BMW Korea extends EV charging infrastructure

A BMW charging station is seen at the Hilton Gyeongju in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. (BMW Korea)

BMW Korea is investing heavily to expand its charging infrastructure for electric vehicles here.

Since last year, the South Korean unit of the German carmaker has opened up a growing number of its own charging stations, branded as BMW Charging Stations, while offering special charging fees for new EV buyers.

In December, the carmaker opened a large-scale charging station at its driving center in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, which can charge up to 80 EVs -- making it one of Korea's largest charging stations.

It also opened several charging stations at high-end hotels and resorts in popular travel destinations, including Paradise City Incheon, Hilton Gyeongju and InterContinental Seoul.

As of August this year, BMW operates a total of 893 EV chargers across the nation.

With more plans to set up charging stations in the coming months, the number is expected to exceed 1,100 units by the end of this year, the company said.

Such aggressive efforts have made BMW the only import car brand here to receive an additional EV subsidy that is offered to carmakers building more than 100 rapid chargers over the past three years.

BMW Korea said it also offers abundant benefits for its customers. New buyers of fully electric or hybrid models can enjoy extra charging points, including free charging for up to one year, and points can be used at almost 90 percent of public charging stations nationwide.

The carmaker said it will ramp up efforts to expand its premium charging infrastructure and enhance convenience of EV drivers overall by allowing them to use its facilities regardless of their car brands.

By Mun So-jeong(munsojeong@heraldcorp.com)