Mercedes-Benz is facing scrutiny in South Korea as vehicle owners have filed complaints with the Korea Consumer Agency. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 4 (Korea Bizwire) – Mercedes-Benz is facing scrutiny in South Korea as vehicle owners have filed complaints with the Korea Consumer Agency, alleging that the company provided incorrect information about the battery manufacturer in some of its electric vehicles.
According to industry sources, the Korea Consumer Agency is currently reviewing the facts surrounding the complaints submitted by Mercedes-Benz owners.
At the heart of the dispute is the claim that Mercedes-Benz installed batteries from the Chinese manufacturer Farasis Energy in some EQE electric vehicles while informing consumers that the cars were equipped with batteries from Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL).
Some owners assert that they became aware of this discrepancy following an electric vehicle fire incident in Incheon on August 1.
The fire, which reportedly involved a Mercedes-Benz vehicle, brought attention to potential battery defects and subsequently revealed that some EQE models were fitted with Farasis batteries.
The complainants cite a 2022 interview with Christoph Starzynski, vice president for electric vehicle architecture at Mercedes-Benz, in which he stated that the EQE models would be equipped with battery cells supplied by CATL.
Additionally, some owners claim that dealership representatives informed them at the time of purchase that their vehicles contained CATL batteries.
The Korea Consumer Agency plans to investigate whether Mercedes-Benz Korea explicitly guaranteed the use of CATL batteries and will proceed with dispute resolution procedures based on their findings.
In response to the complaints, Mercedes-Benz Korea stated, “We are making every effort to determine the cause of the fire and are fully cooperating with the authorities.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
