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Source: Global Times

[Global Times Comprehensive Report] According to Yonhap News Agency on the 26th, the South Korean government and the ruling People's Power Party held a high-level meeting on the 25th and decided to take a series of new measures on the safety of electric vehicles. On August 1, a Mercedes-Benz electric car fire occurred in the underground parking lot of an apartment in Incheon. The accident not only caused a large amount of property losses, but also aroused widespread public concern about the safety of electric vehicles.

South Korea's MBC TV reported that the government decided on the 25th to implement the mandatory disclosure system for electric vehicle battery information, and brought forward the power battery certification system originally scheduled to take effect in February next year to October this year. Although many manufacturers have voluntarily disclosed battery information, the new measures will change this practice from voluntary to mandatory.

Reuters reported that as part of the enhanced safety measures, the South Korean government will revise the regulations on firefighting equipment, requiring the installation of wet automatic sprinkler systems in underground parking lots equipped with electric vehicle charging piles, and expand the coverage of charging facilities to prevent overcharging. According to the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, the government intends to equip all fire departments across the country with special firefighting equipment for electric vehicles, and negotiate with the automotive industry to provide consumers with free power battery safety testing services every year. In order to ease public concerns about electric vehicles causing fires, local governments in South Korea are also taking active actions. According to the "jejusori" website, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Government plans to conduct a comprehensive inspection of local electric vehicle charging facilities by September 13, and has begun to move some indoor charging equipment outdoors. The Chosun Ilbo reported that the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it would restrict electric vehicles from entering underground parking lots and recommended that only electric vehicles with a battery remaining of no more than 80% be allowed to enter public parking lots.

However, the government's series of measures have caused dissatisfaction among some electric car owners, who believe that these restrictions not only fail to solve the fundamental problem, but also bring inconvenience to car owners. One electric car owner said, "Many residential areas in Seoul only have underground parking lots, and I have no place to park." Many car owners left messages online, claiming that the government's measures violated their property rights. Some netizens also said, "If electric cars are so dangerous, why did the government encourage people to buy them in the first place? The contradictory policies are unfair to electric car owners."

South Korean battery expert Yoon Won-seop said, "Overcharging is not the decisive cause of electric vehicle fires." Electric vehicle battery fires may be caused by internal battery failures or defects in the battery management system (BMS). Faced with market panic and declining electric vehicle sales, there are reports that South Korean automakers and battery manufacturers are strengthening safety measures and increasing information transparency. Despite this, experts say it will take time for the electric vehicle panic to dissipate and the market to recover. A recent survey showed that 87% of respondents hope that the government will take stricter regulatory measures on electric vehicles. (Ren Yiran)