Toronto, Ontario — In this weekly electric and autonomous vehicle report, South Korea has announced plans to enforce electric vehicle battery certifications and other safety standards; while industry experts remain unsure of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving capabilities.
Fire fortifications
South Korea has announced steps to mitigate EV anxiety in response to a recent electric vehicle battery fire that burned down an apartment complex. The nation will now mandate car manufacturers to disclose battery suppliers and introducing a new battery certification plan.
The South Korean government and the People Power Party (PPP) specifically stated that the battery certification program will be introduced in October rather than February 2025 when it was initially due to be implemented.
As a result, this will require manufacturers to get approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to confirm that the products conform to local safety standards. Previously, this measure had only been voluntary.
Concerns have been raised by the public, however, that providing this information won’t necessarily help consumers as there’s no definitive data that indicates which battery brands are more prone to fires than others.
Alongside these measures, Korea JoongAng Daily has reported that the number of smart chargers in the country that prevent EVs from overheating will be expanded to 90,000 units by the end of 2024. Underground parking areas will also need to be installed with new wet pipe sprinkler systems.
Self-driving scrutiny
CBC News has reported that Willian Stein, a technology analyst at Truist Securities is still not confident in Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” system after having now tried the feature three times.
Stein specifically indicated that each time he tested the “Full Self-Driving” system, the Tesla he was in would make unsafe or illegal maneuvers. He also told CBC News that his most recent test drive earlier this month left his 16-year-old son, who accompanied him, “terrified.”
These problems have led other industry members who monitor autonomous vehicles to become more skeptical that Tesla’s automated system will ever be able to operate safely on a widespread scale.
Comparatively, Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, has previously told investors that it’s possible that “Full Self-Driving” will be able to operate more safely than human drivers by the end of this year, if not next year.
The automaker has also cautioned that cars equipped with current self-driving features cannot actually drive themselves and that motorists must be ready at all times to intervene if necessary. Tesla has also reported that it tracks each driver’s behaviour and will suspend their ability to use “Full Self-Driving” if they don’t properly monitor the system.
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