South Korea said it will accelerate the replacement of petrol-powered delivery motorbikes with electric two-wheelers, aiming for more than 60 per cent of newly introduced delivery bikes to be electric by 2035, as it steps up efforts to cut urban air pollution, noise and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment signed a memorandum of understanding with delivery platforms, logistics operators, electric motorbike manufacturers and rental firms on Wednesday, seeking to shift a delivery market currently dominated by internal combustion engine bikes towards an electric-based ecosystem.
Participants included major food delivery platforms such as Woowa Brothers, Coupang Eats and Yogiyo, alongside large delivery agencies including Barogo, Vroong and Saenggakdaero.
The government and industry partners said they would work to improve electric bike performance and charging convenience, two factors widely cited by riders as barriers to adoption.
To address concerns over limited driving range and long charging times, authorities plan to expand battery swapping station (BSS) infrastructure, allowing riders to replace depleted batteries with fully charged ones in minutes.
The government will support the transition through purchase subsidies for electric two-wheelers and administrative measures to prioritise installation of charging facilities on public land and at public institutions.
Delivery companies will promote electric bike adoption among riders, while manufacturers will focus on developing higher-performance models tailored to delivery use.
Climate minister Kim Sung-hwan said the initiative would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve urban living conditions.
“Through this agreement, we will work with the delivery industry to expand electric two-wheelers, reduce emissions and create a quieter urban environment,” Kim said, adding that the government would provide administrative and financial support to help build a sustainable electric two-wheeler industry.
The ministry said it expects electrification of delivery vehicles to contribute to emissions cuts in the transport sector while helping reduce noise complaints in dense urban residential areas.
The electrification push forms part of South Korea’s broader climate strategy, which centres on achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and sharply cutting emissions in the power and transport sectors.
The country recently strengthened its medium-term climate ambition, targeting a 53 per cent to 61 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 compared with 2018 levels, higher than its earlier 2030 reduction goal.
Seoul has also begun reshaping its energy mix, aiming to expand renewable energy capacity and maintain nuclear power as a key low-carbon source while gradually reducing coal’s role in electricity generation.
Coal remains one of South Korea’s largest emissions sources, accounting for roughly one third of power generation in recent years, although its share has fallen significantly over the past decade.
At the COP30 climate summit in late 2025, South Korea pledged to phase out the majority of its coal-fired power plants by 2040 and to retire about 40 of its 61 existing coal units, joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance. The closure schedule for remaining plants is expected to be finalised after further economic and environmental review.
The government’s long-term decarbonisation roadmap also envisions sharply reducing fossil fuel use in electricity generation and boosting renewable and low-carbon energy sources, with coal and gas expected to play a much smaller role by mid-century under carbon-neutral scenarios.
