Hyundai has recalled 82,000 electric vehicles with the majority of Kona Electric SUVs for the replacement of their battery packs which is said to set-back the brand by approximately USD 900 million and the recall is said to be one of the largest battery pack replacements to be made by any manufacturer. The replacement of the battery packs follows the recalls of Hyundai Kona Electric vehicles that were recalled for software upgrades last year pertaining to the 100% electric SUV catching fire in a few incidents. It is important to note that no injuries or deaths due to the part recall were reported.
After the first recall which included investigations of the battery cells and the tweaking of the software of the battery management system, South Korean authorities also launched an investigation to know if the first recall that was made last year was adequate. The investigation was launched after a Kona Electric caught fire again in January this year, say sources. The last recall also included 456 Kona Electric SUVs from India as well. In this instance, the batteries were manufactured by LG Energy Solutions which is a division of LG Chem LTD and Hyundai may be looking at the feasibility of splitting the bill in such cases.
It is also reported that some defects in the battery cells have been found in packs manufactured by LG Energy in China. However, the cause of fires is still unknown. The recall affects 76,000 Kona Electric models as well as Elec City bus and the upcoming Ioniq EV models. Hyundai has recommended Hyundai Kona Electric and Ionic EV owners to limit charging to 90% until replacement. While the brand had recalled 456 Kona Electric vehicles in India for software updates of the battery management system the electric car’s batteries in India have not been replaced. The brand has not yet issued a recall for the replacement in the Indian market either.