Kia disclosed the battery manufacturers of seven electric vehicle models on its website on the 12th. The information includes not only currently sold models but also discontinued models from the past. Following the electric vehicle fire incident involving Mercedes-Benz in Incheon, consumer inquiries about battery manufacturers surged, prompting Kia to decide to reveal the battery manufacturers.
Earlier, Hyundai Motor Company disclosed the battery manufacturers of its electric vehicles on the 9th, and imported car companies are also proactively considering disclosing such information.
Among the seven models Kia revealed that day, vehicles equipped with batteries made by Chinese brands were the facelifted Ray EV (produced after August 2023) and the 2nd generation Niro EV. These two models are equipped with batteries made by the Chinese battery manufacturer CATL.
All other models are equipped with batteries made by domestic brands such as LG Energy Solution and SK On. The 3rd generation Soul EV, 1st generation Niro EV, and Bongo electric vehicle use a mix of LG Energy Solution and SK On batteries.
The older Ray EV, 2nd generation Soul, Niro Plus, EV6, EV6 GT, and EV9 are equipped with SK On batteries, while the EV3 uses batteries made by LG Energy Solution.
Among the 13 electric vehicle models disclosed the previous day by Hyundai and Genesis, only one model was found to be equipped with batteries from a Chinese brand. The 2nd generation Kona is equipped with batteries made by China's CATL.
As domestic car brands actively disclose battery manufacturers, other car brands, including imported cars, are also proactively considering disclosing such information.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will meet with domestic electric vehicle operators on the 13th to discuss measures against fire accidents. The meeting is expected to cover topics such as the disclosure of battery manufacturer information, the ongoing battery certification system, the advancement of battery management systems, the effectiveness of overcharge prevention measures currently being discussed at the local government level, and fire spread prevention measures.
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