[GLOBAL ECONOMIC TIMES]  BMW Group Korea is taking the lead in expanding Korea's electric vehicle infrastructure, which is rare among imported car brands. A representative example is the opening of the ‘BMW Charging Hub Lounge’ in Hoehyeon-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, for the first time in the world within the BMW Group last month.

According to the industry on the 25th, the BMW Charging Hub Lounge is a premium lounge-type fast charging station that goes beyond a simple electric vehicle charging station and is characterized by providing an enjoyable experience while charging.

The BMW Charging Hub Lounge combines a premium lounge and an electric vehicle charging facility. It consists of six 200 kW fast chargers and a 30-seat indoor lounge with a cafe. In addition to BMW Group vehicles, it is open to users of all brands of electric vehicles, increasing public convenience.

In particular, while charging, you can use the high-quality lounge operated by Parnas, a 5-star hotel affiliated with the GS Group. The lounge, decorated with a sensuous interior, has a cafe space where you can enjoy a variety of drinks and desserts, as well as massage chairs, smart monitors, and air purifiers to provide a pleasant relaxation time.

Users can easily check the charging status through the display at the top of the charger, which can be viewed through an external window while relaxing in the lounge. The role of the premium lounge has also been strengthened by allowing customers who are not planning to recharge to visit and enjoy the space at any time.

In addition, the lounge features BMW luxury class models and a variety of limited edition items from BMW and MINI.

We have prepared a vehicle exhibition space where you can meet Sean's model. We plan to provide a wealth of attractions by first introducing various latest models that are difficult to see in exhibition halls.

The fast charger installed in the BMW Charging Hub Lounge is a product developed by LG Electronics. It supports the ‘Plug & Charge (PnC)’ service, which simplifies the electric vehicle charging process.

PnC is a charging technology that automatically recognizes vehicle information and performs user authentication and payment at once when a charging cable is connected to an electric vehicle. BMW Group Korea is the first in the imported car industry to sign a business agreement with Korea Electric Power Corporation for joint development of PnC in 2022, and plans to start PnC service next month to provide users with a faster and more convenient charging experience.

It also allows for preemptive response to fire risks. Four levels of fire prevention measures have been established in the electric vehicle charging area. It is equipped with triple sprinklers and a firefighting kit consisting of thermal imaging CCTV (CCTV), AVD fire extinguishers, and fire extinguishers.

The BMW Charging Hub Lounge is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the charging station is available 24/7. BMW plans to install a 350kW ultra-fast charger in the future and introduce a lower cooling fire extinguisher to provide a safer service environment for users.

BMW Group Korea has been investing heavily since the end of last year to carry out the ‘CHARGING NEXT’ project, which seeks to qualitatively and quantitatively expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

As part of the Charging Next project, BMW Charging Stations were introduced at landmarks across the country, including Gyeongju in Gyeongbuk and Jumunjin in Gangneung, Gangwon-do, and the BMW Charging Hub Lounge was opened to focus not only on expanding public charger infrastructure but also improving the quality of the electric vehicle charging experience.

BMW Group Korea has completed the installation of 1,600 chargers as of September this year, focusing on customer areas and regional bases nationwide, and plans to secure a cumulative 2,100 chargers by the end of this year.

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