Parking Garage Fire Illustrates a Growing Problem

An intense car fire in an underground garage last week in South Korea speaks to a problem not just in that nation but worldwide for the burgeoning electric vehicle industry. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the fire began with a Mercedez-Benz EV, one that wasn't even charging at the time. It took firefighters eight hours to extinguish the blaze, by which time 23 people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and about 140 cars were damaged, per Reuters. Details:

• Salient point: Fires may be more common in standard vehicles, but EV fires are harder to put out because the lithium-ion batteries burn so hot. This issue dogs all EV makers, including Tesla and Chevrolet.

• In South Korea: The problem is especially pronounced in South Korea because the nation is so densely populated, with vehicles typically parked in indoor garages rather than outdoors, per the Journal. Next week, the government's environment ministry plans an emergency meeting to discuss the possibility of new safety rules.
• In the US: Axios reports that safety regulations in American cities are not keeping up with the growing number of EVs on the road, including in government fleets. "What's really caught everybody a little bit off guard in this, is that the codes and standards haven't been able to react quickly enough," says William Connell of the design and construction firm WSP. The risk affects not just underground garages but facilities such as bus depots and maintenance facilities.

(More electric vehicles stories.)