Seoul, South Korea
A dozen major auto manufacturers are now building electric vehicles, but the cara charging ports are all over the place. Some companies design on the front of the vehicle, others on the back or side.
As Hyundai planned its first public charging stations in Seoul, the company tapped McKinsey to design a more universal charger that could accommodate as many brands as possible.
The Hi-Charger won a 2020 Good Design Award from The Chicago Athenaeum.
Designed by McKinsey Design, the Hi-Charger’s bold halo also serves as a status bar that anyone nearby can see, gradually filling in with light as the 20-minute charge reaches completion. Subtle?
Not at all. But subtlety isn’t Hyundai’s goal.
The result, the Hyundai Hi-Charger, is a beacon, featuring a glowing halo overhead. This halo rotates and drops the cable in just the right spot, depending on the make and model of your vehicle.
“So much inspiration came from self-serve car washes,” says Jeff Salazar, a partner at McKinsey San Francisco.
“They have the sprayer hanging down from the top and it kind of rotates around.”
The Hyundai Hi-Charger demonstrates the brand’s commitment to offer a completely new charging experience to EV owners.
The 350kW ultra-fast charger enables users to easily power their EVs without feeling the weight of connectors and cables.
The user simply chooses the position of a vehicle’s charging port on a digital screen, and a connector automatically rotates and descends to the selected point for an effortless connection.
The Korean government plans to invest 92.3 billion won (US$84.6 million) next year to set up an additional number of electric vehicle (EV) chargers.
The Ministry of Environment announced that it will work jointly with the private sector to set up more than 70 350-kilowatt (kW) chargers for EVs at major expressway service areas.
The 100 kW chargers set up previously took at least 1 hour to charge a single EV, with a maximum distance coverage of 400 kilometers, up to 80 percent.
New 350 kW chargers, in contrast, can charge an EV to 80 percent in just 20 minutes.
The government also plans to set up various types of standard chargers in less accessible areas including residential areas and apartment complexes.
At expressway service areas, gas stations, and charging stations, the government plans to set up approximately 1,600 high-speed EV chargers.
An additional 8,000 standard chargers will be installed in residential and business areas.
Hyundai Hi-Charger
Designers: Hyundai Creative Works and McKinsey Design
Manufacturer: Creative Works
