Rows of electric cars are to become a common sight across the island in the years ahead. Photo courtesy IEVE Organizing Committee

Jeju province opened an electric vehicle competition for Jeju residents and corporations for two weeks from Aug. 6 to 19. Winners will be given hefty subsidies covering vehicle costs and battery charger installation. Taxis and freight cars were added this year to encourage more applicants.

A total of 225 electric vehicles are available from five domestic models — Kia Ray, Kia Soul, Samsung Renault SM3, Chevrolet Spark, and the Power Plaza Peace electric pickup truck — and one import car, the BMW i3.

Nissan opted to remove its popular EV, the Leaf, from the contest this year, and the subsidy for the Peace domestic pickup truck only covers the vehicle, with no subsidy for the battery charger.

Winners will be notified at the end of August and will receive subsidies of 30 million won which includes 23 million won for the car and 7 million won for the battery charger, irrespective of the price of car applied for.

Minus the subsidies, the cars would cost: Kia Ray 12 million; Kia Soul 19.5 million; SM3 20 million; Chevrolet Spark 16.6 million; Power Plaza Peace 14.9 million; and, BMW i3 34.5 million won.

To be in contention, residents should fill out an application form from jeju.go.kr before applying at one of 19 participating car sales agencies. Applicants can also take their desired car for a test drive.

All applicants must have been registered as Jeju residents or corporations before the contest was announced and have access to an exclusive car space for equipping a battery charger.

Priority groups for the contest include the disabled (levels 1-7), injured from the 5,18 Democracy Movement (levels 1-14), people suffering Agent Orange-related diseases. Previous winners (including households) are excluded from this year’s contest.

Jeju province will have already added 226 subsidized EVs to the island’s roads this year up to at the end of August after the last competition held back in March. With this latest contest, another 225 vehicles should be added before the year end.

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province aims for all vehicles to be electric by 2030 as part of its carbon-free goals.