Following the voluntary recall of the controversial electric car Kona (Kona EV) due to a series of recent fires, Hyundai Motor will also carry out a large-scale recall overseas.
Attention is focusing on whether Hyundai Motor Group, which is setting next year as the first year for taking off electric vehicles, will be able to put out the controversy over the safety of electric cars due to the Kona EV fire.
Hyundai Motor reported to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, "We will take corrective action (recall) because there is a possibility of a fire caused by damage to the separator in the battery applied to the Kona Electric."
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will accept the request and recall 25,564 Kona Electric vehicles produced between 2017 and 2020.
It will also recall 51,000 vehicles overseas, including 11,137 from North America, 37,366 from Europe and 3,000 from other regions such as China and India.
Considering that a total of 77,748 units of Kona EV were sold overseas from its launch to the first half of this year, the company is recalling 70 percent of its sales from overseas alone.
Hyundai Motor's North American subsidiary HMA recently submitted a voluntary recall plan for Kona EV to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The global recall is expected to begin as early as this week.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that it will take corrective action (recall) after manufacturing defects were found in Kona electric vehicles.
According to the ministry, the company will take corrective action for Kona Electric from Oct. 16 as it has been confirmed that internal short circuits and fires may occur due to poor battery cell manufacturing of high voltage batteries after the vehicle is fully charged.
