EV charger firm Chaebi to build off-grid charging station powered by solar, ESS

Chaebi, an electric vehicle charging infrastructure company, is moving to build a charging station that operates entirely on solar power and energy storage systems, with no connection to Korea Electric Power Corporation's grid. The move marks an expansion beyond its existing charger manufacturing and operations into an energy business where the company generates, stores and supplies its own electricity.

Chaebi announced Thursday that it has signed an MOU with Covillage Company, the developer of a senior residential stay facility called Covillage Goseong, to build and operate solar- and ESS-based EV charging infrastructure.

Under the agreement, the two companies will install fast-charging facilities at Covillage Goseong, which is being developed in Goseong-gun, Gangwon Province. They plan to apply a so-called off-grid approach that does not draw on Korea Electric Power Corporation's transmission network.

The system will generate electricity through solar panels installed on buildings or at the charging site, store it in an ESS, and supply it to electric vehicles as needed — allowing the station to produce, store and use power entirely on its own.

If built as planned, it would be the first EV charging station in South Korea to run solely on self-generated solar energy without drawing from the grid.

This is not Chaebi's first time integrating solar power and ESS into a charging facility. The company already operates a solar- and ESS-linked charging station at Dongnak Park in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province. The new project takes that concept a step further by fully disconnecting from Korea Electric Power Corporation's grid.

Covillage Goseong, where the charging station will be located, is a residential and resort facility for people in their 50s and 60s being developed in Toseong-myeon, Goseong-gun, Gangwon Province. The 299-unit complex received regulatory approval in April and is targeting a 2029 opening.

Chaebi also plans to go beyond simply installing chargers. It will operate a mixed-use space called "Chaebi Stay" around the charging facility, combining a cafe, food and beverage outlets, and rest and retail functions.

The idea is to turn charging time into dwell time by giving drivers somewhere to rest, eat or shop while their vehicles charge. The company also factored in Goseong's position along travel routes to Seoraksan and the East Sea coast.

Chaebi is also in talks with Covillage Company about joining the special purpose company for the Covillage Goseong project as a strategic investor.

If the investment goes through, Chaebi plans to pursue a priority partnership on charging infrastructure not only for the Goseong project but also for future Covillage sites near Greater Seoul, in Jeju and overseas.

Chaebi's push into off-grid charging reflects a broader shift in the industry: as electric vehicles multiply, securing and efficiently managing the power needed for charging has become as important as installing the chargers themselves. Linking solar and ESS technology with vehicle-to-grid, or V2G, capabilities in the future could turn a charging station into a small-scale energy hub.

"As domestic EV sales continue to grow, this agreement will help us secure a prime location at a key East Sea tourism hub and establish carbon-neutral charging and energy as a new growth pillar," Chaebi Chief Executive Choi Young-hoon said. "We plan to finalize due diligence and detailed negotiations before signing a formal contract within the year, and will work to generate both revenue from charging infrastructure operations and financial returns from the equity investment."

Chaebi has also been expanding its conventional fast-charging business. Last month, it was selected as the preferred bidder for Korea Expressway Corporation's 2026 highway rest-stop EV charging station project, under which it will install 131 chargers at 29 rest stops nationwide. Of those, 82 will use the NACS connector adopted by Tesla and other automakers.

The company's earnings have also been on an upward trajectory. Chaebi posted consolidated sales of 49.6 billion won ($36.2 million) in the first half of this year, up 29.8 percent from the same period a year earlier. Charging service sales rose 19.1 percent to 28.5 billion won, while charger manufacturing sales climbed 47.5 percent to 21.2 billion won.