The era of `one charge 300km` of domestic electric car has begun.

Although the shortage of charging facilities is still a stumbling block to the spread of electric cars, the range of consumer choices is getting wider as the number of car types increases as the mileage of one charge increases. In the future, government subsidies, which have the greatest impact on the sales of electric cars, will be distributed one by one according to the distance traveled, so automakers are expected to continue to increase their mileage.

According to the Ministry of Environment on January 18, the average single-charge mileage of electric cars (based on passenger cars) sold domestically and overseas will be over 300km this year. The electric car era, which runs more than twice the mileage (140㎞) of the `Blue On` electric car, which Hyundai Motor introduced in Korea in 2010, As the mileage increases, the choice of vehicles also widens from existing sedans to sports utility vehicles (SUVs).

Hyundai will take the lead in the proliferation of electric cars this year. Small SUV Kona`s electric car Kona Electric will be released in the first half of this year. The mileage is 240 km and 390 km depending on the product. The average mileage is 315 km. Ionic Electric, which recorded a mileage of 191 kilometers, will be able to run more than 200 kilometers this year.

Kia Motors also releases the NILO EV. The car is expected to be able to travel more than 380 km in one charge. Existing Soul EVs are also expected to go up to Ionic Electricity level after the yearly change. GM Korea will release a model year change of the Volt EV that underwent a "supply shortage" last year. The mileage is 383 km, the only electric model that can cope with Kona and Niro in the entry-level model. It is imported and sold all over the world, and this year it has been allocated to 5,000 units from GM. This is 10 times more than last year`s sales of bolt EV (563 units). In the pre-contract that started last 17 days, the reservation amount was changed within 3 hours.

Renault Samsung Motors takes the taxi industry as a "niche market" because the existing SM3 Z.E is the only sedan type electric car. The single-charge mileage is 213 km.

The imported car industry also participates in raising the average mileage of EVs. Jaguar launches I-PACE, which can run for 500 kilometers with a single charge. It will be the first luxury SUV electric car in Korea.

BMW also releases the i3s, part of the existing i3. The i3 94ah, which has increased battery capacity compared to the current i3 of 180km, is currently being sold. The i3s, which has improved mileage, will run at 280km (European standard) per charge. Tesla also sells the Model S, which can travel between 359 and 451 km.

This year`s rating of each car`s EV depends on its mileage. The Ministry of Environment cut subsidies of 14 million won to 12 million won and decided to distribute subsidies for electric cars according to the distance traveled. As a result, the shorter the mileage, the lower the subsidy rate and the difficulty in selling the vehicle. An automobile industry official said, "Manufacturers need to increase their mileage in order to increase sales of electric cars."

By Kim Yang Hyuk mj@


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