Hyundai Motor Company is planning to open the world’s biggest superfast electric vehicle charging station in Seoul sometime during the first half of this year.
It will also be the first time when an electric vehicle charging station will replace a spot where a large gas station used to be. This charging station will be able to charge up to 100km and 200km in 3 minutes and 5 minutes respectively.
This charging station will be significant from a standpoint that it will be like a gas station rather than charging stations that are installed at apartments, supermarkets, and public offices. It is expected that people’s thinking of an electric vehicle charging station will change by the construction of this charging station.
According to Hyundai Motor Company and SK Networks, Hyundai Motor Company is planning to open a superfast charging station called “High Charger” at a SK gas station located in Gangdong-gu. 8 350kW chargers, which is the highest level based on amount of output, will be set up at the charging station. The station will be constructed so that it can eventually hold up to 16 chargers in the future.
Although there were cases when chargers were installed at a space next to a gas station as part of the South Korean Government’s project, this is the first time when an entire gas station will be converted into an electric vehicle charging station solely through a company’s budget. It is estimated that Hyundai Motor Company will invest $3.31 million (4 billion KRW) to build this station excluding electricity bill and the price of the land.
South Korea’s current biggest charging station is the one that is comprised of 12 Tesla’s 125kW “Superchargers” located at Lotte Hotel in Jeju Island. Compared to Hyundai’s High Chargers (2,800kW), the power of 12 superchargers is about half of the power of High Charger. On top of that, High Charger is expected to have a higher turnover ratio as it charges electric vehicles that come to a stop while Superchargers charge electric vehicles that are parked.
When Hyundai’s “Kona Electric (battery capacity of 64kWh)”, which is the most sold electric vehicle in South Korea, is charged using a High Charger, Kona Electric will be able to drive up to 100km and 300km with just 3 minutes of charging and 7 minutes of charging respectively. However, Porsche’s “Taycan” is the only electric vehicle out there that can withstand the charging speed of 350kW. It seems that Genesis electric vehicles that will come out in 2021 will be able to withstand the power of a High Charger. Because Kona Electric will be charged at a speed of 100kWh using a High Charger, it will take about 10 minutes to give 100km of mileage to Kona Electric.
“High Charger is not simply a conversion from a gas station to an electric vehicle charging station.” said a representative for the industry. “It is difficult to find 8 350kW superfast chargers installed at single location even in foreign countries.”
The station has a total floor area of 3,300m2 and it is expected to replace a SK gas station in Gil-dong. Hyundai Motor Company will operate the station while Daeyoung Chaevi will supply superfast chargers.
“We are currently going through the construction process.” said a representative for Hyundai Motor Company. “We are planning to open the station sometime during the first half of this year and the station will be open to electric vehicles made by domestic and foreign brands.”
Staff Reporter Park, Taejoon | gaius@etnews.com