SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — In response to growing safety concerns stemming from recent electric vehicle (EV) fires, the South Korean government and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) have decided to require automakers to disclose the brand of batteries used in their EVs.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the new policy will also include a mandate for automakers to obtain government certification on battery safety before their EV models can be sold. This decision follows a series of incidents, including a notable fire on August 1 that destroyed a parking garage and over 100 cars in Incheon, following a blaze that started in a parked Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle.

The initiative aims to enhance transparency and safety in the rapidly growing EV market by ensuring consumers are better informed about the components of their vehicles. In the wake of the fires, automakers had already begun to voluntarily share information about the battery brands used in their vehicles, a practice that will now become a regulatory requirement.