Yeonsu-gu, Incheon announced on the 2nd that it has requested the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to amend related laws to prevent damage from electric vehicle fires.
The district first proposed amending the "Regulations on Standards for Housing Construction, etc." to arrange electric vehicle-only parking spaces installed in the underground floors of apartment complexes closest to the ground-level access roads. The purpose is to improve fire truck accessibility in case of underground parking lot fires, enabling rapid initial firefighting.
The district also requested an amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Building Act to mandate the installation of firewalls when electric vehicle-only parking spaces are installed in the underground floors of apartment complexes with a total floor area of 1,000㎡ or more.
If these legal amendments are made, the district expects to minimize damage caused by electric vehicle fires and prevent disputes over responsibility and costs among residents that may arise during repair and reinforcement processes.
On the 2nd, a fire broke out in a Mercedes-Benz electric car in the underground parking lot of an apartment in Cheongna, Seo-gu, Incheon, damaging about 40 nearby vehicles by fire and causing heat and soot damage to over 100 vehicles. 2024.8.2 [Image source=Yonhap News]
Meanwhile, the district secured approximately 300 million KRW in additional supplementary budget to support relocating electric vehicle charging facilities from underground to ground level in apartment complexes, and recently completed demand surveys for each apartment complex.
Support applications and reviews will be conducted by the 20th for 22 complexes in the old downtown area with 210 vehicles and 9 complexes with ground-level parking in the new downtown area with 91 vehicles, to select the final support targets. Additionally, a further demand survey for the establishment of next year’s main budget will begin within this month.
Lee Jae-ho, Mayor of Yeonsu-gu, stated, "We will do our best to raise awareness of electric vehicle fires and create a safe urban environment through proactive measures," adding, "We will continue to support apartment complexes where relocation of electric vehicle charging facilities in apartment complexes is possible."
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