Providing better EV battery info for customers sounds like a great idea, for demystifying confusion around electric transport. The Korea JoongAng Daily news channel tipped us off that the South Korean Transport Ministry is planning to do exactly that.
We welcome this thought in the interests of greater transparency in the battery industry. Especially because a vacuum created by a failure to communicate, may soon fill with rumor, misrepresentations, fake news, and more.
Better EV Battery Info Eases Fire Concerns
The South Korean Transport Ministry has chosen to focus on the number- one concern of many EV skeptics. Electric vehicle customers there should soon be able to check key information including battery manufacturer, and country of origin. However, the government will first have to update its legislation.
South Koreans can currently only access information about an electric vehicle battery’s performance, such as its capacity and rated voltage. But soon this better EV battery info for customers will include data about the battery’s brand and origin too.
What This Change Means for EV Customers
The total number of publicly-available pieces of EV battery information will increase from 6 to 10, according to Korea JoongAng Daily. The Ministry also intends increasing the fine for failing to divulge this information to $6,600 maximum per occasion.
The $6,600 maximum fine may seem minimal on the dollar exchange rate. However, a new standard allows the South Korea Ministry to revoke safety certification too, if the same defect occurs two to four times within a two-year period.
This sounds like good news for a nation that reported 334 EV battery fires in the previous 12 months. Especially since this was 64 more than the previous period. We welcome this trend at UPS Battery Center, as responsible gel deep cycle lead-acid battery manufacturers.
More Information
South Korea Battery Certification Mandate
Korea Battery Factory Fire Update
