South Korea to Establish BEV Certification Over Car Fire Concerns

South Korea looks set on establishing a certification program for battery-electric vehicle battery packs following a fire that destroyed 140 vehicles and part of a residential apartment block.

The government says it will enact measures to start the battery certification scheme in October, to help guarantee the safety of EV batteries, Han Zeea, a spokesperson for the ruling People Power Party, reports Reuters.

The government also agrees to require automakers operating in the country to identify manufacturers of batteries used in their BEVs.

Supporters of the plan say requiring car companies to identify batteries would give consumers more choice and while there is currently a lack of definitive data on which battery brands are more prone to fires, collating the data of battery fires to manufacturers could help identify the safest battery packs to use.

As part of beefed-up safety measures, the government will revise fire equipment rules to install wet pipe sprinkler systems in underground parking spaces with BEV charging stations and expand chargers that prevent overcharging, adds Han.

Fire authorities have found that lithium-ion battery fires are known to burn far more intensely than fires involving internal-combustion-engine vehicles, are much harder to extinguish and have a tendency to reignite.