A series of EV fires increase social conflicts and distrust in Korea

Firefighters demonstrate the extinguishing of EV fires at the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters on August 14. Yonhap News

Recently, social conflicts have been growing as a "fear of electric vehicles (EVs)" spreads due to a series of electric vehicle fires. There have been frequent arguments between owners of EVs and those of gasoline and engine cars, and the number of parking lots that prevent EVs from entering has also increased. The situation seems to be getting worse as the crime of vandalism against EVs is rampant. Owners of EVs are strongly protesting, saying, "The government encouraged people to buy EVs for the environment, but now it gives us disadvantages.” Experts say, “We need to find a win-win solution that protects the rights and interests of EV owners while preparing for possible risks.”

Fears of EVs are growing, starting with the fire of a Mercedes-Benz electric car in an underground parking lot of an apartment building in Incheon on August 1. On the 16th, a Tesla electric car parked on the side of the road in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, caught fire and was extinguished after about four hours.

As concerns about EV fires spread, some apartments have banned EVs from entering their underground parking lots. Seoul is also considering a measure to allow only EVs with a charge rate of 90 percent or less to park in underground parking lots of apartment buildings. This reflects a study that found that most EV fires occurred when the charge rate was above 90 percent.

Some citizens have argued over the dangers of EVs with unconfirmed facts. What they said includes “As the percentage of EVs increases, there will be more accidents” and “EV fires are harder to put out and can be more damaging.” EV owners countered with such arguments, saying, “The 90 percent charge rate limit is just bureaucracy, as the full charge rate is set at no more than 95 percent” and “Statistically speaking, more people die in accidents by cars with internal combustion engines.”

The escalating conflict has even led to incidents of what could be considered “EV terrorism.” There have been numerous posts on online automotive communities reporting cases of broken side mirrors of EVs and intentionally scratched or spit on EVs.

EV owners are furious and protesting about the current situation. “The EV fire in Incheon was not only a problem with the electric car, but also with the sprinklers in the parking lot not working properly,” said Ms Park, who bought a Tesla electric car two years ago. "It is questionable whether it will be safe to get EVs out of parking lots." A person said on social networking services (SNS) on the 18th, "To prevent EVs from entering underground parking lots of apartments violates the residents' right to use their shared facilities." Mr. Lim, who has been driving an electric car for three years, said, "The authorities recommended people buy EVs to protect the environment, but it is unfair to blame EV owners, not automakers or an electric car itself."

As for the growing conflict, some say that while we should be thoroughly prepared for the dangers of EV batteries, we should consider alternatives that do not infringe on the rights and interests of EV owners.

“It is true that EVs are dangerous because it is difficult to control and evacuate from them in the event of their batteries becoming too hot,” said Lee Ho-geun, a professor of automotive engineering at Daedeok University. ”Since the government has encouraged the purchase of EVs by providing subsidies, it should come up with alternatives, such as placing EV charging facilities close to the entrance of underground parking lots to make it easier for firefighters to access them in an emergency, rather than penalizing EV owners."

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.