The government and the ruling party of the Republic of Korea (ROK) announced on Sunday a swift launch of an electric vehicle (EV) battery certification program to address escalating public safety concerns following a series of EV fires.
Originally scheduled for a later date, the program will now commence in October. This decision follows an August 1 EV fire involving a Mercedes-Benz equipped with Farasis Energy batteries, which took eight hours to control and damaged approximately 140 vehicles, leading to the evacuation of some residents in nearby apartments.
Han Zeea, a spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated that in addition to fast-tracking the certification program, the government will mandate automakers to disclose the manufacturers of the batteries used in their EVs. Some automakers have already begun providing this information voluntarily.
While ROK battery manufacturers are expected to comply with these new transparency measures, experts caution that merely disclosing battery information may not significantly enhance safety, as there remains limited data on which battery brands are more prone to fires.
Specialists also note that EV fires differ from those in traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, often burning longer and being more challenging to extinguish due to their tendency to reignite.
(With input from Reuters)
Reference(s):
ROK fast-tracks EV battery certification amid safety concerns
cgtn.com
