Water Rolls Out 23 Highway Fast-Charging Hubs in South Korea with 400 kW Hardware

South Korean charging operator Water, the EV infrastructure arm of renewable energy firm Brite Energy Partners, is expanding its highway network with 23 new fast-charging locations. The rollout was meant to begin in October, but the company has already energized its first site ahead of schedule.

Every one of the new hubs will carry at least a pair of 400 kW ultra-fast chargers. Across the whole project, Water is adding 123 charge points: 62 at 400 kW, 46 at 200 kW and 15 at 100 kW. Because the highest-output units make up the majority, drivers of 800-volt-class electric vehicles stand to gain the most. All 123 connectors will support both NACS and DC Combo plugs, and Water notes that Tesla owners using NACS can expect roughly 120 to 200 kW depending on their model.

The sites are being built across Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, Gangwon and Gyeongsang. The debut location sits at the Cheongju Rest Area on the Seoul-bound carriageway of the Gyeongbu Expressway, pairing two 400 kW units with two 200 kW chargers and marking the country’s first highway rest stop equipped with 400 kW hardware. To mark the launch, members can charge at any of the 23 stations for 294 won (about €0.19) per kWh for a year from each site’s opening — roughly 100 won (€0.07) below the government’s roaming benchmark for chargers rated 200 kW and above.

Once all locations are live, Water’s footprint will reach 397 chargers spread across 73 highway rest areas nationwide. “Highway rest areas are essentially the only locations where charging speed directly impacts a driver’s time,” said Yoo Dae-won, who heads the company’s EV charging business unit, explaining the decision to join Korea Expressway Corporation’s expansion programme with the most powerful equipment available.