To: Tenchusatsu who wrote (1476086 ) 8/7/2024 4:04:02 PM From: Bill 2 RecommendationsRecommended By
Read Replies (3) | Respond to Huge Fire Sparked by a Mercedes-Benz EV Adds to Safety Concerns Dogging Industry Blaze in South Korea prompts debate over whether electric vehicles should be allowed in the country’s ubiquitous underground parking lots SEOUL—It took just seconds for an underground South Korean residential parking lot to be engulfed in flames. The culprit: a Mercedes-Benz EQE electric vehicle that hadn’t been charging. The blaze incinerated dozens of cars nearby, scorched another 100 vehicles and forced hundreds of residents to emergency shelters as the buildings above the parking lot lost power and electricity. Nobody died, but the fire took eight hours to extinguish. The blaze dominated national news in South Korea. Some organizations are pushing for EVs to be parked outdoors, residents are protesting and lawmakers are proposing new safety measures. The consternation in South Korea—home to Hyundai Motor , Kia and top battery makers – represents the latest test of faith for an EV industry dogged by safety concerns. Internal-combustion-engine cars are more likely to catch fire than EVs, according to South Korea’s national fire agency. But when EVs do burst into flames, the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries get hotter and the fire takes longer to stamp out. recalled tens of thousands of its Chevrolet Bolts in the U.S. over risk of battery fires. Hyundai pulled roughly 80,000 electric SUVs after roughly a dozen caught fire. Last September, a Nissan Leaf ignited while charging in Tennessee, and the fire required more than 45 times the water needed for a gas-powered car to be extinguished.wsj.com
