Farasis did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters in a report published in February said 1,399 fires occurred in underground parking lots in South Korea between 2013 and 2022 with 43.7% attributed to vehicles. It said electrical sources accounted for 53% of car fires in underground garages. "A series of EV fires occurring in underground parking lots have been linked to growing consumer distrust of EVs, which could prolong the current EV downturn," said Esther Yim, an analyst at Samsung Securities, adding that car and battery makers needed to come up with measures to reassure consumers. Last month, Hyundai Motor said it would expand hybrid line-ups as demand for EVs eases globally. Meanwhile, battery maker LG Energy Solution, whose customers include Tesla, General Motors and Hyundai Motor among others, cut its annual sales target on a slowdown in global EV demand. (Reporting by Heekyong Yang Editing by Ed Davies)