Hyperdrive
How a Mercedes Blaze Is Helping to Reshape Korea’s EV Policy
- State certification system putting cells through their paces
- Idea is to certify EV batteries’ safety before installation
This article is for subscribers only.
A dramatic fire that left many South Koreans in a panic about the reliability of electric vehicles has prompted the country to take unprecedented measures to assuage public fears over battery safety.
Four months ago, an unplugged Mercedes-Benz electric sedan caught fire and exploded, destroying an underground parking lot in Incheon, west of Seoul. The blaze left over 200 families homeless for weeks and took firefighters more than eight hours to extinguish.