South Korea pushes for EV battery transparency amidst safety concerns

In response to growing public safety concerns, the South Korean government is taking steps to increase transparency in the electric vehicle (EV) industry. On Tuesday, officials announced plans to encourage automakers operating within the country to voluntarily disclose information about the batteries used in their electric vehicles.

This initiative comes in the wake of a severe EV fire incident that occurred on August 1 in Incheon, a city west of Seoul. The blaze, which appeared to start spontaneously in a Mercedes-Benz EV equipped with Farasis Energy batteries, raged for eight hours in an underground parking lot. The fire resulted in extensive damage, destroying or damaging approximately 140 vehicles and forcing some residents of the apartments above to seek temporary shelter.

The office of government policy coordination stated, "Such battery information has not been available to the public so far, and the measure is to reduce EV owners' fire anxiety." This move represents a significant shift in the industry's approach to information sharing and public safety.

In recent days, several car manufacturers have begun proactively naming the battery suppliers for their EVs. Hyundai Motor and Genesis reported using batteries from South Korea's LG Energy Solution (LGES) and SK On, as well as China's CATL. Kia Corp disclosed that most of its EV batteries are sourced from LGES and SK On, with two models powered by CATL. Mercedes-Benz Korea primarily uses batteries from CATL and Farasis Energy, with some from LGES and SK On. The company also announced plans to offer free inspections for EV owners and is cooperating in the investigation of the August 1 fire. BMW Korea revealed that it mostly relies on batteries supplied by Samsung SDI, with a few models using CATL batteries.

While this move towards transparency is seen as a positive step, experts caution that it may not be a complete solution to the safety concerns. Kim Jonghoon, a professor at Chungnam National University specialising in electric vehicle management systems, stated, "We need to also advance battery management systems to have them equipped with more sophisticated and early warnings... EV phobia is going to last for a while."

The South Korean government is not limiting its response to battery disclosure. Plans are underway to conduct emergency inspections of fire-fighting equipment in multi-unit residential buildings of certain sizes to alleviate residents' fears.

The recent focus on EV safety comes amid a broader context of fire incidents in underground parking lots. A report published in February by the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters revealed that between 2013 and 2022, 1,399 fires occurred in underground parking lots in South Korea, with 43.7% attributed to vehicles. Notably, electrical sources accounted for 53% of car fires in these underground garages.

Experts note that EV fires present unique challenges compared to those involving internal combustion engines. These fires often burn for longer periods, are more difficult to extinguish, and have a tendency to reignite, posing additional risks to firefighters and nearby structures.