Toronto, Ontario — Hyundai Motor Group has announced plans to install Battery Management Systems (BMS) on all its future electric vehicles (EVs) to mitigate the risk of fires.
This move was initially prompted by a fire on August 1, 2024, involving a Mercedes-Benz electric sedan. Here, the sedan spontaneously caught on fire in an underground parking garage in South Korea, burning down an apartment building.
On Thursday, Hyundai and Kia emphasized how the BMS technology will be applied to all upcoming EV models. The system is specifically designed to detect battery abnormalities and promptly notify vehicle owners and auto support centres of any issues associated with overcharging and short circuits.
According to information from AutoTech, the BMS will “monitor battery metrics, including voltage deviation, insulation resistance, temperature and current changes.”
Hyundai and Kia also plan to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies into the BMS that will aim to help collect and analyze battery data in real-time.
“The current BMS can prevent fires caused by overcharging in advance,” said a Hyundai Motor Group official in a news release. “With advancements, the new technology will also be able to prevent battery fires caused by short circuits.”
