Seoul, South Korea to Formulate New Regulations to Avoid Electric Vehicle Fire Risks

TapTechNews August 25th news, the authorities in Seoul, South Korea are preparing to formulate new regulations to avoid the risk of electric vehicle fires, prohibiting electric vehicles with a battery charge of more than 90% from entering underground parking lots.

TapTechNews previously reported that earlier this month, a Mercedes-Benz EQE electric vehicle parked in an underground parking lot of an apartment in Seoul caught fire, triggering a big fire. According to local media estimates, this fire caused damage to 880 nearby vehicles, and the power and water supply of 1600 households were interrupted for a week. To avoid similar incidents in the future, the Seoul city government is taking measures.

In addition to restricting electric vehicles with a battery charge of more than 90% from entering underground parking lots, the new regulations will also implement charging restrictions on the fast-charging facilities in Seoul, with a charging cap of 80%. In addition, it is also planned to implement a charging cap on privately operated charging facilities. According to KoreaJoongAngDaily, these regulations may take effect at the end of September.

Many electric vehicle experts in South Korea oppose these regulations. Professor Yun Won-seop, the head of the battery research center at Sungkyunkwan University and Samsung SDI, said that there is no evidence that fully charged batteries are more prone to fires. He said: Overcharging is not the main factor for fires. The claim that fully charged batteries have a higher fire risk is unfounded. It is crucial to formulate appropriate response strategies after comprehensive and in-depth discussions among experts.

In the 139 electric vehicle fires reported in South Korea in the past three years, only 26 occurred during vehicle charging. In contrast, 68 fires occurred while the vehicle was driving, and another 36 fires occurred when the electric vehicle was parked. The EQE in the above incident was in a parked state and was not charging.

Electric vehicle owners are also not happy. By restricting charging, the government will effectively reduce the driving range of all electric vehicles. A Tesla owner wrote on South Korean social media: If a gasoline car catches fire, will the government limit refueling to 90%? I don't understand how the government came up with numbers like 80% and 90%; based on what proven data? If it's really that dangerous, why did the government encourage people to buy electric vehicles in the first place?