Mercedes-Benz EV fire investigation ends with no clear cause

[Anchor]

A fire incident involving a Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle, which caused fear of electric cars nationwide. The police has released their investigation results.

Despite investigating for four months, they were unable to determine the cause of the fire.

Reporter Gong Min-kyung has the details.

[Report]

Smoke began to rise from the electric vehicle, followed by a raging fire.

In an instant, flames spread, burning over 80 vehicles and causing soot damage to more than 780 others.

At the time, the electric vehicle was not charging and had been parked for 59 hours, raising questions about the cause of the fire.

After the incident, the police formed a dedicated team and conducted an investigation for four months, but ultimately failed to identify the cause of the fire.

The police conducted three joint on-site inspections and collected the battery pack of the accident vehicle, requesting a detailed examination from the National Forensic Service, but they could not determine the cause.

Previously, the National Forensic Service suggested that the fire might have been caused by external impact damage to the underside of the battery pack or electrical heating during the 'insulation breakdown' process inside the battery pack.

However, no significant abnormalities were found in the vehicle's underside, maintenance status, or driving history.

The police attempted to extract data on the battery's charging status and temperature from the 'battery management system,' but the device was damaged by the flames, leading to a failure in analysis.

Investigations were also conducted on the vehicle manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz, but no significant negligence was found, so criminal charges are not expected.

The police plan to refer four individuals, including an apartment management office employee who stopped the sprinkler system during the fire, to the prosecution for their responsibility in the fire's spread.

This is KBS News, Gong Min-kyung.