Enlarge / We were very impressed with the Hyundai Kona EV, but owners may feel a little put out by having to get a replacement battery. (credit: Hyundai)
On Wednesday, Reuters reported that Hyundai is going to recall its Kona EV due to problems with the battery pack. In total, around 82,000 Kona EVs will have to be recalled globally after 15 fires—11 in South Korea, two in Canada, one in Finland, and one in Austria—in order to have replacement battery packs fitted. Until the recall is performed, the automaker advises owners not to charge their Kona EVs beyond 90 percent.
In October 2020, the OEM issued the first recall for the Kona EV, affecting more than 37,000 vehicles in South Korea and more than 11,000 in North America and Europe. The cause was the risk of a short circuit in the battery, which could potentially start a fire. At the time, South Korea’s transport ministry suggested that a manufacturing defect could have been the cause, something that cell manufacturer LG Chem denied.
Those cars were issued new software, but in January of this year, a recalled-and-upgraded Kona EV caught fire.
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