Hyundai Ioniq and Kona electric cars could be recalled worldwide due to fire risk – report

Hyundai may need to recall its electric Ioniq and Kona electric cars internationally, following a spate of fires in South Korea.

Multiple South Korean news outlets have reported the manufacturer will voluntarily replace batteries in all local examples.

However it is not yet clear if this recall will be extended worldwide, including for models sold in Australia.

In November 2020, Hyundai Australia recalled 796 examples of the Kona electric car locally because "the lithium-ion battery may have internal damage or the battery management system control software may cause an electrical short circuit after charging" which "could result in a vehicle fire".

It is unclear if this is the same fault at the centre of the recent Hyundai electric-car fires overseas.

Business Korea reports 15 individual incidents of battery-related fires have been recorded in Kona electric vehicles since the model's launch three years ago.

Similar fires have also been reported in Ioniq electric cars. Last week, a Hyundai electric bus went up in flames while operating in Seoul.

A spokesperson for Hyundai in Australia told CarAdvice: “The matter is under investigation by (Hyundai Motor Corporation). We can’t say at this point whether or not vehicles in Australia will be affected.”

Last month Hyundai recalled almost 100,000 examples of its petrol-powered Tucson SUV, citing a potential fire risk deriving from a braking circuit board.

In the same month (January 2021), Hyundai recalled about 1000 examples of the Kona electric car and 24 examples of the Nexo hydrogen car for a fault that could lead to "reduced braking performance".

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