South Korea Holds Emergency Meeting Amid Consumer Concerns Over EV Fires, Reports Reuters

By Jack Kim and Heekyong Yang

SEOUL (Reuters) – On Monday, South Korean officials convened to address the safety of electric vehicles (EVs) and the potential requirement for automakers to disclose battery brands. This meeting was prompted by heightened consumer concerns following a significant fire in an underground garage that severely damaged an apartment complex.

The fire, which broke out on August 1, reportedly started spontaneously in a Mercedes-Benz EV parked beneath a residential building. The blaze took eight hours to extinguish, leading to the destruction or damage of around 140 vehicles and displacing several residents to temporary shelters.

Leading the meeting is the country’s vice environment minister, with participation from officials from the transport and industry ministries, as well as the national fire agency. The government is expected to announce new regulations soon.

Additionally, transport ministry representatives are scheduled to meet with automakers, including Hyundai Motor Group, Mercedes-Benz Korea, and Volkswagen Group Korea, to discuss the proposal for disclosing the battery brands used in their electric vehicles.

While the ministry hasn’t commented on these discussions, automakers have not responded to requests for their views on the matter.

Media reports showing images of numerous burnt-out vehicles, reduced to metal frames in the parking lot fire, have heightened public anxiety regarding the safety of EVs, particularly as many South Koreans live in apartments with below-ground parking.

Earlier this month, a Kia EV6 equipped with batteries from domestic manufacturer SK On also caught fire in a parking lot, as reported by fire authorities.

Automotive experts note that fires in EVs behave differently from those in traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. Typically, EV fires last longer and are more difficult to extinguish due to a tendency to reignite.

According to a report from the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters, 1,399 fires occurred in underground parking lots in South Korea between 2013 and 2022, with 43.7% of those attributed to vehicles. Electrical sources were cited as the cause in 53% of car fires in these locations.

Recent reports suggest that South Korea is moving toward requiring EV manufacturers to disclose battery brands. Presently, car companies are obliged to provide specific vehicle information, such as fuel efficiency, but there are limited requirements regarding battery specifics, including manufacturer identification.

In response to inquiries about EV battery manufacturers, Hyundai Motor Co recently identified the battery suppliers used in their 13 electric vehicle models—including three from their Genesis brand—on their website.

The disclosures reveal that Hyundai and Genesis vehicles utilize batteries from companies such as LG Energy Solution, SK On, and China’s CATL.

Moon Hak-hoon, a professor of automotive engineering at Osan University, emphasized that simply mandating the disclosure of battery manufacturers would not inherently prevent fires. Instead, he suggested that a better approach would be to certify the fire hazards associated with each battery brand.

Park Moon-woo, who authored a report on the response to EV fires in underground garages, remarked that while increased disclosure could empower consumers, there is currently no conclusive data indicating which EV battery brands may be more susceptible to fires.