Data-driven insights into South Korea’s national utilization of the EV charging infrastructure

Electric vehicle (EV) adoption is rapidly progressing globally, fueled by climate change concerns, efforts to reduce emissions, and technological innovations. Critical to this still-nascent transition is the continued development of reliable charging infrastructure. However, recent large-scale studi...

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Main Authors: David Woo, Yeong Jae Kim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/add761
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author David Woo
Yeong Jae Kim
author_facet David Woo
Yeong Jae Kim
author_sort David Woo
collection DOAJ
description Electric vehicle (EV) adoption is rapidly progressing globally, fueled by climate change concerns, efforts to reduce emissions, and technological innovations. Critical to this still-nascent transition is the continued development of reliable charging infrastructure. However, recent large-scale studies utilizing real-world data on EV charging patterns have been scarce. This study bridges this gap by analyzing comprehensive 2023 EV charging data from South Korea, focusing on charger types (slow vs. fast), facility types (residential vs. non-residential), and hourly usage patterns. We find that slow chargers are significantly more utilized than fast chargers in both residential and non-residential settings. Residential slow chargers are heavily used overnight, reflecting the prevalence of overnight home charging. In contrast, non-residential chargers of both types peak during the day, aligning with typical work schedules and daily routines. Fast chargers, despite their comparatively lower utilization, remain essential for providing quick charging solutions, whereas installations in residential zones may be less effective due to limited access and lower demand. These findings are consistent with research from other EV-active nations, suggesting universal aspects of EV charging behavior. The study emphasizes the need for strategic, data-driven infrastructure development to optimize resource allocation, enhance charging network efficiency, and support the broader adoption of EVs both in South Korea and globally.
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spelling doaj-art-aa4466a7ce5644a782e969a9877e34322025-08-20T02:26:16ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability2634-45052025-01-015202501010.1088/2634-4505/add761Data-driven insights into South Korea’s national utilization of the EV charging infrastructureDavid Woo0https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6490-9384Yeong Jae Kim1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1682-3285KDI School of Public Policy and Management , 263 Namsejong-ro, Sejong-si 30149, Republic of KoreaKDI School of Public Policy and Management , 263 Namsejong-ro, Sejong-si 30149, Republic of KoreaElectric vehicle (EV) adoption is rapidly progressing globally, fueled by climate change concerns, efforts to reduce emissions, and technological innovations. Critical to this still-nascent transition is the continued development of reliable charging infrastructure. However, recent large-scale studies utilizing real-world data on EV charging patterns have been scarce. This study bridges this gap by analyzing comprehensive 2023 EV charging data from South Korea, focusing on charger types (slow vs. fast), facility types (residential vs. non-residential), and hourly usage patterns. We find that slow chargers are significantly more utilized than fast chargers in both residential and non-residential settings. Residential slow chargers are heavily used overnight, reflecting the prevalence of overnight home charging. In contrast, non-residential chargers of both types peak during the day, aligning with typical work schedules and daily routines. Fast chargers, despite their comparatively lower utilization, remain essential for providing quick charging solutions, whereas installations in residential zones may be less effective due to limited access and lower demand. These findings are consistent with research from other EV-active nations, suggesting universal aspects of EV charging behavior. The study emphasizes the need for strategic, data-driven infrastructure development to optimize resource allocation, enhance charging network efficiency, and support the broader adoption of EVs both in South Korea and globally.https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/add761electric vehiclecharging infrastructurecharging behaviorcharging pointutilizationfast charging
spellingShingle David Woo
Yeong Jae Kim
Data-driven insights into South Korea’s national utilization of the EV charging infrastructure
Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability
electric vehicle
charging infrastructure
charging behavior
charging point
utilization
fast charging
title Data-driven insights into South Korea’s national utilization of the EV charging infrastructure
title_full Data-driven insights into South Korea’s national utilization of the EV charging infrastructure
title_fullStr Data-driven insights into South Korea’s national utilization of the EV charging infrastructure
title_full_unstemmed Data-driven insights into South Korea’s national utilization of the EV charging infrastructure
title_short Data-driven insights into South Korea’s national utilization of the EV charging infrastructure
title_sort data driven insights into south korea s national utilization of the ev charging infrastructure
topic electric vehicle
charging infrastructure
charging behavior
charging point
utilization
fast charging
url https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/add761
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AT yeongjaekim datadriveninsightsintosouthkoreasnationalutilizationoftheevcharginginfrastructure