will break down the public charging fee system for electric vehicles from the current two tiers to five. The plan lowers fees for slow charging and raises fees for ultra-fast charging to properly reflect in the rates the actual expense differences by charging speed.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said on the 29th it will issue an advance notice of administrative rulemaking on the public charging fee overhaul from the 30th to on the 19th of next month.
Under the current fee system, there are only two bands based on 100 kW charger output—below 100 kW at 324.4 won and 100 kW or above at 347.2 won (both won/kWh)—and critics have consistently said it fails to sufficiently reflect the expense differences among slow, medium, and fast chargers.
According to the overhaul plan, fee bands will be subdivided into below 30 kW (294.3 won/kWh), 30–below 50 kW (306.0 won), 50–below 100 kW (324.4 won), 100–below 200 kW (347.2 won), and 200 kW or above (391.9 won). Rates in the low-output slow band will be lower than before, while the 200 kW or above ultra-fast band will be higher than before. It is a structure in which the higher the output, the higher the fee, reflecting actual operating expense such as telecom and maintenance costs. However, the discount applied from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends and holidays in spring and fall will remain in place in line with the new unit rates.
Along with this, the ministry will also put up for public notice until June 9 the subordinate legislation amendments to the Clean Air Conservation Act revised last year. The focus is disclosure of charging facility information and stronger management standards. Charging facility operators must publicly disclose charging fees and real-time availability on the zero-emission vehicle integrated portal of the Korea Environment Corporation (K-eco). In particular, charging facilities at highway rest areas must install external price signs like gas stations. Preventive maintenance and regular inspection obligations will also be strengthened, and operators who violate management standards will face fines of up to 2 million won.
The ministry also plans to review introducing seasonal and time-of-use charging plans to allow cheaper charging during hours with high renewable energy generation.
In addition, to prevent charging facilities with a durability period of eight years from being unnecessarily dismantled, the subsidy guidelines will be revised so that within eight years, subsidies are paid only when there is a legitimate reason for replacement. The ministry also plans to revise related guidelines so that managers of multiunit housing who directly install and operate charging facilities can receive subsidies.