Padraic Deane
Hyundai Motor is about to commence a major global safety recall.
It will involve the first mass battery pack replacement for electric vehicles, with some 82,000 in total globally, after a small number of confirmed electrical fires.
The recall will apply to 76,000 Kona EVs (electric vehicles ). The cars in question were built between 2018 and 2020. It is understood 25,000 were sold in the home market of South Korea, with the rest worldwide.
Some 50,600 Hyundai Kona EVs will be recalled outside of South Korea, as will 4,402 Hyundai Ioniq. It is not clear how many Hyundai cars will be recalled in Ireland, but one unconfirmed source says it would be in excess of 1,000 Kona models.
There have been at least 15 confirmed cases of fires involving the Kona EV. Eleven of those were in South Korea, two in Canada, and one each in Finland and Austria.
As part of this latest recall, the Kona and Ioniq owners are advised to limit battery charging to 90 per cent of capacity until the battery has been replaced, according to a Hyundai spokesperson.
This will reduce the range. Mass safety recalls such as this are new – this is the first for battery pack replacements to be carried out by a major carmaker. It will therefore be watched closely.
