An apartment complex in Seoul’s Gangnam District has recently been bombarded with requests from its residents to remove the electric vehicle (EV) charger in the underground parking lot. Residents cited risks of an EV potentially catching fire while parked, similar to the blaze that swept through the underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Incheon earlier this month, as the reason why the complex should get rid of the EV charger. The fire, caused by a Mercedes-Benz EQE electric sedan, damaged around 880 cars and disrupted the tap water supply to 1,580 households and electricity to 470 households.
“The heatwave is unusually long this year - what if an EV battery explodes and the entire parking lot catches fire?” said a 55-year-old resident surnamed Kim. “Until carmakers develop fire-proof EV batteries, electric cars should be parked separately from other cars.”
In Incheon, an apartment complex has recently banned EVs from entering the underground parking lot altogether. The office in charge of the apartment’s management requested that EV owners use the outdoor parking lot. “Residents have called for preventive measures after the EV fire incident earlier this month,” the office said. The apartment complex plans to relocate the existing EV chargers from the underground parking lot to the surface parking lot.
South Korea is facing a widespread public fear of EVs, otherwise known as “EV phobia.” The government, residential communities, carmakers, and EV owners are all grappling with the growing confusion and discontent over how to deal with EVs.
EV fire concerns spark controversy over parking and charging restrictions in Seoul
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced plans to restrict EVs from entering underground parking lots to quell mounting fears over EV safety. The city rolled out parking restrictions because, according to government data, most EV fires occurred while the cars were parked. The Korea Transportation Safety Authority revealed that out of 24 EV fires from January to August this year, over half (14 cases) happened while the vehicles were parked in parking lots.
Seoul also suggested charging limits of 90% or less in underground parking lots and 80% or less in public parking areas to lower the risk of battery cells exploding and catching fire. These measures are set to take effect by the end of September.
The city’s measures have sparked intense backlash from EV owners and experts. EV owners argue that the guidelines stigmatize EV owners while failing to resolve the safety issues associated with EV batteries. “Many residential complexes in Seoul only have underground parking lots, which means that I have no place to park my car,” said a Tesla Model Y owner who requested anonymity. EV owners have taken to online communities to express their anger and frustration, claiming that the government’s measures infringe on property rights.
“If EVs are so dangerous, why has the government encouraged people to buy them in the first place, and why is Seoul planning to ban new registration of fossil fuel vehicles by 2035? These policies are contradictory and unfairly place pressure on EV owners.”
“Overcharging is not the decisive cause of EV fires,” said Yoon Won-sub, a leading battery expert and professor at Sungkyunkwan University. “EV battery fires are more likely to happen because of internal failures in the battery cells or defects in the battery management system (BMS).”
Carmakers and battery manufacturers responds to rising EV fears with safety measures
Carmakers and battery manufacturers in Korea are bracing for an extended EV market downturn while struggling to emphasize safety measures. The EV sector has already been suffering from slowing global EV sales. Goldman Sachs has pointed to a lack of sufficient charging infrastructure and potential political risks that could affect EV-related policies as factors blunting EV sales.
Carmakers have opted for transparency and a “safety-first” approach to address the situation by revealing their battery suppliers. Seventeen carmakers, including Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, BMW Korea, Mercedes-Benz Korea, Volkswagen Group and Tesla Korea, have disclosed the names of the companies that supply their EV batteries after the government requested such information.
Companies have also vowed to upgrade safety measures, including applying advanced battery management systems and fire-proof materials to batteries. Kia said it would gradually implement the latest battery management system, which detects unusual or abnormal battery activity and alerts the EV owner across all its models. Battery maker LG Energy Solution plans to apply fire-resistant materials to its battery modules.
Some carmakers have refuted claims that overcharging is dangerous. BMW Korea and Hyundai have assured that their EV models are “safe even after fully charging the batteries to 100%.” BMW Korea stressed that the company’s proactive care system, installed in all BMW EVs, monitors the battery’s charge status, temperature, State of Charge (SoC), State of Health (SoH), and performance limits in real time. “If an anomaly is detected, the BMW Proactive Care team immediately contacts the owner to provide the necessary response measures,” said a BMW Korea representative.
But experts say it will take some time before EV phobia subsides and EV sales recover. A recent survey by SK Communications, the operator of the web portal Nate, revealed that 87% of 5,568 adults said they would prefer the government to implement regulations such as separate parking areas for EVs or banning them from underground parking lots. “Electric cars are potential bombs on wheels. We need stronger regulations,” said a respondent.
