Hyundai to develop firefighting robot to tackle EV fires in underground car parks

SEOUL: Hyundai Motor Group says it plans to develop an unmanned firefighting robot, in collaboration with South Korea's National Fire Agency.

This is aimed at combating electric vehicle (EV) fires in underground parking lots.

Korea Times reported that the project is expected to be completed by the end of this year, to be trialled next year followed by full deployment in 2026.

The robot will be based on Hyundai Rotem's multipurpose unmanned vehicle platform, originally developed for military applications. It will feature water cannons, enhanced heat resistance, and thermal imaging capabilities.

These features are designed to allow remote-controlled fire suppression in confined and hazardous underground environments, where it is often too dangerous for firefighters to operate directly.

READ MORE: A Mercedes-Benz fire may cloud Korea’s EV transition

A prototype of the firefighting robot will undergo trial use in the first half of 2024. Feedback from these trials will be used to refine the design before units are distributed to regional special rescue teams by the end of 2026.

In a related development, Hyundai Motor Group said it would donate 250 "EV-Drill Lance" devices to the National Fire Agency.

According to a report by The Korea Economic Daily, these devices, co-developed with TankTech, use hydraulic pressure to pierce the battery packs of EVs and inject water, effectively cooling and controlling battery fires.

This method was successfully tested in collaboration with local fire stations, proving effective in managing thermal runaway fires common in electric vehicles, said the business newspaper.