- The world is watching as EV fires maintain making headlines in South Korea.
- Regardless of the panic, statistics present that EVs are 3 times much less more likely to catch fireplace than gasoline vehicles within the nation.
- Officers are piloting necessary State of Cost limits in underground parking garages and at DC Quick Chargers.
Over the previous month, at the least three high-profile EV fires in Korea—every involving a special automotive model—have sparked information tales worldwide.
South Korea has since change into the focus of home and worldwide EV skeptics apprehensive {that a} battery-electric of their neighborhood may very well be the following car on the entrance web page. Now, the individuals of Korea are spiraling into an EV-induced panic that resembles the previous cries of “fan loss of life.”
Earlier this month, a Mercedes-Benz EQE caught fireplace in an underground parking storage 20 miles outdoors Seoul. The outcome was catastrophic, damaging 140 vehicles and sending 23 individuals to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
5 days later, it occurred once more. This time, the perpetrator was a Kia EV6 that ignited whereas charging in a parking zone 100 miles away. Firefighters shortly introduced the hearth underneath management in about an hour and a half and suspected the trigger to be a battery defect within the Kia (although the precise trigger remains to be underneath investigation).
Now, Tesla can be underneath the microscope after a Mannequin X took 4 hours to extinguish after going up in flames late final week whereas parking on the aspect of the highway.
EV fires aren’t precisely frequent. Regardless of having 544,000 EVs on the highway in 2023, Korea has reported solely 157 EV fires between 2019 and 2023. As for its 12.31 million gas-powered vehicles? The nation’s nationwide fireplace company says it had 10,950 reviews of fires involving gas-powered autos throughout the identical four-year stint.
This implies, statistically, a gas-powered automobile is 3 times extra more likely to be concerned in a hearth than a battery-electric automobile. So why the panic?
Battery fires aren’t precisely straightforward to place out. It will possibly take hundreds of gallons of water and numerous hours to reliably extinguish an EV fireplace. Some EVs are even submerged in water for an prolonged interval to stop the battery fireplace from reigniting. This blazing battle has prompted undue panic among the many public and even some EV house owners.
Even U.S. firefighters are involved about EV fires turning into extra commonplace Stateside.
“I’ve by no means had a gasoline automobile fireplace I couldn’t put out with 250-500 gallons of water in underneath 5 minutes plus some monitoring and mop up,” wrote one firefighter on Reddit, noting that they generally want to shut a freeway for hours to observe emergency tips for placing out battery-electric automobile fires. “EVs current various further challenges, like they will look like out and rekindle hours to days later. That doesn’t occur with gasoline autos.”
“Something that may burn whereas absolutely submerged in water terrifies me,” mentioned one other.
Listings for used EVs are actually seemingly growing because of this. In accordance with native information, the Korean used auto market noticed an 184% leap following the primary two fires. Ten p.c of the newly listed EVs belong to the identical Mercedes-Benz EQ household of autos that caught fireplace within the parking storage.
The typical promoting press of used EVs can be dropping shortly. Encar, an area used automobile platform, reviews that used Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 fashions dropped as a lot as 1.97% in comparison with July and the Tesla Mannequin 3 and Y dropped as much as 3.36%—a “greater-than-average dip in costs for used imported autos.”
South Korean officers met final week to debate an emergency response to the current EV fires and quell ongoing public considerations. In consequence, it urged automakers to disclose the suppliers of its battery cells to assist instill confidence within the public.
Within the U.S., “Kia America has seen no related points however is monitoring intently in case related actions are wanted sooner or later,” a spokesperson mentioned. Likewise, a Hyundai Motor America official informed InsideEVs: “Buyer security is Hyundai Motor Group’s highest precedence. We’ll proceed to work intently with native governments and related authorities to make sure a dependable and protected EV possession expertise.”
In Korea, Mercedes revealed cells provided LG Power Resolution (LGES), CATL, SK, and Farasis Power. Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis use cells offered by LGES, SK, and CATL. Tesla says its autos use cells from LGES, Panasonic, and CATL. Whereas it is claimed that the Mercedes that caught fireplace was outfitted with cells possible provided by Farasis, it is unclear which cells had been used within the Kia and Tesla, which additionally burst into flames.
In a controversial transfer, officers have additionally deliberate to instill a compulsory most cost restrict in autos. Steering from the Seoul Metropolitan Authorities will restrict an EV’s State of Cost (SoC) to 90% to enter an underground parking storage. Likewise, EVs utilizing DC Quick Chargers will solely be permitted to cost to 80%.
Each native EV house owners and specialists aren’t satisfied these countermeasures will assist.
“Extreme charging isn’t the governing issue with a hearth,” mentioned Yoon Received-Sub, a professor at Sungkyunkwan College who teaches vitality science and heads a battery analysis heart collectively run by Samsung SDI. “EVs, from the beginning, are designed to by no means attain a full cost, even when the dashboard says they’re 100%. It’s an unproven argument that batteries carry the next fireplace danger when absolutely charged.”
In the meantime, automakers are scrambling to earn again the general public’s belief—one thing important as EV gross sales aren’t taking off like producers deliberate. Mercedes, Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis supply free inspections to their prospects to make sure their batteries are in protected working situations.
