EV-Phobia Spreads Across Korea

Mercedes Fire Sparks Used EV Selling Spree as Prices Plummet

Not in my Backyard

The incident that spread fears about EVs happened in Incheon west of Seoul where a car parked for three weeks caught fire. The fire spread to three other vehicles, damaging them beyond repair.

EV-phobia is spreading across Korea as a result of the fire. People are worried about the safety of EVs and are hesitant to buy them. This is having a negative impact on the EV market in Korea. Prices of used EVs have plummeted as people are selling their EVs out of fear.

In 2023 there were 13 EV fires per 10000 vehicles compared to 19 for ICE vehicles. This shows that EVs are not more likely to catch fire than ICE vehicles. However, the fear of EV fires is spreading due to the high-profile nature of some EV fires.

The Indonesian government is discouraging nearly fully charged EVs from using public charging stations. This is because of concerns that the batteries could overheat and catch fire.