INCHEON — Mathias Vaitl, CEO and President of Mercedes-Benz Korea Ltd., is set to meet with residents of an Incheon apartment complex on Wednesday evening, following a significant fire initiated by a Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle earlier this month. The fire, which occurred on August 1, devastated a parking garage and damaged over 100 vehicles, prompting serious concerns over EV safety.
According to Yonhap News Agency, located 27 kilometers west of Seoul, will focus on discussing the measures Mercedes-Benz is implementing in response to the fire that began in a parked EQE model. This incident has escalated into a nationwide concern about the safety of electric vehicles, leading to Vaitl's first public appearance since the fire. The CEO, who was in Germany at the time of the incident, returned to South Korea on Monday. Despite being abroad, Vaitl maintained continuous contact with all relevant parties to aid the investigation, as reported by Yonhap News Agency. In a prior meeting with the residents’ representatives last Friday, senior officials from the company proposed a donation of 4.5 billion won ($3.3 million) to support relief efforts, highlighting the company's commitment to addressing the aftermath and ensuring such incidents are mitigated in the future.