Don’t Mandate EV Charging Facilities

The risks of electric vehicles are significant. The recent electric vehicle fire that broke out in the underground parking garage of an apartment complex in Cheongna New Town was extremely serious. A temporary shelter even had to be set up for displaced residents. The property damage was enormous, but more importantly, the incident serves as a wake-up call because it threatened residents’ safety.

Although the cause of the fire has not yet been identified, it is highly likely that a battery defect or damage was responsible. Given that most electric vehicle accidents are caused by batteries, this once again reveals the limitations of electric vehicles.

It is true that electric vehicles are dangerous, but that does not mean they can simply be banned from parking. Once their production and sale have already been permitted, it is not realistic to prohibit their parking. However, if parking spaces are to be designated for electric vehicles, it is desirable to allow them in open areas rather than underground spaces, and in places with less pedestrian traffic. This is because underground parking garages are directly connected to residential spaces through emergency stairways and elevators.

Since accidents have also continued during the charging process, it is desirable to prohibit the installation of electric vehicle charging facilities in underground parking garages. It is wrong to expose residents’ living spaces to danger when safety is not assured. It must be recognized that such accidents could easily lead to casualties.

The government has mandated the installation of electric vehicle charging facilities in apartment complexes starting next year. This is a misguided policy that threatens public safety. In particular, in the case of multi-family housing such as apartments, charging facilities should preferably be installed outside residents’ living spaces. Just as gas stations should not be located within residential spaces but outside them, charging facilities should as well. By contrast, in the case of private homes, individuals can arrange parking and charging spaces with their own safety in mind.

At a time when the dangers of parking electric vehicles in underground spaces have become clear, forcing the installation of charging facilities underground only heightens those risks. Moreover, if charging facilities and parking spaces are placed near entrances, the danger of loss of life becomes even greater.

Mandating the installation of charging facilities in apartment complexes also causes property losses for residents. In a situation where parking space is already insufficient, charging facilities reduce the amount of available parking accordingly. Just as fuel facilities are not mandated in residential spaces, there is no reason to mandate charging facilities.

Moreover, the government’s use of tax revenue to subsidize the installation costs of charging facilities increases the burden on the public. Just as public tax money is not used to support the construction of gas stations, there is no reason for the government to subsidize the cost of installing charging facilities.

One cannot expect the danger of electric vehicles to be reduced simply by strengthening safety regulations. It is certainly true that current safety regulations for electric vehicles are inadequate, but tightening regulations will not improve the battery’s fundamental limitations overnight. This is clearly an area where innovation is needed.

The policy mandating the installation of electric vehicle charging facilities should be scrapped.

Along with this, the government needs to stop policies that force electric vehicles—whose safety and efficiency are both lacking—on the public. I urge a full reconsideration of all policies through which the government supports them with subsidies and regulations, from purchase and ownership to charging facilities and charging costs.

Sung-no Choi, President, Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)

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Original title: 전기차 충전시설 강제하지 말아야

Author: Sung-no Choi

Date: 2024-08-07

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=press&idx=26896