Hyundai Motor has decided to voluntarily replace all of its Kona Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries, which have recently been controversial due to a series of fires.
Although the defect investigation into LG Energy Solution and Korea Transportation Safety Authority (KATRI), which supplied batteries to Hyundai Motor, have not completed, Hyundai Motor decided to replace all existing BSA (High Voltage Battery System) with improved products to protect consumers.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on Feb. 24 that it will voluntarily take corrective action (recall) after production defects were found in 26,699 vehicles of three models, including Kona electric vehicles, which were manufactured and sold by Hyundai Motor.
Subjects to recall are 25,083 Kona electric vehicles (OS EVs), 1,314 IONIQ electric vehicles (AE PE EVs), and 302 Elec City buses (LK EVs).
The move is aimed at supplementing the fire broke out in Kona Electric Vehicle (BMS Update, Battery Un-replacement), despite it was corrected in October last year.
All vehicles equipped with high-voltage batteries produced between September 2017 and July 2019 at China's Namkyung plant are subjected to recall.
Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution decided to replace all existing high-voltage battery systems (BSA) with improved products to protect consumers, considering that it is difficult to completely extract some batteries that are at risk of fire due to BMS updates.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it plans to investigate the adequacy of the corrective action (recall) and take supplementary measures if necessary, while continuing to investigate some incomplete defects, including the ongoing fire reproduction experiment by KATRI.
The ministry said it plans to come up with measures to improve the system to ensure the continuously increasing fire safety of electric vehicles by March.
The vehicles subject to the recall will be repaired free of charge at Hyundai Motor's direct service centers and Blue Hands starting March 29.
