The South Korean government has announced plans to expedite its electric vehicle (EV) battery certification program in response to growing safety concerns following a series of spontaneous fires.

Last month, a significant fire broke out in an Incheon apartment complex, originating from a parked Mercedes-Benz EQE equipped with batteries made by China’s Farasis Energy. The blaze took eight hours to extinguish and destroyed approximately 140 vehicles.

In a separate incident during the same month, a Kia EV6 with batteries supplied by South Korea’s SK On Company also caught fire in a parking lot.

To address these safety concerns, the government announced over the weekend that it would move up its BEV battery certification program to October, aiming to ensure that all battery electric vehicles meet the required safety standards.

Editor's Note: See the article for a comparison of BYD batteries with other batteries on the market.