Press Release

Board View

Public and Private Sectors to Improve Electric Truck Charging System in Logistics

▷ Agreement on green delivery service pilot project


Sejong, March 31 - On March 31, the Ministry of Environment (ME, Minister Han Jeoung Ae) signed an MOU with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Korea Automobile Environmental Association (KAEA), and Coupang on the pilot projects for green delivery service at the Sangyeonjae Headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. The agreement focuses on establishing wireless charging stations for electric trucks and developing charging systems suitable for logistics. The agreement is to devise a mechanism that will enable companies to convert their internal combustion trucks1, which emit more greenhouse gases than passenger cars, into electric trucks. Furthermore, the partnering organizations will make an example2of green delivery service and extend it to the same field. 

 

The Ministry of Environment will build wireless charging infrastructure facilities at two Coupang's warehouses, one in Gangseo-gu and the other one in Yeongdeungpo-gu. The ministry will run the facilities over the next three years and analyze the operational effects. Coupang will convert their internal combustion trucks operated to electric trucks, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government will provide financial assistance for electric truck purchases.


KAEA will take part in the operation and management of the wireless charging pilot project. "Wireless charging infrastructure" refers to a facility that allows electric trucks to be charged without wire while loading with cargo. The ministry plans to install and operate a total of ten 22-kilowatt chargers. The ministry intends to analyze the infrastructure's efficacy and economic feasibility, such as electric trucks' charging capacity and driving distance.

 

The Ministry of Environment also plans to develop an electric truck operating system and charging infrastructure tailored to logistics, then share it with the courier and delivery industry. The ministry will expand the pilot project by installing various chargers (rapid/intermediate charging) and analyzing the driving distance and capacity to determine the appropriate number of chargers per truck. In addition, the ministry will encourage other logistics companies to convert their internal combustion trucks into electric trucks by sharing the pilot project results, thus achieving carbon neutrality in the transportation sector. 

 

Park Yeon-jae, Director-General of Air Quality Policy Bureau, said, "We hope that the electric truck charging system built through the agreement will accelerate the introduction of electric trucks in the logistics industry. We will spare no effort to attain carbon neutrality in the transportation sector through closer collaboration among the concerned agencies."


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         


1 Coupang plans to switch to electric trucks and introduce the new trucks by 2030 (scheduled to join K-EV100 in April 2022)

2 Unlike other logistics companies with a high ratio of personal vehicles (vehicles leased to the shipper), it is easy to convert the entire Coupang shipping trucks into electric trucks by corporate ownership (direct control and management)


Contact: KIM Joo-yeop, Deputy Director 

Air Quality Future Strategy Division / +82-(0)44-201-6897


Foreign Media Contact: CHUN Minjo
+82-(0)44-201-6055 / rachelmchun@korea.kr