South Korea Evaluates Electric Vehicle Safety Amid Rising Concerns Over Battery Fires
South Korean officials convened on Monday to deliberate over electric vehicle (EV) safety and the potential requirement for automakers to disclose battery brands, following increasing consumer anxiety triggered by a recent EV fire in an underground garage that caused extensive damage to an apartment complex.
The blaze, which occurred on August 1, appears to have ignited spontaneously in a Mercedes-Benz EV parked beneath a residential building. The fire raged for eight hours before it was extinguished, leaving behind a trail of destruction that included damage or total loss of approximately 140 vehicles and the displacement of some residents to emergency shelters.
The meeting, spearheaded by the country's vice environment minister, included representatives from the transport and industry ministries as well as the national fire agency. Government officials are expected to announce new safety regulations in the near future. On Tuesday, transport ministry officials are set to meet with major automakers, including Hyundai Motor Group, Mercedes-Benz Korea, and Volkswagen Group Korea, to discuss the proposal for mandatory disclosure of battery brands used in EVs, according to media reports.
Neither the transport ministry nor the automakers involved have issued any immediate public comments regarding the proposed regulations. However, images of the aftermath, showing dozens of charred vehicles reduced to metal skeletons in the parking lot, have stoked public fears about the safety of EVs, particularly in a country where many people live in apartment buildings with underground parking facilities.
The fire in the Mercedes-Benz EV follows another incident earlier this month involving a Kia EV6, which also caught fire in a parking lot. The EV6 is equipped with batteries from South Korean manufacturer SK On. According to fire experts, EV fires are notably different from those involving internal combustion engine vehicles; they tend to burn longer and are more difficult to extinguish due to the potential for the batteries to reignite.
A report by the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters, published in February, highlighted the frequency of such incidents, stating that 1,399 fires occurred in underground parking lots across South Korea between 2013 and 2022, with 43.7% of these fires involving vehicles. Electrical sources were identified as the cause of 53% of these car fires.
Recent media reports suggest that the South Korean government is considering mandating EV manufacturers to disclose the brands of batteries used in their vehicles. Currently, automakers are required to provide limited information on vehicle specifications, such as fuel efficiency, but are not obligated to reveal details about the battery manufacturers.
In a recent move, Hyundai Motor Co. identified the manufacturers of batteries used in their 13 EV models, including three from its Genesis brand, on its website. Hyundai's EVs utilize batteries from companies such as South Korea's LG Energy Solution, SK On, and China’s CATL.
While some experts, like Osan University’s Professor Moon Hak-hoon, argue that merely disclosing battery brands will not necessarily prevent fires, they suggest that certifying the fire hazards associated with each battery brand could be more effective. Park Moon-woo, the lead author of a report on EV fire responses, noted that while disclosure might offer consumers more choice, there is currently no conclusive data identifying which battery brands are more prone to fires.
As South Korea grapples with the implications of these incidents, the government’s forthcoming regulations could set a precedent for EV safety standards globally, especially in densely populated urban areas where such risks are heightened.
