Gov’t to move up battery manufacturer disclosure to October

[Photo by Yonhap]

The South Korean government will mandate the disclosure of battery information by electric vehicle manufacturers and accelerate the implementation of a battery certification system. The move comes as concerns about EV battery fires continue to grow following an incident at an apartment complex in Cheongna, Incheon.

The decision was made at a high-level government-party consultation meeting held at the Prime Minister‘s residence in Seoul on Sunday, where officials from the government and ruling People Power Party discussed measures to swiftly address concerns about the safety of EV batteries.

The government plans to announce a comprehensive plan in September 2024 after further consultations among relevant ministries. However, one of the immediate measures to be announced under the plan includes making the disclosure of battery information mandatory for EVs. Manufacturers currently voluntarily disclose their battery information. But the government will require this information to be disclosed to ensure the public’s right to know about EV safety.

The government also plans to advance the implementation of a battery certification system, which was initially scheduled to take effect from February 2025 to October 2024. The system requires the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport to certify that EV batteries meet safety standards before they can be manufactured or sold, and the timeline has been moved up to proactively address safety concerns.

Furthermore, the government will work with the industry to conduct annual free safety inspections of EV batteries. It will also expand the number of fire-prevention chargers, which can control excessive charging, to 90,000 by 2025.

The government will also expand the distribution of battery Management systems (BMS). BMS remotely monitors the battery‘s condition and notifies consumers and manufacturers of any issues and also prevents overcharging, making it a key component in ensuring EV safety.

The government and ruling party also aim to develop next-generation batteries and enhance BMS technology to significantly reduce the risk of EV fires. It plans to improve relevant regulations to require all new buildings to install wet sprinklers capable of early fire detection and containment in underground parking lots to improve fire safety in underground spaces.

Specialized EV fire suppression equipment will also be deployed to fire stations across the country, with the government additionally planning to develop unmanned fire trucks and other technology to efficiently combat fires in underground spaces over the medium to long term.