Multiple vehicles are badly damaged after a fire triggered by a Mercedes-Benz electric sedan set an underground parking lot ablaze at an apartment complex in Incheon, Aug. 1. Yonhap CATL’s battery credibility also in question By Lee Min-hyung Massive fire damage resulting from a Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan which ignited in an underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Incheon last Thursday has heightened public concerns over the seemingly ever-increasing dangers posed by electric vehicles (EVs).
The vehicle was not being recharged at the time that it suddenly caught fire, quickly spreading to dozens of other parked vehicles which were also destroyed as a result. More than 100 residents also had to be evacuated from the complex due to the fire. This heightened existing fears from members of the public that they could fall victim to similar unexpected EV fires.
In response, a growing number of apartment complexes nationwide are moving to ban EVs from their underground parking lots. According to data from the Science and Technology Policy Institute, the number of EV fires has been on the steep rise over the past few years, as more people purchase all-electric cars over internal combustion engine vehicles. While only two official EV fires were reported in 2018, the figure soared to 72 as of 2023.
The number of registered EVs here also skyrocketed during the same period from around 55,000 to 543,900. The latest accident has also ended up tainting the corporate image of the German carmaker, with the scale of damage being the largest reported in any EV fire to date. The local subsidiary of the German luxury carmaker said it takes the incident very seriously.
“We will fully cooperate with investigation authorities to pinpoint the exact cause of the accident,” an official from Mercedes-Benz Korea said. “We also express regret to the residents of the apartment complex.” But the official declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation.
Additionally, the exact cause of the incident remains unclear, but the vehicle's nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) battery — manufactured by CATL — is widely suspected to have triggered the fire. As NCM batteries are used by premium carmakers, the Chinese battery maker’s global reputation could suffer amid growing safety concerns. “The involvement in such huge fires, in itself, will hamper the overall brand images of Mercedes-Benz and CATL, as it is highly unusual for a parked EV to catch fire when it is not being charged,” an official from a carmaker said.
Investigators check the scene of a fire that started when a parked Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle ignited at an apartment complex in Incheon, Friday. Yonhap The latest EV fire occurred just months after Mercedes-Benz Korea held a media event in May to promote the safety of its EVs with two crash-tested EQA and EQS EVs. Displaying the impact-damaged vehicles, the carmaker underscored its proven EV safety, with one of the carmaker’s engineers saying that EVs are no more dangerous than typical vehicles with internal combustion engines.
However, the fire last Thursday has cast serious doubts on the firm's credibility in terms of the safety of its EVs. If the investigation reveals that the vehicle’s battery management system caused the fire, Mercedes-Benz may be held liable. However, the liability could also extend to CATL if faults are discovered in the battery pack itself.
.
