South Korea: Hyundai 1st to reveal EV battery makers’ list, Kia to follow

Following reports of electric vehicles catching fire in South Korea, Hyundai Motors has become the first domestic EV maker to fully disclose the list of battery manufacturers for its 13 car models.

This comes shortly after the incident in which a Mercedes-Benz EV allegedly caught fire while parked below a residential building. The incident took a major turn as it took eight hours to put out and destroyed 140 cars.

This event also resulted in some residents being forced to move to shelters after the blaze.

The unfortunate incident was followed by citizens raising concerns about the safety associated with EVs, and the South Korean government also getting active.

EVs causing a scare

The blaze which was caused by an EV battery had also led to some 23 people getting hospitalized in Incheon, according to a report by The Korea Times .

According to the report, the Incheon Fire Department said that it had taken over eight hours to get the fire under control.

The prolonged power outage caused by the blaze resulted in people from 46 households being shifted to temporary shelters.

The surveillance footage from the area in which the Mercedes Benz was parked showed smoke coming out of the EV before it suddenly burst into flames.

The firefighters had also stated that the EV was not charging at the time when the fire arose, leading to widespread concerns over safety.

South Korea holds emergency meeting

South Korean government officials met on Monday to discuss the safety concerns related to EVs. One of the key topics of the meetings was whether it should be mandatory for EV makers to disclose battery brands and origin.

The meeting was led by the vice environment minister, with officials from transport, industry and national fire agency also in attendance, according to a report by Reuters.

This emergency meeting will be followed by the transport ministry official meeting with top automakers in the country on Tuesday regarding a policy or guideline for disclosing battery brands used in their cars.

According to the current laws, automakers are guided by law to provide essential details about EVs. This includes the battery type and other features, but the name of battery manufacturer is not one of the details which are easily available to the public.

Hyundai takes the lead

Hyundai, the South Korean automaker, has taken the first step in this direction by disclosing the names of battery manufacturers for its entire electric vehicle lineup.

The company has listed the names of battery manufacturers for all 13 Hyundai and Genesis EVs on its website .

According to the list released by Hyundai, most of its EVs are powered by batteries from Korea’s LG Energy Solution and SK On. Only one of its models, the Kona Electric, runs on batteries provided by the world’s largest battery manufacturer – CATL – which is a Chinese firm.

Apart from Hyundai, Kia Motors is also planning to release information about the batteries used in its EVs.

Moreover, the two companies are also planning to introduce features such as battery monitoring and more which can help to prevent fires.

It also seems likely that the government will bring about a rule that will make it mandatory for EV manufacturers in South Korea – both domestic and import firms – to disclose battery information in the near future.