Seoul, March 22: South Korea’s Ministry of Transport announced on Sunday that customers will soon be able to check crucial information related to electric vehicle (EV) batteries, such as the manufacturer and country of origin, when purchasing an EV.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport stated that these amendments will be included in proposed changes to two related laws, including the enforcement rules of the Motor Vehicle Management Act, as reported by the Yonhap News Agency.
Under the proposed amendment, the number of battery-related information available to customers will increase from six to ten. The new information to be disclosed will include the battery’s manufacturer, country of origin, product name, and manufacturing date.
Currently, customers can only view information related to the battery’s function, such as its capacity and rated voltage.
The ministry also plans to impose fines of up to 100 million won (approximately $6,600) on vehicle manufacturers and sellers who fail to disclose the required battery information.
Additionally, a new standard has been established, stating that if the same defect occurs two to four times within a two-year period, the safety certification may be revoked, depending on the severity of the defect.
If a battery has a design or manufacturing defect that does not meet safety standards and causes fire or other damage twice, its certification will be revoked. Reports indicate that if a defect meets technical standards but still poses a safety risk, leading to fire or damage, certification will be revoked after three such incidents.
Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stated that the government will conduct a thorough investigation into the causes of a devastating fire at an auto parts factory in the central city of Daejeon and will prepare fundamental measures to prevent such tragedies.
Lee made this assurance shortly after visiting the site, where he inspected relief efforts and met with the families of the deceased and victims. The fire, which broke out on Friday afternoon, resulted in the deaths of 14 people and injured 60 others, including two firefighters.
The ministry hopes that the new regulations will strengthen customers’ right to know and encourage EV purchases by increasing trust in batteries.