South Korean drivers scramble to get rid of electric vehicles, citing safety concerns following fires

SEOUL: South Korean taxi driver Park Jeong-soon bought his electric vehicle (EV) about four months ago as he wanted to spend less on fuel.

The switch has had the intended effect – he now pays around 400,000 won (US$299) per month – about a third of what he used to fork out for his previous car powered by diesel.

While he is happy with the savings, recent incidents of EV fires are putting him on edge.

“In my apartment, I charge my car fully in the underground parking lot, and that makes me nervous,” he told CNA.

On Aug 1, a Mercedes-Benz electric sedan with batteries made by Chinese company Farasis Energy caught fire in the underground garage of an apartment in the South Korean city of Incheon.

The blaze took over eight hours to extinguish and reportedly damaged more than 100 cars. More than 20 people also suffered smoke inhalation and had to be hospitalised. 

Preliminary investigations show that the fire was made worse because the sprinklers in the parking lot did not work properly. 

Just days later, a Kia EV6 burned out in a parking tower in South Chungcheong province, taking more than an hour to put out.

In a report published in February, the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters said 1,399 fires occurred in underground parking lots in South Korea between 2013 and 2022 with 43.7 per cent attributed to vehicles. 

It said electrical sources accounted for more than half of car fires in underground garages.