1000’s of Australian drivers might be requested to examine their electrical car batteries as a part of a worldwide recall involving greater than 100,000 automobiles.
Hyundai issued an area recall for nearly 5000 automobiles on Friday due a fault with its battery administration software program that would trigger a fireplace whereas the automobile is recharging or whereas it’s parked.
The recall includes two Hyundai fashions: the Kona EV manufactured between 2018 and 2023, and the IONIQ EV made between 2018 and 2022.
The announcement comes after the corporate started warning car house owners worldwide in March, and nearly 5 years after Hyundai IONIQ automobiles had been recalled in Australia over a separate battery concern.
A ‘software program concern’
The federal transport division introduced the recall of 3478 Hyundai Kona electrical automobiles and 1402 IONIQ EVs, warning drivers they’d be contacted by the producer to organise an evaluation.
“A software program concern within the Battery Administration System might trigger {an electrical} quick circuit whereas charging or parked, resulting in a car fireplace,” the recall stated.
“A car fireplace may improve the danger of harm or loss of life to car occupants, different highway customers and bystanders.”
Hyundai Australian sellers will diagnose the automobile batteries and concern a software program replace or {hardware} repair to handle the fault.
The Australian recall comes weeks after the South Korean producer issued a worldwide warning for 104,011 fashions doubtlessly affected by defective battery software program.
Batteries within the firm’s IONIQ had been additionally recalled and changed in 2021 after the invention of a producing defect.
Regardless of considerations about potential dangers with battery-powered automobiles, solely 13 electrical automobiles have been concerned in fires in Australia between 2021 and March 2026, in accordance with EV Firesafe.
Two of the 13 fires had been brought on by arson assaults, 4 by high-speed collisions, three by exterior fires, and different stay underneath investigation.
AAP
