South Korea to cut slow EV charging rates, raise ultra-fast rates from August

South Korea will overhaul its public electric vehicle charging tariff structure in August, raising rates for ultra-fast chargers while cutting them for slower ones.

The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy announced Tuesday that the revamped public EV charging rate system will take effect in August.

Under the current system, users of chargers installed and operated by the ministry — or chargers run by roaming-service partners used with the ministry's "Eum Card" — pay 324.4 won per kilowatt-hour for chargers with an output below 100 kilowatts, and 347.2 won per kilowatt-hour for those at 100kW and above.

The revised system expands the tariff structure from two brackets to five.

Chargers below 30kW — covering 449,530 units — will be priced at 295.0 won per kilowatt-hour. Those in the 30kW-to-50kW range (2,227 units) will be charged at 307.2 won, the 50kW-to-100kW bracket (13,246 units) at 325.6 won, the 100kW-to-200kW range (27,148 units) at 348.4 won, and chargers at 200kW and above (11,654 units) at 393.1 won.

Chargers below 30kW account for nearly 90 percent of all public chargers and will see rates fall 9.1 percent, or 29.4 won per kilowatt-hour. Ultra-fast chargers at 200kW and above, making up about 2.3 percent of the total, will face a 13.2 percent increase, or 45.9 won per kilowatt-hour.

The ministry said it plans to further reform the tariff system by linking EV charging rates to electricity prices that vary by season and time of day.