According to a recent report published by Aju.News, Hyundai – along with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in Korea – has decided to recall three electric vehicle battery systems made by LG. Models include the Kona Electric, Ioniq Electric, and electric buses. The Ioniq PHEV may be included as well.
While not completely substantiated, the publication says Hyundai and the Ministry will announce a voluntary recall by the end of this week. If this becomes a reality, the recall could work to replace battery cells in all related vehicles. Moreover, the report suggests that one plan may be to replace LG cells with SK Innovation cells, which is interesting considering the recent developments related to SK.
You're probably aware of the recent and ongoing battery fires related to the Kona Electric. While EV fires are few and far between, a fire is a fire. EV fires could work to turn people off to EV adoption, even if the problem is solved. As automakers like Hyundai work to launch new electric models and promote an all-electric future, issues related to potential fires must be addressed quickly and completely.
Initially, it was reported that Hyundai only planned to replace the Kona Electric's cells, due to a string of unexplained fires. However, since some of its other vehicles use the same cells and systems, the recall will likely need to be much more widespread. In fact, it could include some 100,000 units or more. Aju.News reports that LG could be two-thirds responsible for funding the widespread replacement.
This is a developing story. The specific details, scope, and cost of this recall are unknown at this time. Hopefully, if Hyundai issues an official recall tomorrow, we'll have much more information. Once details are available, we'll update this article or provide another.
Read More About Kona EV And Bolt EV Fires:
It's important to note that GM is also dealing with an LG-battery-related fire concern with its Bolt EV. We're also following and reporting on that story as it continues to develop.