Hyundai initiates Kona recall for battery fire hazard

Hyundai has started a recall for the Kona, an electric car that the company also sells in Europe. There would be a fire hazard at the battery, requiring a software update or even complete replacement. The recall begins in South Korea.

The plan is to recall about 25,000 units of the Kona in South Korea starting next week. Owners of electric cars get a software update that should fix the fire, as Reuters, on the basis of information that Hyundai has provided . In some cases the entire battery can be replaced. A recall is also being prepared in the United States.

It is not yet known what causes the potential fire hazard. Battery supplier LG Chem has conducted research, but could only conclude that there is no fault in the battery cells themselves. The recall was launched as a precaution after batteries caught fire in Canada, Austria and South Korea, and Hyundai itself is still investigating the cause.

For the time being, there does not seem to be a recall in Europe, but it is still unclear whether this will happen in the long term. The car manufacturer has not released anything about this yet.