South Korea holds emergency meeting as EV fires stir consumer fear
Jack Kim and Heekyong Yang
Mon 12 August 2024
Vehicles that were completely burned down due to a Mercedes Benz electric car fire that broke out on August 1st, are lying in the underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Incheon
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean officials met on Monday to discuss electric vehicle safety and whether to require car firms to disclose battery brands amid growing consumer concern after an EV blaze in an underground garage extensively damaged an apartment block. The fire on Aug. 1, which appeared to start spontaneously in a Mercedes-Benz EV parked below a residential building, took eight hours to put out, destroying or damaging about 140 cars and forcing some residents to move to shelters. The country's vice environment minister is leading the meeting, which is also being attended by the transport and industry ministries and the national fire agency, an official said, with the government due to announce new rules soon. On Tuesday, transport ministry officials will hold talks with automakers, including Hyundai Motor Group, Mercedes-Benz Korea and Volkswagen Group Korea, to discuss the proposal to disclose battery brands used in EVs, media reports said.LINK
