Hyundai recalls 82K Kona EV's

[UncleDave]

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2021/02/hyundai-will-recall-82000-kona-evs-to-replace-batteries/

Hyundai and LG chem pointing fingers,

In the meantime you shouldn't charge your car beyond 90%.....

 

[JeffKeryk]

Oops... That's gotta hurt.

 

[UncleDave]

900M worth of hurt.

 

[Jetronic]

I remember checking the labels on the batteries and updating 4 ecu's over this..

 

[Cujet]

That's really odd, as LG makes some of the worlds best Lithium batteries.

As I understand it, Tesla does a great job of managing cells. The driver never knows of individual failures, and the loss of a few cells is unnoticeable. And the charge is limited to something less than each cell's 100% capacity. They "sandbag" for lack of a better term.

 

[UncleDave]

The tesla pack in an incredible piece of series parallel /engineering that can mask or minimize cell damage can failure like few others.

LG batteries dont seem to be the problem in and of themselves.

Apparently Hyundais issues is with the charging profiles, LG claims they went off the reservation from their spec.

Telsa simply has more experience with this challenge than anyone, and it will be interesting to compare how everyones pack ages.

 

[CB900F2]

And these recalled batteries will all be sent to the dump.... long live the EV scam...

 

[PimTac]

And these recalled batteries will all be sent to the dump.... long live the EV scam...

They get recycled. They don’t go to the dump.

 

[KGMtech]

Telling how Hyundai took the unprofessional approach of blaming the supplier.

 

[JHZR2]

The tesla pack in an incredible piece of series parallel /engineering that can mask or minimize cell damage can failure like few others.

LG batteries dont seem to be the problem in and of themselves.

Apparently Hyundais issues is with the charging profiles, LG claims they went off the reservation from their spec.

Telsa simply has more experience with this challenge than anyone, and it will be interesting to compare how everyones pack ages.

Electrolyte oxidation and anode volumetric change don’t care if Tesla or LG made the cells. “Masking” anything related to Li-ion is a recipe for failure in time.

Charging profiles is seriously stuff, especially if they’re using much more than 80% SOC.

 

[Job]

Telling how Hyundai took the unprofessional approach of blaming the supplier.

They didn’t, the transport ministry did. it clearly says Hyundai chose not to comment.
Lithium ion batteries are dangerous, it will be good when they are in the past, the way they are made now.

 

[KGMtech]

They didn’t, the transport ministry did. it clearly says Hyundai chose not to comment.
Lithium ion batteries are dangerous, it will be good when they are in the past, the way they are made now.

Okay, I see I was wrong. Korean Transport Ministry should not be so outspoken IMO.

 

[Kiwi_ME]

The problem as known so far is that cells made at a certain LG Chem factory have a bend in one of the internal plates that puts it a bit close to the separator such that any dendrite formation may puncture it. Hyundai importers globally are still trying to figure out which cars are affected within the production date range where the defect could be present. Many owners of cars within a certain VIN range in the U.S. are now being offered buybacks by the importer and all have been advised to limit charging to under 80%. Elsewhere in the world we've been requested to limit ourselves to 90%, and in the UK to not park indoors. We're all still allowed to DC fast charge however.
There have been 'only' 2 fire incidents worldwide since the software was updated to detect the problem a year ago. Cars that get "bricked" from the software detecting an issue will be the first to receive new packs, or a buyback in some cases. The rest of us will wait in the queue.
I'm certain mine is affected but it's still 90% useful. Once it's all over I'll have a three year old EV with a brand new battery, not a bad outcome.
If I owned a Bolt, I'd still be waiting.

 

[Rmay635703]

Sounds familiar

Chevy Bolt has this same recall

 

[daves87rs]

Seems to be a upcoming common issue.....

 

[Kiwi_ME]

Just after posting yesterday I see that the Bolt has an update to the recall, mentioned on YouTube channel Transport Evolved. They're going to 'diagnose' bad cells, replace those affected modules (packaged groups of cells) and implement battery management software that is supposed to 'detect' future problems. At first glance I'm not sure I'd be happy relying on software essentially allowing for the continued presence of a defect, but I'll leave the editorialising to Bolt owners.

General Motors is notifying owners of select 2017-2019 model year Chevrolet Bolt EVs that it has developed a remedy to complete the previously announced safety recall.
As part of the service procedure, dealers will utilize GM-developed diagnostic tools to identify potential battery anomalies and replace battery module assemblies as necessary. The remedy will also include the installation of advanced onboard diagnostic software into these vehicles that, among other things, has the ability to detect potential issues related to changes in battery module performance before problems can develop.

The pic is reportedly of new Kona battery packs in crates and the old packs ready for return, in S.Korea.

 

[PandaBear]

And these recalled batteries will all be sent to the dump.... long live the EV scam...

Unlikely. If anything they will be send back to the engineering dept for research and R&D. You don't throw them away just because you cannot charge past 90%.

Maybe send to the utility grid storage?

 

[JeffKeryk]

And these recalled batteries will all be sent to the dump.... long live the EV scam...

It takes a lot of battery power to power a vehicle.
When they are no longer suitable for vehicles, there are numerous uses for these expensive batteries.

Regarding Tesla, Elon Musk puts a priority on sustainable materials.
There are many articles available in support of iniatives.

 

[PandaBear]

At first glance I'm not sure I'd be happy relying on software essentially allowing for the continued presence of a defect, but I'll leave the editorialising to Bolt owners.

Welcome to 2021. Everything is now "microprocessor controlled" and "software defined". People cannot afford to ship products without software controlling and fixing last minute unfixable problems and they cannot guarantee things to be perfect these days. Most products in the future and now are shipped with some "spares" and "defects" that when discovered and worn, internally replaced and hidden from you.

So, this likely means the EVs with these cells below certain limits will just get a slightly reduced range and charge time, and owners compensated for this. Say if they are still within the warranty amount (70% of new within 8 years) then they may get an equivalent of 5k miles of charging credit in public charger, or a check for $1k based on the market price difference of the used cars, or extend their battery warranty for another 5 years, etc.

 

[Kiwi_ME]

I'm sure early ICE designs had a few teething problems as well. Many EVs and hybrids sold over the last 2 decades have proven to be quite reliable. In the case of the Bolt and Kona there is a single physical defect (i.e. I personally think it's the same issue on both) which is only possible to correct with replacement of all affected cells. GM's software-only approach puts them in a situation which this week's latest Bolt fire should make them rethink.