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Interface News Reporter | Liu Zeran

Tuesday local time,The Government Policy Coordination Office under the South Korean Prime Minister's Secretariat held a meeting to discuss countermeasures to the growing concerns about electric vehicle fires.

The meeting of the Government Policy Coordination Office invitedIncluding Volkswagen Korea, Hyundai Kia Group and Mercedes-Benz Korea, etc.At the meeting, the government recommended that all automakers voluntarily disclose detailed information on the batteries installed in their electric vehicles.Previously this information was usually considered confidential. In addition, the government also proposed to provide electric car owners with free inspection services to enhance consumer confidence and security.

Government Policy Coordinating Minister Bang Kishun stressed at the meeting: "Considering that this measure is directly related to the safety of people in their daily lives, it should be implemented as soon as possible. Countermeasures will be formulated based on public expectations." He pointed out that a complete set of measures will be announced within September.

It is worth noting that the Seoul City Government issued a policy at the same time as the meeting, deciding to promote the policy of restricting the entry and exit of electric vehicles that have been charged more than 90% in underground parking lots of public housing such as apartments. The Seoul City Government hopes to maintain battery performance and prevent fires by restricting charging.

The meeting was held in response to a serious fire accident earlier this month, in which a Mercedes-Benz EQE electric car exploded in the underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Incheon, causing a fire that sent 23 people to the hospital. The accident not only damaged as many as 880 vehicles in the parking lot, but also caused power and water supply disruptions to nearly 500 households for up to a week.

According toAccording to data recently released by the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters, there were 12,000 underground parking lots in South Korea between 2013 and 2022.400Fires occurred in 2018, of which more than 43.7% were attributed to vehiclesFire; Among vehicle fires, more than 53% of the accidents are based on electrical sources, which is the main cause of the accidents.

Domestic data show thatAmong the more than 270 new energy vehicle fire cases disclosed last year,，More than 50% of the cases of fire occurred while charging or at rest.The proportion also cross-verified the conclusion of the Seoul Fire Department.

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's largest automaker, unveiled its 13 electric models and theirLuxury BrandsThe battery manufacturer used in three Genesis models.

also,The South Korean subsidiaries of two multinational automakers, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, have also disclosed the names of their electric vehicle battery suppliers.

South Korea's local auto companiesTransformationElectric vehicle modelshighAlthough the country has an open attitude and has launched large electric vehicle products in several major markets, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles in South Korea has remained at around 10% over the past year. By the end of 2023, the proportion of registered electric vehicles in South Korea was less than 5%. The small market share has also led to a certain degree of lag in relevant regulations and provisions.

Securities analysts said after the fire that a series of fire accidents in underground parking lots may lead to a decline in consumer trust in electric models and further aggravate the downturn in the electric vehicle market.

Compared with the international market, the Chinese marketThanks to the earlier layout and the current higher market share, relevant policiesIn the specification of electric vehicle power battery safetyMore details。

In 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology promulgated three mandatory national standards for electric vehicles, including thermal diffusivity tests on battery systems. These standards require that after a battery cell has thermal runaway, the battery system must not catch fire or explode within 5 minutes to ensure that occupants have sufficient time to escape.

In addition, the China Consumer Product Quality and Safety Promotion Association issued the group standard "Electric Vehicle Safety Assessment Method Part 1: Vehicle Thermal Diffusion Protection" on July 15, 2024. The standard focuses on battery thermal runaway and has formulated 11 specific indicators involving four key dimensions: safety tips, emergency rescue, fire protection and data linkage.At present, the standard setting of the Consumer Promotion Association is still in the first public stage. As time goes by,Safety assessment of electric vehicles is stillWill continue to update and further refine。

In terms of battery information disclosure, China does not have mandatory laws or regulations requiring the disclosure of power battery suppliers at the time of sale, and currently focuses on battery recycling and environmental protection requirements. However, in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's new energy vehicle formula list for new cars to be launched, the application model usually clearly marks the source of the power battery.