Electric car fire prompts emergency meeting in South Korea amid fears it could impact EV sales
Electric car fires are less common than petrol and diesel vehicles
PA
South Korean authorities have launched an investigation into the risks posed by electric cars after a spate of vehicle fires.
The Government is calling on automotive brands operating in the country to disclose the manufacturer of the batteries used in electric vehicles.
It follows a devastating blaze in an underground car park which took firefighters eight hours to put out and destroyed or damaged around 140 cars in the city of Incheon.
Authorities said the fire was made worse because the sprinkler system inside the car park did not work properly, prompting the Government to address these issues.
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The fire destroyed or damaged more than 140 other vehicles
REUTERS
South Korea's environment ministry said it would hold an emergency meeting to discuss fires involving electric vehicles to draw up measures to prevent future incidents.
It is believed that the meeting would also involve the land and industry ministries, as well as other state entities, like the National Fire Agency.
Jegal Yeong-soon, a professor at Kyungil University's School of Fire Safety, said: "South Korea's somewhat unique environment, such as a large number of cars parked in a closed space at the same time, could make it more difficult to put out a fire."
Some major brands are now identifying the manufacturers of their batteries, although experts have said more still needs to be done.
Speaking to Reuters, Moon Hak-hoon, an automotive engineering professor at Osan University, called for the creation of a certification scheme to guarantee the safety of EV batteries.
Similarly, Esther Yim, an analyst at Samsung Securities, said the automotive industry needed to act to ensure customer confidence in electric vehicles remains strong as the number of petrol and diesel cars falls.
She added: "A series of EV fires occurring in underground parking lots have been linked to growing consumer distrust of EVs, which could prolong the current EV downturn."
Data from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency shows that electric vehicles are 20 times less likely to result in fires.
The research reported that there have been just 23 EV fire incidents, representing just 0.004 per cent of Sweden’s total fleet of 611,000 electric cars.
In comparison, there have been 34,000 fires from the 4.4 million petrol and diesel cars – or 0.08 per cent.
In South Korea, the National Fire Agency reported that there were 72 electric vehicle fires in 2023, a 200 per cent increase compared to 2021
The Science and Technology Policy Institute found there were 1.3 fires per 10,000 EVs, compared to 1.9 for vehicles with internal combustion engines.
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Experts have called for urgent action to be taken to address the issues
REUTERS
The United States National Transportation Safety Board recorded 25 EV fires per 100,000 sales, while there were 1,530 for ICE vehicles and 3,745 for hybrids.