zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
Now A Recalled Kona EV Has Caught Fire, And Hyundai Is Facing Questions
Now A Recalled Kona EV Has Caught Fire, And Hyundai Is Facing Questions-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:29

Image for article titled Now A Recalled Kona EV Has Caught Fire, And Hyundai Is Facing Questions

Late last year Hyundai issued a recall for the Kona Electric, affecting some 77,000 vehicles globally after 16 of them caught fire. Over the weekend, yet another Kona EV suffered a similar fate in South Korea while charging at a station in Daegu, reported Monday. The difference is, this particular car had already been recalled.

The incident is now under investigation by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, according to the . Normally, the country’s National Forensic Service would be deployed to look into matters such as these, however, the Kona EV’s troubled history, coupled with the fact this one went up in flames even after supposed repair, has escalated the issue. The Transportation Safety Authority will also assess “the adequacy of the recall,” an official told Reuters.

Rather than replacing batteries as part of the recall, Hyundai only mandates flashing new software onto the affected vehicles, according to Reuters. Some cars do receive new batteries if an inspection deems it necessary, though this one apparently returned to the road with only software changes.

The recalled Kona EVs were manufactured between 2017 and 2020, and it’s worth noting the car didn’t arrive in U.S. showrooms until 2019. In November, built between 2017 and 2019 after five of them caught fire when their batteries were nearly or fully charged. GM told at the time that it believed the fires were “possibly” related to defective batteries manufactured by LG Chem, since rebranded LG Energy Solution. As it happens, LG Energy Solution also supplies batteries to Hyundai for the Kona EV.

In the Bolt’s case, GM told owners to engage certain modes or limit the car’s full charging capacity immediately to reduce risk; it also provided a software update to service departments while promising another, more comprehensive update in 2021. So far, GM hasn’t resorted to widespread battery replacement for the Bolt, opting to try to mitigate the problem via code, just as Hyundai is doing.

Can you “fix” a defective battery pack with better software? Based on Hyundai’s efforts so far, it seems unlikely, though automakers are going to try anyway. In the meantime, customers who are desperate to move on from both vehicles are finding that impossible to do without adequate fixes in place. Hyundai is facing a from Kona EV owners for that very reason in South Korea, citing depreciation values in the wake of the recall in addition to safety concerns. Bolt owners in the U.S. .

At the moment, the number of incidents reported compared to both vehicles’ overall production volume is low, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration back in 2017 that the risk of fires in EVs is anticipated to be “somewhat comparable to or perhaps slightly less” than in gasoline-powered cars. However, and require much more water to douse, so this isn’t a case of baseless panic, either.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I love tiny, of . I have a that is roughly half the size of a normal cat, and she’s perfect. I own a 2013 , which is like the miniature version of a normal-sized vehicle (at least here in Texas) — but beyond that, I also own a Hot...
Jul 27, 2025
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
closed its São Bernardo Plant in November 2023, marking the end of its first overseas production facility. The closure caps off a period of continuous car production in São Paolo, , lasting over 60 years. The plant was home to a Komatsu 700-ton press that predates itself. And now...
Jul 27, 2025
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I have two automotive loves: The first is the Miata, the second is off-road racing. For a while I raced air-cooled Volkswagens in the deserts of California and Nevada and I was lucky enough to co-drive in a class 11 stock bug in the Baja 1000 a few years...
Jul 27, 2025
Subaru Had It Right All Along
Subaru Had It Right All Along
When first came to the United States, it sold small funky cars that were decidedly un-American. As the company grew its own identity and became more established in the U.S., it became the first automaker to offer an all-wheel-drive passenger car in 1975. Subaru was also an early-adopter of...
Jul 27, 2025
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
At long last, we are about to get behind the wheel of for the first time. Sure, , and sure, , and sure , but hey — what can you do? Anyway, before we get behind the wheel of this three-row electric beast, we want to know what you...
Jul 27, 2025
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
MotorWeek’s is some of the on the internet. The long-running automotive news magazine has a treasure trove of tests after being on the air for over 40 years. Where else can you find detailed instrumented testing of long-forgotten cars like the or a ? MotorWeek’s recent Retro Review upload is...
Jul 27, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved