The Day I Saw a Farmer Plugging In His Car and Realized I’m Old

 

I took the KTX to Gwangju. Got off. Went to the parking lot to meet my friend.


The lot was full of… cords. Like, every second car had a big cable stuck in its side.


I thought “Oh, rich people cars.” Then I saw a tiny boxy car. A Kia Ray. An old farmer, like 70s, bent over and plugged it in next to a delivery truck.


My brain stopped. Five years ago, the only electric car I saw was a Tesla in Gangnam. Driven by a guy with sunglasses inside.


Now a grandpa in a hat is charging his next to cabbages. I felt ancient. And dumb. I still can’t figure out my air fryer.



In Seoul, the Chargers Were Next to the Convenience Store and I Almost Tripped Over One


Back in Seoul, I was walking to a CU for a banana milk.

There was a big white box in front of the store. With a thick cord. And a car attached to it.

I almost tripped over the cord because I was looking at my phone. The driver was inside the store buying ramen. Like it was normal.

I stared at the box. It had numbers. Big numbers. 350 something. I don’t know what that means. I just know it was not there last year.

I went inside. Bought my banana milk. Came out. The car was gone. A different car was there. Like a gas station, but quiet. And no smell. It was weird.





I Toured a Car Factory and Couldn’t Tell If It Was Cars or Robots


My friend works near Ulsan. Got me into a factory tour.


It was… not what I expected. It was just arms. Robot arms. Yellow. Swinging. Welding. No sparks, no people yelling. Just whirrr clunk.


There were car skeletons moving on a line. No engines. Just a big empty space in the middle.


I asked my friend “Where’s the engine?” He said “There isn’t one.” I said “Then how does it go?” He laughed for like a full minute.


I touched a robot. A security guard looked at me. I put my hands in my pockets for the rest of the tour.




In the Mountains, the Plug Was Slower and So Was Everything Else


I went to Gangwon. Stayed at a hanok. Super cold.

Outside the town hall, there was a plug. A car was attached to it. The owner was inside drinking tea. For hours.

I asked why he didn’t use a “fast” one. He said something about winter and mountains. I didn’t understand. I just nodded.

Everything up there was slower. The car charging. The people walking. Me trying to understand.

The only thing fast was me realizing I had no idea how any of this works.





The Buses Didn’t Make Noise and I Still Almost Got Hit by One


Back in Busan. I was crossing the street. Looking at my phone. Like an idiot.


A bus went by. I didn’t hear it. At all. It was just… there. Then gone. Like a giant ninja.


I jumped back. Spilled my coffee. The bus driver didn’t even honk. He just glided away. Silently judging me.


Later I saw them all lined up. Charging. At night. Rows of quiet buses. No rumble. No diesel smell.


I miss the noise. At least the noise warned me I was about to die.





Summary


I thought electric cars were just for rich tech guys.


Now a farmer in Gwangju plugs one in. The charger is next to the convenience store. The factory is all robots. The buses sneak up on you.


📌 Things I Noticed


  • Everyone has one now: Not just Gangnam. It’s farmers. It’s buses. I’m the last one without one.
  • Charging is everywhere: Next to stores. At town halls. I almost tripped over a cord twice.
  • If you’re new: Don’t assume the car is off because it’s quiet. And look both ways for buses. They’re ninjas now.

This is just what I saw. I don’t know how the charging works. I’m not a tech guy. Don’t ask me about batteries. I almost got hit by a silent bus.

👉 Discover more Korea guides here

You may also be interested in:Korean Diet Trends: What Koreans Are Actually Eating Right Now

👉 [Next in this series]:   The Day I Rented a Car in Korea and Thought It Was Broken Because It Was Too Quiet

👉 [Previously in this series]: The Night I Drove Around Gangnam for 20 Minutes and the App Just Laughed at Me



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