[THE INVESTOR] Tesla Korea on May 25 installed its first high-speed supercharger station at a premium hotel in Seoul, with aims to speed up expansion of its charging network in the country. 

The local unit of the US EV maker set up five superchargers at the underground parking lot of Grand InterContinental Hotel in southern Seoul, which allows five Tesla cars to be charged simultaneously. 

The supercharger provides up to 270 kilometers of driving range for Tesla’s S 90D sedan -- the first available model in Korea -- with about 30 minutes charging time. It takes about 75 minutes to fully charge the car that has a driving range of up to 378 kilometers. 

Tesla plans to build 14 supercharger stations across the country by the end of this year, including at least six in Seoul. Three stations -- at Gran Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul; Tedin Resort in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province; and Hansol Oak Valley Resort in Wonju, Gangwon Province -- are slated to open on June 1. 

For now, Tesla Korea is offering the supercharger station free of charge. But that could change in the future, according to the carmaker.

Tesla’s supercharger is about 10 times faster than its lower-speed destination chargers. It takes about seven to eight hours to fully charge Model S 90D. Destination chargers are installed at 35 venues in Korea, including major hotels, department stores and restaurants. Tesla Korea is planning to add 20 more in June.

With the installation of the supercharger, Tesla is speeding up its expansion in the country. 

The carmaker plans to start delivering Model S 90D in mid-June. It has begun taking preorders of two additional trim levels -- Model S 75 D and 100D -- and plans to deliver them within three months.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)