Safety concerns after recent battery fires encourage transparency from automakers.

Following several recent publicized incidents of electric vehicles catching fire in South Korea, Hyundai Motors will be the first to reveal a list of the battery makers used in its 13 EV models, with Kia to follow suit.

At the top of these headline-grabbing stories was a parked Mercedes-Benz EV that caught fire below a residential building in Incheon, South Korea.

The fire caused a prolonged power outage, destroying 140 cars and taking eight hours for firefighters to put out. The incident led to 23 people being hospitalized, and families from 46 households had to be taken to temporary shelters, according to a report by The Korea Times.

Citizens responded in a public outcry, raising concerns about the danger with the South Korean government. In the report, firefighters noted that the EV was not charging at the time of the fire, leading to widespread concerns over general battery safety.

Officials hold emergency meetings

South Korean government officials met on Monday to discuss safety concerns. One of the key topics was whether it should be mandatory for EV makers to disclose battery brands and origin.

EV batteries are shrouded in mystery when it comes to several aspects of their construction, with transparency suggested to not only facilitate better consumer choices but also track critical minerals and their sources to ensure products have as little carbon footprint as possible.

The World Economic Forum's Global Battery Alliance is piloting a "battery passport" platform designed to enable the tracing of standards compliance, material provenance, chemical properties, manufacturing history and performance across an EV battery's lifespan, all of which is accessible and incentivizing to stakeholders in the value chain.

The emergency meeting was led by the vice environment minister, with officials from transport, industry and the national fire agency also in attendance, according to a report by Reuters. This meeting will be shortly followed by an official transport ministry meeting with top automakers in the country regarding policies for disclosure.

At present, automakers are legally obligated to provide essential details about EVs, including the battery type and other features, but the name of the battery manufacturer is not one of the details made available to the public.

Hyundai takes the initiative

Hyundai has already come forward to disclose the names of battery manufacturers for its entire EV lineup on its website.

The list reveals most of Hyundai's EVs are powered by batteries from Korea's LG Energy Solution and SK On. Only one of its models, the Kona Electric, uses batteries from the world's largest battery manufacturer CATL, a Chinese firm.

Kia Motors is also planning to release information about its EV batteries. The two companies are also planning to introduce safety features such as battery monitoring.

In light of recent events and government involvement, it seems likely that a mandate for domestic and imported EV manufacturers in South Korea will be enacted to disclose battery information.