Hyundai Glovis introduces EV drill lance on car carriers

South Korea's Hyundai Glovis Co. said on Thursday that it will introduce a special fire suppression tool, the EV (Electric Vehicle) - Drill Lance, for use on its car carriers.

The EV Drill Lance is designed to extinguish electric vehicle fires by drilling through the underside to reach the battery pack and spraying water directly onto it.

The system operates by using water from a fire hydrant, which is fed through a hose to power a turbine that drives the drill.

The drill can penetrate the vehicle's underbody and battery pack within two minutes. Once water is sprayed into the battery pack, the fire can be extinguished within 30 minutes.

Hyundai Glovis has modified the EV drill lance to be suitable for maritime transport, equipping its car carriers with the system.

The device’s handle length can be adjusted for use between tightly parked vehicles on the ship, and LED lights have been added to help identify installation points in low-visibility conditions caused by battery fire gases.

A portable bag was also custom-made to allow the crew to quickly respond to fires.

Hyundai Glovis plans to equip 32 of its own car carriers with the EV drill lance first and roll it out to its chartered vessels. As of the first half of this year, the company operates a 90-car carrier, including 32 owned vessels.

The company is also enhancing maritime safety, a new control system introduced earlier this year that displays fire locations.

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com