SEOUL: In response to safety concerns following the extensive damage caused by a vehicle that caught fire in an underground parking lot, South Korea intends to require manufacturers of electric vehicles (EVs) to reveal the brand of batteries in their vehicles, according to a newspaper on Thursday.
The transport ministry planned to change the law so automakers would have to disclose battery manufacturers, according to a report by the Chosun Ilbo that quoted an unidentified ministry official.
As per the newspaper, automakers in South Korea are presently required to reveal specific details about their vehicles, like their size and fuel efficiency, but they can only reveal limited information about batteries, like their power capacity, without mentioning the manufacturers.
The media reported that a Mercedes-Benz electric sedan equipped with batteries manufactured by Farasis Energy, a Chinese company, caught fire last week in the underground garage of an apartment building in Incheon, South Korea.
According to Yonhap news agency, the fire took over eight hours to put out, damaged roughly 140 cars, and sent 23 people to the hospital after they inhaled smoke. In a statement, Mercedes-Benz Korea said that it was taking the incident very seriously and that it intended to work with the authorities to identify the cause.
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