Electric Car 'Kona' Catches Fire Again in Namyangju... Sparks During Charging

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eunbyeol] Another fire has occurred in Hyundai Motor's electric vehicle Kona, which was subject to an emergency recall due to a series of fires.

According to the police on the 17th, around 3:40 a.m. that day, a fire broke out in a Kona electric vehicle (EV) that was charging in the parking lot of the Wabu-eup Residents' Autonomy Center in Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi Province. The fire burned part of the car, causing property damage worth approximately 25 million won, and was extinguished by the fire brigade that responded after receiving the report.

The vehicle, a 2018 model, was confirmed to have been parked and charging at the Wabu-eup Residents' Autonomy Center parking lot around 10 p.m. the previous day, with the charger connected.

The fire authorities stated, "It is presumed that the fire occurred while charging the car battery from the electric vehicle charger." The police and fire authorities are investigating the cause of the fire based on statements from the vehicle owner and witnesses.

The Kona electric vehicle, released in 2018, is known to have experienced a total of 13 fires, including 9 domestic cases and 4 overseas. Recently, fires occurred in Kona electric vehicles while charging on Jeju Island on the 26th of last month and in Daegu on the 4th of this month. Ultimately, Hyundai Motor decided on a full recall.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.