A Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle that burst into flames in the South Korean city of Incheon has fueled public fear over the safety of battery-powered cars in recent months.
The incident saw 23 people hospitalized for smoke inhalation and left more than 200 families homeless for weeks. Authorities said it took more than eight hours to extinguish the blaze, which was caused after an unplugged electric sedan exploded in an underground apartment carpark in July.
Since then, there’s been widespread anxiety over EVs, a phenomenon dubbed "EV phobia” by local media. Most residential buildings across the country have issued notices advising EV owners to be cautious when they charge their cars, while some have even banned EVs entirely from entering or parking.
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