Mercedes EQE fire forces OEMs in South Korea to reveal identity of EV battery suppliers (video)

Mercedes-Benz has been forced to disclose its electric vehicle (EV) battery suppliers' identity following an explosion in South Korea that triggered an official safety investigation.

The move comes after an unplugged electric Mercedes-Benz saloon caught fire in an undergound garage below an apartment complex in Incheon earlier this month, leading to the evacuation of 200 families.

Here’s the moment the battery pack caught fire captured on closed circuit video in the garage. 

The fire prompted South Korean officials to urge all EV manufacturers to voluntarily disclose their battery suppliers and offer free inspections to EV owners.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW in South Korea have now listed their battery suppliers on their websites following a similar move by Hyundai and Kia.

Mercedes-Benz also announced that it would offer free inspections for all its EV models and pledged to donate approximately 4.5 billion won (£2.9 million) to assist those residents affected by the explosion, even though the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

Farasis Energy has been identified by local media as the battery supplier in the incident. The manufacturer which is the 15th largest battery maker in the industry produces EV cells under an eight-year contract for Mercedes-Benz which is a strategic investor in the business. Both Mercedes Benz and Farasis have not confirmed the media reports.

“It’s difficult to determine at this stage whether Farasis batteries are the issue, but there is a general perception that the risk is higher with smaller battery makers compared to major producers like CATL or Korean manufacturers,” Yoon Joonwon, a fund manager of DS Asset Management told Bloomberg. “Until the matter is resolved, consumer confidence in EVs is expected to remain low.”

EV industry expert Tu Le from Sino Auto Insights, writing in his weekly blog, said some building management companies in South Korea have since banned EVs from parking and charging in their facilities.

“A larger conversation regarding the danger of EVs is building in Seoul and there will likely be some significant changes to how EVs are dealt with. This may also lead to these same conversations in the EU and US,” he said.

“As more EVs hit the roads around the world, unfortunately there will be more battery fires, it’s just a numbers game. But identifying quality spills and / or better ways to deal with fires when they do occur is something that’s way overdue."