JAKARTA - Hyundai and Kia announced a recall of a number of electric cars due to the potential risk of fire originating from high-voltage batteries. The problem was triggered by the position of the battery cell electrodes that are not aligned so that it has the potential to cause internal short circuits.
Although it only covers 14 vehicles, both manufacturers are asking owners to park their cars in an open area until the repair process is completed. As reported by Carscoops, Monday, July 13.
Hyundai explained that there were six units of the 2023 and 2024 model year Ioniq 5 that were suspected of using high-voltage battery cells with electrode positions that were not appropriate. This condition is at risk of triggering a fire, both when the vehicle is parked and when used on the road.
Meanwhile, Kia revealed a similar cause in its unit recall campaign. Based on documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), battery supplier SK On Co. said there were deviations in the production quality process that were the source of the problem.
As a result, seven units of the 2022 to 2024 model year EV6 and one unit of the 2024 model year EV9 were included in the list of vehicles that must be repaired. Hyundai has not disclosed in detail the repair method to be implemented.
Complete documentation from NHTSA is also not available when this information is published. However, Kia ensures that it will replace all high-voltage battery packs with new units that use battery cells with correct electrode mounting.
Given that the source of the problem and its suppliers are the same, Hyundai is expected to implement a similar measure. While waiting for the repair process, both manufacturers urge vehicle owners to limit battery charging to 80 percent.
In addition, vehicles are asked to park in open spaces and away from buildings as a precautionary measure. Although it is not specifically mentioned in the recall document, parking vehicles away from other cars is also considered a wise precaution.
A notification letter to the dealer network regarding this recall was sent on July 6. The official notification to vehicle owners is scheduled to begin being sent on August 7.
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