E - Mart to install ev charging stations at its stores

As Korea gears up for the International Electric Vehicle Expo on Jeju Island later this week, a trio of private companies have announced plans to install EV charging stations at one of the nation's biggest retail outlets. Kim Ji-yeon reports. Drivers will soon be able to recharge their electric vehicles at E-Mart, the largest retail outlet in Korea. E-Mart is aiming to install 60 EV charging stations at stores around the country by the end of this year. An E-Mart official says that an electric car can run for around 49 kilometers, roughly a 40-minute drive, on a one-hour charge -- which may be useful for people driving short distances after shopping for groceries and heading straight home. To build the stations, E-mart teamed up with Posco, Korea's largest steelmaker and B-M-W Korea, which is releasing its new i3 electric vehicle next month. The three companies plan to build 40 additional EV charging stations at E-Mart by next year. This is the first such attempt by private companies to facilitate the use of electric vehicles in Korea. The country's existing 19-hundred EV charging stations were built with government support. Emart's new EV charging stations will be able to accommodate all kinds of electric vehicles. All users will have to do is purchase a membership card. Users will be able to find the charging station locations via a smarphone app provided by Posco or the navigation system in the new i3. The move to launch the new stations comes ahead of the International Electric Vehicle Expo, scheduled to start Saturday at the International Convention Center on Jeju Island. More than 2-thousand people are expected to attend the event, including personnel from 40 related industries including Kia Motors and BMW. Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.