Around 77,000 Kona EVs required a battery upgrade in response to reports of 14 battery related fires in South Korea and abroad. Many of the fires occurred while batteries were being recharged. The recall is said to have cost upwards of €735 million Euro.
It’s been confirmed that from the 29th of March, Hyundai will recall 25,083 Kona EVs sold in South Korea, produced between September 2017 and July 2019, to replace the lithium-ion batteries manufactured by LG Energy Solution.
The automaker and its battery supplier, LG Energy Solution, have agreed to replace the entire battery system on these vehicles after their previous response to the problem proved to be inadequate to protect customers.
The automaker will also recall 1,314 Ioniq EVs and 302 Elec City buses with LG Energy Solution batteries. The ministry’s Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute (KATRI) said in a preliminary report the battery pack fires may have been caused by defects in the high voltage battery cells.
Hyundai confirms the Ioniq 5 will use batteries from SK International.