Carmakers move to disclose battery brand info amid EV fire scare
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- Carmakers in South Korea are moving toward disclosing the brand information of batteries used in their electric vehicles in response to consumer doubts over the safety of EV batteries.
Public concerns over EV safety have mounted in the country after a spontaneous fire that began in a parked Mercedes-Benz EV on Aug. 1 destroyed a parking garage inside an apartment complex in Incheon, 27 kilometers west of Seoul, while either completely destroying or damaging over 100 cars.
Over the weekend, domestic industry leader Hyundai Motor Co. revealed a list of the manufacturers of the batteries used in 13 of its EV models on the company's website.
With the exception of the Kona Electric, which uses battery cells from China's CATL, all Hyundai EVs were found to be equipped with battery products from South Korea's LG Energy Solution Ltd. or SK On Co.
Hyundai Motor explained that it has disclosed the battery supplier when introducing new EV models and that it has consistently provided related information upon customer inquiries.
Kia Corp. also disclosed battery information for its EVs on its website Monday, following its sister Hyundai Motor's revelation.
According to the announcement, most of Kia's seven EV models, including EV3, EV6 and EV9, are run with products from South Korea's LG Energy Solution and SK On. But latest models of the A-segment Ray EV and some models of the compact crossover Niro EV are equipped with batteries from China's CATL.
KG Mobility Corp. and imported car companies are also reportedly mulling over releasing similar information to the public.
BMW Korea Co., the local unit of the German automaker, also joined the move, becoming the first imported car brand to open the names of manufacturers of its EV models to the public.
It said its iX1 and iX3 SUVs are powered by China's CATL-made batteries, while the iX xDrive50 and iX M60 SUVs use those of South Korea's Samsung SDI Co.
BMW's i4, i5 and i7 series EV sedans are also equipped with Samsung SDI products.
The companies are set to express their positions on the disclosure of battery information during an EV safety inspection meeting arranged by the transport ministry Tuesday.
Some industry watchers, however, speculate that import car companies may not be able to respond as swiftly as Hyundai Motor and Kia due to the necessity of coordinating with their headquarters.
"Headquarters typically do not disclose parts suppliers, so we cannot make that decision on our own," one insider in the imported auto industry said.
"We have communicated to headquarters that concerns over electric vehicle fires are growing in South Korea, and we are also working on measures at the local subsidiary level."
odissy@yna.co.kr
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