'Eco-driving', which I first introduced in Korea in 2008, attracted great public attention.


Eco-driving has the triple benefit of allowing drivers to save fuel through eco-friendly driving, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and reduce traffic accidents through slower driving.

At that time, as eco-driving was sweeping the global market, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also took the lead in actively introducing it in Korea.

At that time, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport tried to competitively promote the term by labeling it as ‘eco-friendly driving’ and ‘economic driving’, respectively.

At that time, the author worked to revitalize the system by leading various policy studies and incentive policies, as well as discussion meetings, writing activities, and various incentive policies provided by the government and local governments when implementing eco-driving.

After that, the government, which had hoped for short-term results, became stale and after a few years, it fell out of the public eye, and the public's interest also largely faded.

It has been highlighted in Europe, including the UK, and Japan. While it has seen significant results, it can be said that in our country, interest in eco-driving has even disappeared due to the culture of cooling off quickly.

In particular, our country imports about 97% of its energy from overseas, and has the worst structure compared to advanced countries in many aspects, such as energy waste due to the 'hurry, hurry' culture, rapid increase in traffic accidents and deaths, and energy consumption, so eco-driving is said to be even more important.

However, there is currently no domestic government or local government paying attention to eco-driving. This means that the effects of eco-driving are not being properly observed.

Electric vehicles have been gaining attention recently, but the cost-effectiveness of electric vehicles is declining in many ways, creating an electric vehicle chasm.

As the Trump risk of preferring internal combustion engine vehicles is highlighted, hybrid vehicles that combine conventional internal combustion engine vehicles with a little bit of eco-friendliness are becoming more realistic than electric vehicles.

In Korea, out of the approximately 26 million registered vehicles, there are still over 20 million internal combustion engine vehicles, and internal combustion engine vehicles and hybrid vehicles are becoming more popular due to the electric vehicle chasm and the Trump risk.

Recently, standards for carbon dioxide emissions, a global warming gas, have been delayed by several years starting in Europe, so it can be said that the spread of internal combustion engine-based vehicles is still more powerful.

Eco-driving is becoming more important again.

Especially these days, when international obligations to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and ESG for each company are becoming increasingly essential, it can be said that more efficient implementation methods are important.

Eco-driving of internal combustion engine vehicles is important because drivers have to make efforts to drive in an eco-friendly and economical manner, but it is said that the greatest effect can be seen if eco-driving is naturally achieved through installed devices.

The most prominent of these is the Idle Stop & Go system (ISG).

In other words, when the vehicle stops at a traffic light, the engine automatically stops, which is an important way to save fuel and reduce carbon dioxide, and when you take your foot off the brake pedal when starting off, the engine starts again naturally.

This device is already mandatory in Europe as all car manufacturers have promised to install it in new cars, and if the driver wants to stop it, he can do so by switching it on when starting off.If you turn off the teeth, it will not work.

However, in Korea, although there were many vehicles equipped with eco-drive in the early days, there are almost none now.

In the past, aftermarket idling limiters were installed on buses and other vehicles on a trial basis to save fuel and reduce carbon dioxide, and various incentives were given to drivers who saw significant results. However, currently, there are no bus companies that have installed these devices.

Interest and local government will are important, but it is also because continuous starting and maintenance through this device affects the life of the battery and starter motor.

As these negative factors were greatly highlighted, it can be said that the government, private companies, and others at the time all turned away from it.

However, at this point, the spread of zero-emission vehicles such as electric vehicles is also delayed, and there is no proper method to achieve immediate fuel savings and carbon dioxide reduction.

In this situation, the idle limiter comes into the spotlight again.

The various side effects mentioned above about 10 years ago are no longer present due to the battery capacity enhancement and the rigidity of the starter motor structure. Of course, the advancement of the device is also playing a part. Once again, the effectiveness of this device is greatly highlighted.

Since the beginning of this year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and an idling restriction device distribution company have signed an MOU and are conducting a pilot project.

The company has been working on the device and upgrades for nearly 20 years, and is emerging as the only company that verifies and confirms the fuel saving and carbon dioxide reduction in real time in offices and other places through wireless, in addition to simple attachment and detachment and low cost.

In particular, it is becoming more popular as a device that complements shortcomings such as reduced battery life.

Through the MOU, about 5 corporate taxis in Seoul were first equipped with the device, and the test results over the past two months showed that idling time was very wasteful, reaching about 30% of the total operating time. It was confirmed that the idling limit device was installed to reduce it by about 20%, and the results were verified to be much greater than expected.

The effect after about one month of operation was found to be about 1 liter of fuel reduction per corporate taxi per day and 2.6 kg of carbon dioxide emissions reduction.

In particular, the fact that such a clear effect has been proven is all the more meaningful in a situation where corporate taxis, unlike individual taxis, have a low preference for idling restriction devices.

If 70% of taxis in Seoul implement idling restrictions, the annual fuel savings would be 1,447 liters, saving 1.59 million won in fuel costs, and the carbon dioxide reduction would be enormous at around 3.9 tons. If costs due to carbon dioxide trading, as in Europe, are added, the value would be even greater.

If all 50,000 taxis in Seoul are equipped with this system, fuel savings will be approximately 79.5 billion won and carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 194,000 tons.

There is no way to achieve this effect, no matter how much equipment and money is invested. That is why this device is even more important.

Recently, local governments and companies with large logistics businesses have been screaming with joy as they have requested cooperation with the company.

Already, local governments, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and each company are showing greater interest in this than ever before.

Recently, as ESG, an obligation for companies in the international community, has been highlighted, idling limit devices are being highlighted in the logistics sector, which is centered on internal combustion engines. As carbon trading becomes more active, it is emerging as the best way to practice ESG.

In the future, I hope that the government and local governments will create and activate subsidy payment standards and pay attention to the idling restriction devices that have emerged in earnest.

I am convinced that the only way to make the current 20 million internal combustion engine vehicles in Korea eco-friendly is to install an idling limiter. Of course, eco-driving actively practiced by drivers can also play an important role.