South Korea Speeds Up EV Battery Certification Program Following Fire In Apartment Building Garage

South Korea will speed up a plan to certify electric vehicle batteries following an EV fire that injured 23 people, took eight hours to extinguish, and damaged or destroyed 140 cars in an apartment building garage.

The certification program will start ahead of schedule in October to help ensure the safety of EV batteries, a spokesperson for the ruling People Power Party told reporters on Sunday, Reuters reported.

The government will also require automakers operating in the country to identify the source of the batteries used in their EVs and mandate sprinkler systems in underground garages which have charging stations, said party spokesperson Han Zeea.

The moves were prompted by a series of EV fires, including an Aug. 1 blaze that appeared to start spontaneously in a Mercedes-Benz EV parked underneath an apartment building in the port city of Incheon, about 25 miles west of Seoul.

The car was equipped with as battery made by Farasis Energy, a little-known Chinese company, Reuters said.

Mercedes-Benz Korea initially offered $3.4 million in compensation but faced criticism over the amount, German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported last week.

That led CEO Mathias Vaitl to meet with about 150 building residents and pledge to "help people here affected by the incident," DW said.

South Korea had 72 EV fires in 2024, up from 21 in 2021, DW said, citing statistics from the county's National Fire Agency.

The situation has sparked panic among South Koreans, with the number of new EV registrations falling 13.4% during the first seven months of 2024 compared to the same period last year, even though some carmakers have been slashing EV prices.