After a series of fires in Kona, Hyundai Motor’s electric car, it was recalled last October. But the Kona electric car that was being charged again caught fire. It has been confirmed that the vehicle has already been recalled.
This is Jung Ban-seok.
<기자>
Yesterday (23rd) around 4:10 pm, a fire broke out in a Kona vehicle that was being charged at the electric vehicle charging station in Dalseo-gu, Daegu.
A fire started in the battery section of the rear seat and went out in two hours, causing property damage of 15 million won.
This is the 15th time the Kona electric car caught fire, and the fire occurred in a similar situation where most of them were charging.
For this reason, Hyundai Motor Company has been recalling the battery management system for 77,000 Kona electric vehicles since October last year, but it has been confirmed that vehicles that ignited this time have already received the recall.
Vehicle owners are anxious.
[A 씨/코나 전기차 화재 피해자 : 불날 줄 알았으면 안 샀죠. 근본적인 원인을 찾아서 제대로 된 리콜을 해주면 좋겠고요. 가족 중에 코나 차량을 가지고 계신 어른 분이 있는데 걱정입니다.]
Some argue that fundamental measures such as battery replacement are needed.
[이호근/대덕대 자동차학과 교수 : 최대 충전율이 현재 97%인데 10% 정도만 낮춰도 화재 위험성은 상당히 줄일 수 있기 때문에, 선조치 이후에 주행거리 감소분은 일정 부분 보상을 해주고, 완전한 원인 규명 이후 조치를 취하는 게 맞다고 보입니다.]
Hyundai Motor Company announced that it is currently investigating the exact cause of the fire with relevant agencies, and that it will actively cooperate so that the results of the investigation can come out quickly.