The incident last month in which Mercedes-Benz sedan caught fire in underground car park at an apartment complex in Incheon and led to the evacuation of 200 families from the building, has sparked calls for stricter government measures regarding electric vehicles.
In response to these concerns, the South Korean government has taken a number of actions aimed at “addressing public concerns and ensuring the safety of electric vehicles”the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement on Friday.
Secret information must be public
According to Bloomberg, according to the new regulation Electric car manufacturers are required to disclose the names of battery suppliers and production technologies. Bloomberg notes that full disclosure of EV battery manufacturers is a rare move by car companies. Such information is typically trade secrets and companies around the world try to keep it under wraps.
Actions to increase safety
The government will also speed up testing the certification system for electric vehicle batteries for October. The initial testing date was scheduled for February 2025.
In other steps to increase security, the government will expand scope of electric vehicle battery inspections and mandatory car inspectionswhich owners must undergo regularly. He will also press for increase in insurance premiums by electric vehicle manufacturers and battery charging operators.
To make garages safer, the government will require that underground parking lots in newly constructed buildings were equipped with sprinklers. South Korea will strengthen fire protection systems in existing buildings in underground parking garages, Bloomberg reports.
