South Korean Consumers Restless Electric Car Fire, Hyundai, The First Manufacturer To Be Transparent About Batteries

Kia EV9. (Doc. Hyundai Motor Group)

JAKARTA In recent years the campaign about the safety of electric car batteries has been milling around by car manufacturers. Not even a few say that there are very few fires in electric cars when compared to the percentage of fires that occur in combustion cars (ICE).

However, with data from South Korea (South Korea) it is quite worrying and public concerns are rising in relation to the safety of electric cars (EVs) after the Mercedes-Benz EV fire on August 1 which scorched dozens of cars in an apartment garage in Incheon, automakers in South Korea began disclosing information on battery brands used on their electric vehicles.

Launching Yonhap News Agency, Monday, August 12, Hyundai Motor, the leader of the domestic industry, was the first to release a list of battery manufacturers for its 13 EV models on the company's website. It was revealed that almost all Hyundai models use batteries from LG Energy Solution or SK On, except Kona Electric, which uses batteries from CATL, China.

Kia Corp. also plans to immediately release similar information on their website. The two companies under the Hyundai Motor Group are committed to working with the government and related parties to address public concerns about EV fires.

KG Mobility Corp. and other imported car companies are also reportedly considering similar measures. These automakers will discuss further information disclosure of batteries at an EV safety inspection meeting scheduled by the Ministry of Transportation on Tuesday.

However, some analysts predict that imported car companies may not be able to respond as quickly as Hyundai and Kia need to coordinate with their headquarters.

"The central office usually doesn't disclose component suppliers, so we can't make our own decisions," said an unnamed source from the imported automotive industry.

"We have told the headquarters that concerns about electric car fires are increasing in South Korea, and we are also preparing measures at the level of local subsidiaries," the source added.

The EV fire incident has prompted transparency in South Korea's automotive industry, where manufacturers are trying to ease consumer fears by disclosing important information about the main components of electric vehicles.