SEOUL — The head of Mercedes-Benz in South Korea on Wednesday will meet with residents of an apartment complex damaged by a fire that started in one of the electric vehicles (EVs) and burned for more than eight hours, raising concerns about public safety.
Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Mathias Vaitl will hold a private meeting with residents of the apartment in the city of Incheon, west of Seoul, the company said, without providing further details.
The August 1 fire appeared to have started spontaneously in an electric Mercedes-Benz powered by Farasis Energy batteries parked in the apartment building’s underground garage, damaging or destroying 140 cars. The fire also forced some apartment residents to move to shelters due to damage to the building.
Media images of wrecked cars, with only their metal frames left amid the flames in the parking lot, have fueled consumer fears about electric cars. This fear is likely exacerbated by the fact that many people in South Korea live in apartments, often with their own parking space underneath.
The incident prompted government officials to hold a series of meetings this week to discuss measures to prevent such fires.
Mercedes-Benz Korea previously said it was working with authorities to determine the cause of the fire and that it planned to offer free inspections for electric vehicle owners.