Inconvenient to Users
Hyundai Motor Group is installing E-pit rapid charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) at expressway service stations. But complaints are increasing among Tesla users. Although E-pit is similar to Tesla's fast-charging facility "Super Charger," owners of Tesla models such as the Model S and the Model 3 cannot use E-pit.
Hyundai Motor's E-pit can charge any EV model that meets Korea's charging standard (DC Combo). The IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 developed based on Hyundai Motor Group's E-GMP can be charged up to 80 percent in 18 minutes. DC Combo technology was first designed in Germany and the United States and is a charging method not only for Hyundai Motor but for GM and BMW.
However, Tesla's vehicles cannot use the 350 kilowatts (kW) rapid charging service provided by E-pit. This is because Tesla adopted its own charging standard. Tesla users need a separate adapter to charge their cars with E-pit.
Yet Tesla's high-speed charging adapter has not yet been certified in Korea. The National Institute of Standards and Technology said that Tesla Korea applied for the KC certification on March 25. The certification process will take about a month.
A debate is raging between Tesla and Hyundai Motor car owners. A member of Naver Cafe's "Electric Vehicle Club" criticized Hyundai Mot, saying, "It is hard to understand that the best-selling electric car in Korea cannot be charged at E-pit systems built on public land."
"Tesla operated their charging stations exclusively first," an IONIQ 5 owner responded. Tesla Korea installed super chargers in Seoul, Pangyo, and Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, making it difficult to charge the IONIQ or the Kona EV.
EV charging stations operated by South Korean oil refiners such as SK Innovation and GS Caltex, and the Ministry of Environment, are mainly using the DC combo method.