High-Level Meeting of the Party, Government, and Assembly Held on the 25th
Mandatory Disclosure of Electric Vehicle Battery Information
Mandatory Installation of Sprinklers in Parking Lots of New Buildings
Amid growing safety concerns over electric vehicle battery fires, the government, the Presidential Office, and the People Power Party have announced measures including mandatory disclosure of electric vehicle battery information and compulsory installation of sprinklers in underground parking lots.
On the 25th, the government, the Presidential Office, and the People Power Party held a high-level meeting at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and announced through Han Ji-a, the chief spokesperson of the People Power Party, that the voluntary disclosure of electric vehicle battery information currently practiced by automakers will be made mandatory. They also plan to enforce the mandatory installation of wet sprinklers in all newly constructed building parking lots and to advance the implementation of the battery certification system, originally scheduled for February next year.
This move comes in response to growing safety concerns over electric vehicles following a fire incident involving a Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle at an apartment in Cheongna, Incheon, on the 1st of this month.
The government, the Presidential Office, and the People Power Party stated that fire suppression equipment for electric vehicle fires will be pre-deployed to all fire stations nationwide, and free annual safety inspections of electric vehicle batteries will be conducted in consultation with the industry. They also plan to expand and distribute up to 90,000 smart chargers, which control excessive charging, by next year.
As a mid- to long-term task, the government, the Presidential Office, and the People Power Party will promote the development of next-generation batteries that can reduce the risk of fire, the advancement of battery management systems (BMS), and the development of unmanned fire trucks capable of safely and efficiently extinguishing fires in underground spaces. They will also expand the distribution of battery management systems that remotely diagnose battery status and notify consumers and manufacturers if any issues arise.
A spokesperson said, "We will announce a comprehensive plan as soon as possible after gathering opinions from various stakeholders including the industry and experts, and after further consultations among related ministries."
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