Nation's First Streetlight-Style EV Fast Chargers Begin Operations on 16th

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jeong Jun-seong] Suwon will begin operations on the 16th of streetlight-style EV fast chargers, the nation's first installation of their kind.

Suwon installed 50kW capacity streetlight-style EV fast chargers at Jangdari Public On-Street Parking Lot (965-1 Ingye-dong) and Maetan 4 District On-Street Parking Lot (1268 Maetan-dong), beginning construction in early November and completing the work on the 13th.

Suwon is the first local government to install streetlight-style fast chargers at on-street parking lots. The fast chargers installed at both locations charge approximately seven times faster than slow chargers.

By March next year, the city plans to install four additional streetlight-style fast chargers in Youngtong-dong and Mangpo-dong.

The city will also continue to consult with relevant departments (Climate and Air Quality Division, Urban Traffic Division, and Suwon Urban Development Corporation) to analyze operational performance of the streetlight fast chargers and plan to expand installations at on-street parking lots in the city.

In March, the city signed a business agreement with a private charging operator and has been expanding charging infrastructure in areas where EV fast chargers are in short supply. Fast chargers are being steadily installed at district office parking lots, community center parking lots, public parking lots, parks, and multi-family residential complexes.

Electric vehicles emit no air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and fine particulates. Operating one vehicle reduces greenhouse gases by 1.4 tons per year. Running 20,000 km annually can save approximately 2.5 million won in maintenance costs compared to equivalent gasoline vehicles.