Mercedes-Benz Reveals Battery Suppliers After EV Fire Sparks Nationwide Parking Garage Bans

Mercedes-Benz Korea has revealed the battery suppliers for its electric vehicles following a fire involving one of its models that caused extensive damage in a South Korean parking garage. The incident has sparked nationwide bans on EVs in underground parking areas.

Mercedes-Benz Korea Reveals EV Battery Suppliers After Fire in Parking Lot Sparks Nationwide Panic and Restrictions

On August 13, Mercedes-Benz Korea disclosed the identities of its electric vehicle battery suppliers in response to public outrage following the recent eruption of a fire in a parking lot by one of its vehicles.

The August 1 fire-induced a national panic, resulting in the imposition of a surge of ad hoc restrictions in car parks throughout South Korea. This was in response to the increasing demand for transparency in battery supply chains. The fire damaged hundreds of vehicles.

South Korea is a significant producer of electric vehicles and batteries, with local car manufacturers Hyundai and Kia contributing 9.3 percent of new cars purchased in the previous year, higher than the United States.

“Although the analysis is still in progress, the CCTV footage suggests that this fire exhibits all the signs of being caused by a battery,” a spokesman at the Incheon Fire Department told AFP.

According to experts, the thermal runaway effect, a chain reaction within battery cells, is one reason battery fires are more difficult to extinguish than conventional ones.

The Mercedes-Benz model EQE 350 that burst into flames was equipped with a battery from the Chinese manufacturer Farasis Energy, Mercedes Korea disclosed on its website on August 13.

The fire department reported that approximately 23 individuals were hospitalized for smoke inhalation as a result of the car catching fire, which resulted in a blaze that incinerated 40 vehicles in the parking lot, as depicted in local media.

The fire authorities are investigating the deactivation of the sprinkler system in the car park during the fire's initial minutes. Local media outlets have speculated that a maintenance worker may have mistakenly activated the system.

South Korea Urges EV Battery Disclosure, Orders Safety Inspections Amid Rising Fire Concerns in Underground Parking

According to Fortune, the Office for Policy Coordination of South Korea announced on August 13 that it would suggest that manufacturers voluntarily disclose the battery brand information for all-electric vehicles sold in the country.

“To alleviate the concerns of residents in multi-unit housing, it has been decided to conduct urgent inspections of fire safety facilities, such as sprinklers, in underground parking lots,” it added.

They also stated that the government intends to provide a "free inspection" of electric vehicles to alleviate fire-related concerns among their owners.

The incident has intensified apprehensions regarding the safety of electric vehicles, leading to the closure of charging stations and the prohibition of EVs from subterranean parking at specific apartment complexes.

South Korean companies LG Energy Solution and SK On, as well as China's CATL, are among the other battery suppliers Mercedes disclosed on August 13.

The fire has prompted public demand for EV manufacturers' mandatory disclosure of battery suppliers.