Electric vehicles are becoming an increasingly common sight on local roads. Next year will be the fourth anniversary of their introduction in Jeju, and the first regular inspections for electric cars are due to take place in 2016. But with only months left, it seems there are no inspection standards. Mike Laidman has more.

(앵커 멘트만)
Four years after registration, motor inspections are mandated for all new vehicles in Korea. In Jeju, that means the first batch of electric vehicles, those registered in 2012, will be up for their first safety check next year. Or will they? There are a number of issues plaguing this timeline.

[slug]
EVs require different inspections

To learn more, we visited the Korea Electric Vehicle Maintenance Cooperative.
Unlike regular cars, electric vehicles require battery insulation resistance testing to check the car’s high-voltage current.


Currently, there are some 1,200 electric vehicles registered in Jeju. 120 were registered in 2012 and should be inspected next year.


But there is still no clear guideline on the inspection criteria for electric cars. Coupled with a lack of inspection facilities and not enough people to conduct the tests, and it becomes easy to see why there will likely be delays.

There is an electric vehicle service center, but concerns remain about the inadequacy of inspection standards for electric cars.

[INTERVIEW]
Jo Hyeong-jin / Chair, Korea EV Maintenance Cooperative
(Shouldn’t inspections be different for electric vehicles?) There’s a big difference in the engines and emissions, but still no safety regulations. This makes them hard to check.
조형진/한국전기차정비협동조합 이사장
"(전기차와 일반차의 검사 부분이 다르지 않나요?)
엔진이나 매연 쪽으로는 확연한 차이가 있으니까
이 부분에 대한 정비 기준이나 안전 수칙이//
**수퍼체인지**
없으니까 확인할 방법이 없죠."

Administrative officials are being slow to respond to the concerns.
Despite the fast-approaching deadline for vehicle inspections, they have so far only announced plans to open an inspection center by 2017.

[camera]
Kim Yong-min

An official request has been made to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport for inspection equipment and facilities, but it remains unclear how this request will be handled.

[INTERVIEW]
Jeju City official
Electric vehicles have to be inspected in 2016. The Transportation Ministry agrees on the need for electric vehicle testing facilities, but it is somewhat skeptical about setting them up in Jeju.
제주도 관계자
"2016년부터 전기차 검사에 들어가야 한다. 국토부의 반응은 해야 하는 것도 수긍하고
필요성도 느끼는데 제주도에 설립하는 것은 조금 부정적입니다."

[Reporter]
Mike Laidman

Meanwhile, Jeju plans to release another 5,000 electric vehicles in 2016, raising even more concerns about possible overcrowding at inspection centers in the next few years.

Mike Laidman, KCTV