After a fire broke out at Kia’s No. 3 plant in Hwaseong, South Korea, Tuesday, the automaker is pausing production until September 6. Kia’s EV6 electric crossover is one of the models built at the facility.
Kia shuts down SK plant where EV6 is built over a fire
Kia, a Hyundai Motor Company affiliate, is suspending operations at its Autoland Hwaseong 3 plant just south of Seoul.
According to the Korea Economic Daily, the temporary closure could impact the production of thousands of vehicles, including the EV6 crossover. Other models affected include the K5 and K8 sedans.
The fire started around 7:30 p.m. Monday on the second floor of the plant’s robot-operated painting line. No casualties were reported.
The plant’s automated fire extinguishing system was instantly triggered, putting out the fire in about 40 minutes. However, eight of the painting line robots were halted due to the fire.
A Kia official stated:
We’re looking into the exact cause of the fire. We’ll do our best to resume operations at the Autoland Hwaseong 3 factory as soon as possible.
Although the fire was contained and other lines were operating normally, Kia is suspending the entire facility for quality control, according to officials. Kia will completely reinstall the impacted equipment during the shutdown before trial production.
The report notes that vehicle delivery delays are likely due to the production stop. Ordering a new car takes about a month to deliver from Kia’s Hwaseong complex.
Kia revealed plans to build electric purpose-built vehicles at the facility with a new production line last year. Mass production is expected to begin by the end of 2025.
Meanwhile, Kia operates eight plants in South Korea and another six overseas, including two in China and one each in the US, Slovakia, Mexico, and India.
The South Korean automaker recently unveiled its new electric EV5 compact SUV that will join the EV6, Niro EV, and flagship EV9 in Kia’s lineup. The company also opened pre-orders for its new entry-level Ray EV in South Korea, starting at around $20,500.