Conglomerates struggle with EV charging profits amid sluggish demand
Major conglomerates face widening earnings falls in their electric vehicle (EV) charging businesses, as tepid sales growth for all-electric cars makes it harder for them to generate any immediate returns from the once-promising industry, according to data and industry officials, Tuesday. LG Electronics became the first to have decided to exit the business. The company tapped into the industry by acquiring HiEV Charger, formerly AppleMango, in 2022. It invested 41 billion won ($28.5 million) over the past three years but opted to drop the business amid its sequential losses of billions of won in the past two years. Other large firms, such as SK, Hyundai Motor, Shinsegae and Lotte, have also endured losses with their EV charging station businesses. SK Signet, which operates a global business specializing in ultra-fast EV charging, has suffered growing operating losses in recent years. The company reported an operating loss of 245.2 billion won last year, a 41 percent increase from the previous year. The 2024 loss is nearly three times as high as its sales during the same period. The earnin
Apr 29, 2025By Lee Min-hyung