Firefighters train to put out fires in electric vehicles at a public parking lot in southern Seoul on Sept. 2, 2024. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Korea Bizwire) – The government said Friday it will conduct prior safety checks on electric vehicle (EV) batteries and require EV makers to disclose their battery brands to address public concerns about spontaneous fires in EVs.
The plan was finalized during a government meeting led by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as part of a package of measures various ministries and agencies drew up to improve EV safety following a series of fires involving such vehicles last month, according to the Office for Government Policy Coordination.
On Aug. 1, an imported EV exploded in an apartment underground parking lot in Incheon, 33 kilometers west of Seoul, burning or damaging about 140 cars. Days later, a fire broke out in a parked EV in Geumsan, 166 km south of Seoul.
Under the government plan, the EV battery certification system that was scheduled to go into effect next February will launch early on a trial basis in October, meaning the government will carry out prior safety checks on batteries of both domestic and foreign-made EVs before they are manufactured.
EV manufacturers will also be required to disclose key information on the batteries, including their brand and main ingredients, in addition to the currently required battery capacity, rated voltage and maximum output.
During routine inspections of EVs, the number of checked items will be increased to include cell voltage, battery temperature and charge level, while inspection stations will be fitted with the necessary equipment and infrastructure at an early date.
In this file photo, police move an electric Mercedes-Benz sedan from the underground parking lot of an apartment building after completing their probe in Incheon, 27 kilometers west of Seoul, on Aug. 5, 2024. A fire broke out in the car after it exploded on Aug. 1, resulting in 22 residents and a firefighter being hospitalized. Around 40 cars were burnt and an additional 100 cars in the parking lot were damaged. (Yonhap)
The accountability of EV manufacturers and charging businesses will also be strengthened by excluding manufacturers without liability insurance from government subsidies and pushing for legislation mandating liability insurance for EV charging businesses.
Meanwhile, the government will update the Battery Management System (BMS), a program that detects and issues warnings on battery conditions in real time, and increase its usage among drivers to better detect fire risks in advance.
Before the year-end, the government will create a set of criteria within the BMS to measure battery risk, with plans to devise a function that automatically alerts firefighting authorities when the risk level is highest.
To better respond to underground parking lot fires, the government said it will install wet sprinkler systems in all new buildings, though buildings with water pipes at risk of freezing and bursting will be allowed to install pre-action sprinkler systems.
In consideration of the public’s growing concerns about EV fires, the government said it will defer by a year the mandatory expansion of EV parking spaces and charging facilities in existing buildings, which was to be applied starting next January.
To improve firefighters’ responses to the fires, the number of relevant equipment at fire stations nationwide will be increased from 297 to 397 mobile water tanks, and from 875 to 1,131 fire blankets, among other items, by next year.
(Yonhap)
