Hyundai Motor Group has officially launched the first E-pit ultra-fast charging stations in South Korea to support the upcoming wave of next-generation electric cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.
Starting from April 15, the first 12 stations with a total of 72 chargers (high-power, 800V, CCS Combo 1) will be gradually powered up at highway service areas nationwide 24/7. During the initial pilot period, charging will be provided at a discounted price.
Later this year, the company intends to open 8 stations with a total of 48 stalls in urban centers. In total there will be 20 stations with a total of 120 stalls.
It appears to us that Hyundai Motor Group seriously treats the rollout of its electric cars and really would like to increase the volume to a new level. In South Korea, where the company is a major player, it needs to build the infrastructure on its own dime. But so does Tesla.
The things that we like the most is the combination of a high power station with multiple stalls with the Plug & Charge feature (the automatic authentication, charging and payment), and a canopy. Hopefully, the E-pit will be highly reliable.
Traveling long-distance with such charging stations should be a pleasure. In Europe (IONITY and Tesla Supercharging network) as well in the U.S. (Electrify America, EVgo and Tesla) rarely offer a canopy (like Fastned), but we guess that it's only a matter of time when that will change. First, the market must mature and the scale must increase.
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