The Korean government announced the measure on Tuesday in response to growing demand for transparency regarding EV batteries, following the August 1 fire in Incheon involving a Mercedes-Benz EV.
The car was found to have a battery from Chinese manufacturer Farasis Energy, rather than the previously assumed world’s top battery maker, CATL.
As consumer focus shifts from EV brands to battery quality, Korean battery makers SK On, LG Energy Solution and Samsung SDI are anticipated to benefit due to their proven technology and safety records, industry experts suggest.
"The incident is sparking concerns about EV safety, which may help enhance the presence of Korean battery companies in the market, where they are struggling with stiff competition from cheaper Chinese products,” an industry executive said.
Hyundai Motor, Korea's No. 1 carmaker, became the first company in the nation to disclose its battery suppliers on Friday. Its EV models predominantly feature Korean-made batteries, and this swift disclosure is seen as a sign of confidence in domestic products.
Other carmakers, including Kia Corp., BMW Korea and Mercedes-Benz Korea, followed suit.
Most recently, Volkswagen Group Korea, Stellantis Korea, Renault Korea Co. and Rolls-Royce published battery information on Wednesday.
Volkswagen Group Korea, which represents German brands Volkswagen and Audi, noted that all of their imported electric vehicles are equipped with Korean-made batteries.
Stellantis Korea also unveiled information on six models across its Jeep, Peugeot, and DS Automobiles brands. While some models use batteries from Chinese manufacturer CATL, Jeep's plug-in hybrid models feature Samsung SDI batteries.
Renault Korea said that their SM3 Z.E., TWIZY, ZOE models all use batteries from LG Energy Solution. Rolls-Royce said it uses Samsung SDI batteries in its Spectre electric vehicle.
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