Meeting Held on Improving Safety Management Systems for Electric Vehicle Charging Facilities
Public discussion on the current status and problems of safety management for charging facilities throughout their entire lifecycle

As there were high concerns that recent safety accidents involving electric vehicles, such as fires occurring after full charging, could hinder the widespread adoption of EVs, the need to establish measures to prevent and manage these incidents was raised. Consequently, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held a meeting to discuss plans for introducing safety standards.

On the 30th, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held a meeting to formulate 'safety management measures for electric vehicle charging facilities' by gathering opinions from field stakeholders, including large, medium, and small enterprises, civic groups, academia, and public institutions.

This meeting was held to drive the widespread adoption of electric vehicles by preventing electrical hazards, such as fires and electric shocks, that may occur at charging facilities.

As the number of electric vehicles is expected to increase to 1.13 million and charging facilities to 510,000 by 2025, the current status and problems of safety management across the entire lifecycle of charging facilities (manufacturing, certification, installation, and maintenance) were brought to public attention, and measures to introduce reasonable safety standards were discussed and proposed.

At the meeting, the results of the policy research on 'Improvement Measures for Safety Management of Electric Vehicle Charging Facilities' (Seoul National University), conducted from September of last year to the end of February this year, were shared, and opinions were gathered from large and small businesses, academia, and civic groups, followed by a free discussion (Q&A) among the attendees.

In the industry's opinion It includes △establishment and proposal of safety standards to promote the widespread adoption of ultra-fast chargers (over 200kW) following their development △establishment and proposal of waterproof and dustproof standards to prevent safety accidents such as electric shock caused by external environments like rainwater △response measures in case of fire during electric vehicle battery charging △improvement measures regarding defects in batteries and other components from manufacturers.

In his opening remarks, Yang Byeong-nae, Director General of Hydrogen Economy Policy, stated, “We plan to formulate government policies that actively reflect the opinions of large, medium, and small enterprises by proactively presenting reasonable standards for safety management in the field of electrical safety, which has previously been perceived solely as a regulatory burden, so that safety standards can accelerate industrial and technological development.”

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, “Through this industry meeting, we plan to listen to the opinions of manufacturers in the electric vehicle charging equipment sector regarding on-site difficulties and formulate practical support measures, such as R&D necessary for global technological leadership.” The ministry added, “We will proactively establish safety standards by reflecting the opinions of experts from various fields through technical standards subcommittees, expert committees, and the Standards Committee, and strive to promote the widespread adoption of electric vehicles and charging facilities.”