Photo : YONHAP News
The government is likely to exempt electric and hydrogen vehicles if it implements driving restrictions to conserve fuel in anticipation of a prolonged conflict in the Middle East.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced on Wednesday that it is actively considering making an exception for electric and hydrogen cars, given that they do not consume petroleum-based fuel and considering the government’s policy favoring a shift to eco-friendly cars.
The government is currently mulling whether to implement a system that would require every driver to stay off the roads either for one weekday out of every week or for one day out of every ten, based on the final number on their license plate.
The last time the government implemented such a system in the private sector was during the Gulf War in 1991, when the rules stayed in place for some two months in response to oil price volatility.
Under the Energy Use Rationalization Act, the energy minister has the authority to issue an order restricting the operation of energy-using machinery, including vehicles, if a major disruption in supply and demand occurs or might occur due to any changes in domestic or foreign energy circumstances.