Hyundai Motor to expand plug-and-charge EV charging in South Korea

Hyundai Motor Group will expand its plug-and-charge (PnC) EV charging network in South Korea starting in 2026.

PnC technology allows drivers to charge their vehicles by plugging in, with authentication and payment handled automatically.

The company plans to extend PnC access beyond its current 64 E-pit charging stations through partnerships with 12 domestic charging operators, such as Chaevi, GS ChargEV, and NICE Infra.

By Q1 2026, Hyundai aims to enable PnC at over 1,500 chargers in collaboration with Chaevi and Hyundai Engineering.

In the second half of 2026, the group plans to introduce PnC support for slow chargers after completing technical checks.

Hyundai will continue working with the government to expand EV charging infrastructure.

🔗 Source: Yonhap

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Plug-and-charge (PnC) rollout will cover a small slice of South Korea’s public chargers

Hyundai plans 1,500 PnC chargers by Q1 2026, a small share of South Korea’s public network, which had a large and growing number of publicly accessible chargers as of September 2025 1.
Growth hinges on partners such as Chaevi, one of the largest fast-charging operators in the country 2. This puts operator participation ahead of Hyundai’s own footprint.
The country already had a fast-growing pool of public fast chargers in 2024 3. PnC will cover only a slice at first, which limits near-term network effects even if it is convenient.

ISO 15118 rollout opens work for PKI and certificate providers

PnC needs charge point operators (CPOs) to deploy ISO 15118, an EV-to-charger communication standard that enables secure authentication and payments 4. They also must set up Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for secure authentication, which drives demand for integration work as systems get upgraded.
AUTOCRYPT, a mobility cybersecurity company, already provides PKI establishment services for the largest PnC charging network in South Korea 4. Expansion to 12 operators opens room for rivals to offer certificate management and multi-root validation solutions (the ability to trust multiple certificate authorities).
Software vendors and systems integrators can ship backend tools that help CPOs manage the complex certificate lifecycle across multiple vehicle makers and service providers 5. Interoperability gaps still slow broad PnC uptake.