Gov't to devise new measures to prevent electric vehicle fires
Firefighters attempt to extinguish a burning electric car at a parking lot in Geumsan, South Chungcheong Province, in this picture provided by Geumsan Fire Station, Aug. 6. Yonhap
The government plans to unveil a set of comprehensive measures to prevent electric vehicle fires next month, the environment ministry said Thursday, following recent blazes involving electric cars.
The ministry said it and other government agencies, including the land and industry ministries and the National Fire Agency (NFA), will hold an emergency meeting on Monday in response to recent electric vehicle fires.
Based on the meeting, the government will come up with comprehensive measures to prevent electric vehicle fires early next month, it noted.
On Aug. 8, an imported electric vehicle exploded in an underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Incheon, 33 kilometers west of Seoul, causing 23 injuries and burning or damaging about 140 cars. On Tuesday, a fire broke out in an electric car that was parked in Geumsan, 166 km south of Seoul.
In a measure announced in June last year, the government allowed electric vehicle chargers to be installed up to the third basement level in newly constructed buildings. Amid the growing electric vehicle scare, however, voices are growing that chargers should only be installed above ground.
The existing measures also include fire-resistant structures for underground parking lots with electric vehicle chargers and the installation of surveillance cameras.
Starting this year, the environment ministry provides an additional subsidy of 400,000 won ($290) for the installation of slow chargers equipped with power line communication (PLC) modems designed to prevent overcharging.
Many electric vehicle fires have occurred when the chargers are left plugged into the car even after it has been fully charged. Currently, all rapid chargers are equipped with PLC modems but slow chargers are not. The land ministry is reportedly considering requiring electric car manufacturers to provide information on the battery makers to the consumers.
According to the NFA, electric vehicle fires are increasing every year, with 24 cases in 2021, 43 cases in 2022 and 72 cases last year. Of the 139 electric vehicle fires over the past three years, 68 occurred while the cars were in operation, 36 during parking and 26 during charging. (Yonhap)