Hyundai Motor will replace the batteries in more than 25,000 Kona electric vehicles (EVs) sold in South Korea due to the risk of fire, according to a statement by the country’s ministry of land, infrastructure and transport.
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 ministry said.
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Four months ago, Hyundai recalled around 77,000 Kona EVs to upgrade the battery software in response to reports of 14 battery related fires in South Korea and abroad. Many of the fires occurred while the batteries were being recharged.
The ministry confirmed that, starting from 29 March, Hyundai would recall 25,083 Kona EVs sold in South Korea, produced between September 2017 and July 2019, to replace lithium-ion batteries manufactured by LG Energy Solution.
The automaker will also recall 1,314 Ioniq EVs and 302 Elec City buses equipped with LG Energy Solution batteries produced at the supplier’s Nanjing factory in China.
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 their high voltage battery cells.
