South Korea Orders EV Makers to Reveal Battery Suppliers

South Korea's Ministry of Transport has mandated that electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers disclose their battery suppliers following a significant fire incident earlier this month. The blaze, which erupted on Aug. 1 in an underground parking garage in Incheon, South Korea, reportedly originated from a Mercedes-Benz EQE model. The fire destroyed or damaged 140 vehicles and prompted the evacuation of the residential building above.

In response, the South Korean government has requested that all car manufacturers voluntarily reveal their battery suppliers to help alleviate concerns among EV owners regarding fire risks associated with battery cells. Hyundai, Kia, and BMW have already complied with this request.

“Battery information has not been available to the public so far, and the measure is to reduce EV owners’ fire anxiety,” the Office of Government Policy Coordination stated, as reported by Reuters.

The Mercedes EQE involved in the incident was equipped with battery cells from Farasis Energy, a smaller Chinese manufacturer. Farasis, along with the larger market leader CATL, supplies batteries for the Mercedes EVA2 platform, which is used in the EQE. It remains unclear whether the Farasis batteries were responsible for the fire or if the issue originated with the battery pack manufactured by Mercedes. In response, Mercedes-Benz South Korea has offered free inspections for potential fire risks and pledged KRW 4.5 billion (approximately US$3.3 million) to assist affected residents.

Mercedes-Benz uses both CATL and Farasis as battery suppliers. Farasis cells are found in models like the EQE and EQS 350, while CATL supplies batteries for other EQS variants and the EQE 350 4MATIC SUV. BMW’s electric vehicles, such as the iX1 and iX3, are equipped with CATL cells, while models like the i4 and iX with larger batteries use Samsung SDI cells.

Volkswagen Group Korea has also disclosed its battery sources. All 14 Volkswagen Group models sold in South Korea use cells from LG Energy Solution (LGES) or Samsung SDI. Stellantis Korea's electric vehicles, including the e-208 and e-2008, use CATL cells, while the Jeep Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe utilize Samsung SDI batteries.

Amid increasing concerns over EV-related fires, South Korean authorities have urged local automakers to be transparent. This initiative follows growing public anxiety about EV fire safety, particularly after the Incheon incident. While media reports suggest a rising number of EV fires, data shows that the frequency of such incidents remains relatively low compared to traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. The National Fire Agency reported 72 EV-related fires in South Korea in 2022, a noticeable increase from 2021, though the rate per 10,000 vehicles remains lower than that of gasoline-powered cars.