[집중취재M] “Pop!” when charging If an electric vehicle’s thermal runaway occurs underground…

◀ anchor ▶

With the recent rise in electric vehicles, it has become possible to easily charge them in apartment parking lots, department stores, and supermarkets.

However, if a fire occurs while charging in such a place, there is growing concern that it could lead to a major disaster.

Reporter Yoo Choong-hwan covered the story.

◀ Report ▶

Last November, an apartment building in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province.

Smoke rises from under the electric vehicle being charged.

As soon as the car owner rushes to open the car door, smoke pours out of the car.

Smoke quickly covered the apartment building’s underground parking lot, and after a while, a flame suddenly erupted.

The battery thermal run has started.

The apartment workers try to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, but then the fire gets even stronger.

[아파트 직원]

“I did it with a fire extinguisher. It’s not going out.”

Firefighters come to spray water, but the smoke is getting worse.

[아파트 직원]

“I took the car at all. I called Lekka’s car. I heard that it (evolved) on the playground.”

Eventually, the burning vehicle was dragged out of the flat and the fire was extinguished in about an hour.

The fire department assumes the fire occurred during rapid charging.

Electric vehicle thermal runaway occurs when an external shock or overcharging occurs.

The temperature rises over 1,000 degrees in an instant, making it difficult to stop.

Electric vehicles have increased tenfold in the last five years.

As a result of a full investigation into the types of electric vehicle fires across the country by a member of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee of the National Assembly Kim Jeong-jae, it was found that the number of fires during charging increases more than 20 times.

The problem is that there are many charging points for electric vehicles in the basement of crowded buildings such as apartments and large supermarkets.

There are many places where sprinklers are not installed, and it is difficult for fire engines to enter.

Moreover, if it is moved to nearby vehicles or loaded objects, or if it is on the 2nd or 3rd basement floor, it can lead to a major disaster like the Daejeon fire last month.

In particular, since the battery of the electric vehicle is attached to the bottom of the vehicle, it is difficult to reach the fire extinguisher powder or water.

[박치환 / 소방청 장비총괄과]

“So far, there is no global announcement that this is the right answer, and there is no such device yet.”

In the end, a fire prevention method that cools the battery by immersing the vehicle itself in water is used.

Firefighters surround the vehicle and hit a fence.

Quickly install special containment equipment in the form of a makeshift bathtub and pour water into it.

In the event of a real fire, the water must be submerged up to the thermal runaway battery at the base of the vehicle, but it is possible to extinguish the fire completely by cooling it.

[서동호 / 세종소방서 진압팀장]

“Each of these fences has a leak proof pad so that water on the floor does not leak to the outside after installation.”

However, this cannot be used even if the slope or floor is uneven, and is useless in the case of a large truck or bus with a battery on the roof.

Moreover, when thermal runaway occurs in a complex underground parking lot with many vehicles, it is difficult to use such special prevention equipment.

[김정재 의원 / 국회 국토교통위원회]

“The current law does not keep up with the technology, so the damage and anxiety is paid by the users. The related laws need to be amended as soon as possible.”

In the end, experts point out that fire prevention should easily change the structure of electric vehicles or strengthen fire safety measures in charging facilities.

This is Chunghwan Yoo from MBC News.

Video comment: Go Heon-ju, Kang Jae-hoon

Video Editing: Jo Ki-beom

3D Graphics: Kwang-yong Park

MBC News awaits your report 24 hours a day.

▷ Telephone 02-784-4000
▷ Email mbcjebo@mbc.co.kr
▷ KakaoTalk Report @mbc