Over 6,000 Electric Motorcycles Recalled in Seoul Due to Battery Fire Risks

Seoul's Fire and Disaster Headquarters has highlighted the serious fire hazards posed by electric motorcycle batteries, leading to a recall of over 6,000 vehicles. Between 2021 and 2024, Seoul recorded 31 fires involving electric motorcycles, resulting in two deaths, 23 injuries, and approximately 226 million South Korean won (about $160,000 USD) in property damage. The number of fires saw a significant increase in 2024, with 12 incidents compared to previous years.

To assess the risks, the headquarters conducted a fire simulation in October of the previous year, replicating an indoor charging environment. The experiment, set up with flammable materials similar to a home setting, demonstrated how quickly a fire could escalate. Within approximately nine minutes of power supply, smoke emerged, followed by sparks and explosions. The room's temperature exceeded 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit) at the base of the flames, indicating a rapid and dangerous spread.

The simulation revealed that fires originating from these batteries could quickly produce smoke and sparks, leading to explosions and the rapid diffusion of high-temperature smoke. This poses a significant risk of mass casualties if such fires occur indoors. The findings on ignition processes, casualty risks, and real-world fire cases were shared with the Korea Automobile Testing and Research Institute.

Based on this information, the institute investigated potential defects in battery performance and safety management standards. They also reviewed battery configurations and logic from the manufacturers. This led to the decision to recall 3,606 units from manufacturer A and 2,538 units from manufacturer B, totaling 6,144 vehicles. Manufacturer A's recall began on July 26, while manufacturer B's will commence on August 1. Manufacturer A's issue was identified as insufficient standards for managing voltage differences between battery cells, while manufacturer B's recall is due to potential insufficient safety margins in the battery management system's protection parameters.

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Electric motorcycle battery fires can cause large-scale casualties in a short period due to explosive combustion and the spread of toxic gases, so please strictly adhere to safety rules at all times.