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 burned, and an additional 100 cars in the parking lot were damaged. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — Consumer calls for mandatory disclosure of electric vehicle battery information are growing in South Korea, as an EV scare over possible fire accidents grips the nation following a massive fire caused by a Mercedes-Benz vehicle.
The latest fear surrounding electric cars started last Thursday, when a spontaneous fire that began in a parked Mercedes-Benz EV wiped out an entire underground parking garage inside an apartment complex in Incheon, 27 kilometers west of Seoul, while damaging over 100 cars.
Under current South Korean laws, information related to battery manufacturers can only be verified by the electric vehicle manufacturers themselves.
While the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to introduce an EV battery safety certification system in February next year, consumers still won’t have direct access to the full battery information.
This is because under the system, carmakers are required to obtain government certification confirming that batteries meet safety standards while not stipulating mandatory battery information disclosure to the public.
In the case of Mercedes-Benz owners in South Korea, customers must visit a service center in person to verify battery information.
“Battery information for EVs is not a trade secret,” one person wrote on X. “Given the potential for thermal runaway, which poses a risk to the driver’s life, consumers have the right to verify battery information and request a replacement with a safer battery.”
Following the public scare, the transport ministry is currently considering measures to require the disclosure of EV battery information by car manufacturers.
In the case of last week’s fire involving the Mercedes-Benz EV, there was initial confusion over the vehicle’s battery brand, as the German automaker declined to verify its supplier, citing an ongoing investigation.
Initial reports speculated that the car was equipped with a battery from China’s CATL. South Korean authorities later confirmed that the battery was supplied by Farasis Energy, a Chinese firm known to be ranked at around 10th globally.
Farasis Energy carried out a major recall in China in 2021 due to battery fire risks.
In many places overseas, regulations have already been established or are being pursued to mandate the provision of battery manufacturer information to consumers.
In Europe, EV manufacturers will be required to disclose battery manufacturer information to consumers, starting in 2026. The European Union is set to introduce a battery passport system, which will digitize information about the entire life cycle of batteries, including production, use, disposal, reuse and recycling.
In the United States, there are also efforts to mandate the disclosure of battery information. For instance, California plans to implement a battery labeling requirement in 2026 under the state’s Advanced Clean Cars II regulation.
Since 2018, China has been disclosing battery manufacturer information through a battery traceability management platform.
Experts point out the need for the government to further establish and refine relevant laws and regulations to ensure the safe operation of EVs and to guarantee consumers’ right to information.
Lee Ho-geun, an automotive professor at Daeduk University, emphasized the need for a “battery history system” that assigns serial numbers to batteries and manages information on the manufacturer.
“It is necessary to specify the manufacturer in the vehicle registration certificate and disclose the unique battery number to enable comprehensive management covering from production to disposal,” Lee said.
(Yonhap)
