SEOUL—The furor over a Mercedes-Benz electric car bursting into flames in South Korea this month wasn’t just about fire safety — it also sparked anger at a little-known Chinese battery maker, Farasis Energy.
Now South Korea has come up with a new proposal to ease public fears: It would encourage automakers to voluntarily disclose the brand of batteries in their EVs.
This information is not widely known around the world, despite the importance placed on battery life and driving range for EV users. At the same time, if a lithium-ion battery were to catch fire, it would burn at much higher temperatures than a traditional gasoline-powered vehicle, making it extremely difficult for firefighters to tackle.
It’s rare for U.S. electric vehicle makers to publicly disclose the brand of their cars’ batteries. The European Union last year approved mandatory “battery passports” for electric vehicles detailing their manufacturers and material sources, to take effect in 2027.
South Korea’s top government ministry policy office on Tuesday recommended automakers be more transparent about EV battery brands, as the group plans to release details of a comprehensive EV safety policy plan next month.
Recently, Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, BMW Korea, and Mercedes-Benz Korea voluntarily disclosed on their websites the manufacturers of the batteries used in their EVs.
Even without disclosure, motivated consumers can learn the battery brand by asking automakers directly, performing a vehicle teardown, or reading media reports. Owners can also find out what type of battery their EV has when they trade it in.
The Aug. 1 fire, which broke out in an underground parking garage – common in the densely populated country – burned about 40 nearby cars and scorched around 100 others, prompting some apartment complexes to consider banning electric vehicles from their underground garages.
Local authorities are considering whether to prohibit EV batteries from being charged at more than 80% capacity at public charging stations to reduce the risk of fire, as local media reports the country is suddenly gripped by an “EV phobia.”
The backlash from Korean EV owners themselves has mainly focused on the fact that Farasis batteries are fitted to the Mercedes-Benz EQE, whose price in South Korea starts at about $67,000.
Mercedes passed on local South Korean manufacturers as well as well-known Chinese companies such as CATL. Fire risks from Farasis batteries were cited as the reason China’s Beijing Automotive recalled around 32,000 EVs in 2021.
South Korean authorities have not yet determined the exact cause of the Mercedes fire. Mercedes-Benz’s local office said it would cooperate with the investigation. Farasis did not respond to a request for comment.
