S. Korea proposes revision disclosing EV battery manufacturer, country of origin

Seoul, March 22 (IANS) Customers will soon be able to check key information of batteries when purchasing an electric vehicle (EV), such as the manufacturer and country of origin, the transport ministry said on Sunday.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said such revisions will be included in proposed amendments to two related laws, including the enforcement rules of the Motor Vehicle Management Act, reports Yonhap news agency.

Under the proposed revision, the number of EV battery-related pieces of information available to customers will be expanded from six to 10 items.

The information set to be newly opened to the public includes the battery's manufacturer, country of origin, product name, and manufacturing date, the ministry said.

Currently, customers can access only information about the battery's function, such as its capacity and rated voltage.

The ministry also plans to raise fines for carmakers and sellers that fail to disclose required battery information to a maximum of 10 million won (US$6,600).

The ministry established a new standard to revoke safety certifications if the same defect occurs two to four times within a two-year period, with the severity of the measures depending on the nature of the flaw.

It said certification will be revoked if a battery has a design or manufacturing defect that fails to meet safety standards and leads to fire or other damage on two occasions.

For defects that meet technical standards but still pose a safety hazard resulting in fire or damage, the certification will be revoked after three such occurrences, said the report.

Meanwhile, President Lee Jae Myung said the government will thoroughly investigate the cause of a large-scale fire at a car parts plant in the central city of Daejeon and prepare fundamental measures to prevent similar tragedies.

Lee made the pledge hours after visiting the site to inspect relief efforts and meet with bereaved families and victims. The fire, which broke out Friday afternoon, left 14 people dead and 60 others injured, including two firefighters, according to fire authorities.

The ministry expected the new rules to improve customers' right to know and help encourage EV purchases by strengthening confidence in batteries.

—IANS

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