Hyundai to Replace 26,000 EV Batteries

Hyundai will replace the rechargeable batteries in every of its electric vehicles after a spate of fires, mainly relating to the Kona SUV.

The replacements are anticipated to cost the automaker around W1 trillion and involve 25,083 Konas, 1,314 Ioniq hatchbacks and 302 electric buses sold in Korea (US$1=W1,109).

The Ministry of Terrain, Infrastructure and Transport announced Hyundai's voluntary decision on Wednesday.

Hyundai will notify owners by text message and mail and start replacing the batteries free of charge from March 29. But since there is a electric battery shortage, the complete recall is expected to take greater than a year.

There were 15 Kona fires since May 2018.

The automaker may also recall 55,002 of the cars sold overseas and can provision the price tag on the recall in the fourth quarter after making a decision on how to split the cost with LG Energy Alternative, the battery maker. The Financial Circumstances reported that it'll be "the world's costliest electrical vehicle recall."

Firefighters look over a burnt Kona electric power SUV at a good charging station in Daegu on Tuesday. /Yonhap

The ministry said the fires may have been caused by short circuits in some faulty batteries among early products created at LG Strength Solution's plant in Nanjing, China between September 2017 and July 2019, but Hyundai didn't address the problem when it recalled Konas in March this past year to reprogram their battery supervision systems.

Without one side being especially fingered, both companies are expected to activate in a fierce battle over who's to blame.

Hyundai said it is recalling the automobiles due to faulty batteries from LG's Nanjing plant. But LG fought again, declaring the ministry was unable to recreate a electric battery fire in the same circumstances Hyundai claims were the cause, and assembly lines at the Nanjing plant have been completely upgraded to cope with defects observed in the first phase of production.