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Mercedes And BMW Forced To Show Their EV Secrets In South Korea
Following the case of the fire of an electric car in South Korea, several car manufacturers were summoned by the authorities and forced to say more about their batteries.
On Monday, August 12, 2024, in South Korea, an electric car fire, the cause of which is still unknown, made the rounds of the media. Occurring in an underground car park, in addition to requiring eight hours to extinguish, it forced hundreds of residents to leave the building and poisoned a number of them. Enough to raise a real issue with the authorities who, in addition to imagining safety solutions for the future, summoned the car manufacturers on August 13.
The meeting resulted in two of them revealing information that usually tends not to be disclosed in the public domain. In this case, and as requested by the Seoul authorities, BMW and Mercedes revealed their battery suppliers for their electric vehicles.
Preventive measures
Just before them, Hyundai and Kia, two of the major domestic automakers, had themselves shown their credentials by also disclosing their battery manufacturers. At the new meeting with automakers, the South Korean government ordered all-electric vehicle manufacturers to voluntarily publish their battery suppliers. And it went even further, asking that free inspections be offered to owners.
However, it is not yet known which battery was in the Mercedes that burned down a few days ago, as the investigation is ongoing. However, some media have pointed the finger at Farasis, which is the 15th largest battery manufacturer. However, it is not known whether its batteries have a real problem or not. “There is a general feeling that the risk is higher with small battery makers than with large producers like CATL or Korean manufacturers,” said Yoon Joonwon, a fund manager in Seoul.
Manufacturers show their credentials
Of course, with the disclosure by battery manufacturers, these are preventive measures, which are in no way admissions of guilt regarding batteries that are defective. But it is also the best way to reassure consumers about the safety of electric vehicles. Given that the car that went up in smoke on August 8 was a Mercedes, the German manufacturer is particularly in the crosshairs. And has therefore committed to offering a free inspection for all its electric models, starting August 14. In addition, the German manufacturer said that it would pay 4 billion won to help residents affected by the fire. Finally, we will have to wait until next September for the government to propose safety measures regarding the safety of electric vehicles.
