Ioniq EV catches fire on Jeju Island while charging

A 2019 Ioniq EV model catches fire while charging on Jeju Island on Monday. [JEJU FIRE SAFETY HEADQUARTERS]

An electric vehicle (EV) caught fire early Monday morning while charging on Jeju Island.

According to the local fire department, a 2019 Ioniq EV model that was charging in front of a house in Topyeong-dong in Jeju caught fire around 5 a.m. Monday. The fire was extinguished four hours later.

There were no casualties due to the fire, but the car battery and interior were damaged, and the fire department estimated property damage of more than 20 million won ($15,000).

The owner of the EV reportedly started charging the car sometime around 10 to 11 p.m. the night before.

“It was supposed to be fully charged by around 5 a.m. today, but we heard a strange sound and saw smoke,” the owner of the EV said. “My partner reported the fire to the fire department.”

Jeju Fire Safety Headquarters said that judging by the fact that the fire broke out while the EV was charging and that burns were found on the battery pack connection, the fire likely started from the battery of the car.

The battery of the car was reportedly made by LG Energy Solution. The headquarters is working with the battery manufacturer to determine the exact cause of the fire.

Hyundai Motor, the carmaker behind Ioniq EV models, as of Monday afternoon has not yet made an official announcement regarding the accident.

"We have nothing to announce at the moment and are investigating the situation," said an official from Hyundai Motor.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]