South Korea will cut electric vehicle charging rates by up to 32% during midday hours on weekends and holidays through the end of October. The government more than doubled the maximum discount from a similar program this spring, aiming to shift charging demand into daytime hours.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said on the 3rd that the discount will apply from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends and holidays between September 5 and October 31. A total of 21 days fall under the program.
The measure follows the first such discount program, launched in April. That program cut the energy charge for midday weekend and holiday charging by 50%, lowering consumer charging costs by as much as 15%. Daily charging sessions during the discount window rose 9.2% from before the program began.
This time the discount is larger. In the public sector, about 14,000 fast chargers and 3,400 slow chargers are eligible. At chargers where only the basic discount applies, rates fall by 40.1 to 48.6 won per kilowatt-hour, cutting consumer bills by roughly 11% to 17%. The same discount applies at chargers operated by the Seoul city government.
Among those, about 9,600 fast chargers run by the climate ministry will carry an additional in-house discount, lowering rates by 22% to 32%, or 85.4 to 97.2 won per kilowatt-hour. The largest discount applies to 30- to 50-kilowatt chargers used on Saturdays. The usual rate of 307.2 won per kilowatt-hour drops to 210 won, a reduction of 97.2 won, or about 32%. That is more than double the maximum discount of 12% to 15% offered in the spring.
Self-consumption charging stations operated directly by households, companies and some apartment complexes are also eligible. Energy charges at those stations fall by 40.1 to 48.6 won per kilowatt-hour.
Nineteen private charging operators are joining the program. Ever On, PlugLink, Chaevi, SK Electlink and GS Chargev will either cut rates directly or award points, with the size and structure of the discounts varying by company. Ever On will discount slow charging by 50 to 70 won per kilowatt-hour and fast charging by 148 won. Hyundai Engineering will cut charging fees by 15%.
"Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., solar generation is high while power demand is relatively low," a ministry official said. "Shifting EV charging into these hours lets us use renewable power and eases strain on the grid."
The ministry plans to analyze the results of this year's spring and fall discounts to determine whether users actually move their charging times in response to price levels. It will use those findings to design a detailed seasonal and time-of-use rate structure that varies charging prices according to power supply and demand through the day.
