Firefighers respond to a fire that broke out in a Kona EV in the city of Daegu on Jan 23, 2021. (Photo: Yonhap News)
Hyundai Motor will replace the batteries in over 25,000 Kona electric vehicles sold in South Korea over fire risks.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Wednesday that the action covers Kona EVs produced from September 2017 to July 2019.
The decision to replace the lithium-ion batteries produced by LG Energy Solution comes less than four months after the automaker recalled 77,000 Kona EVs for a battery software fix in response to 14 fires -- 11 in Korea and four overseas.
But the upgrade failed to ease safety concerns after a vehicle that was serviced caught fire in the southeastern city of Daegu last month.
According to the ministry, the recall program also includes 1,314 IONIQ EVs and 302 Elec City buses equipped with the LG batteries.
Owners of the affected vehicles can visit designated service centers to get the part replaced free of charge starting from March 29.
The ministry said it will release the final results of its investigation into Kona's battery fires later.
Please send comments to tbsefmnews@gmail.com / copyright © tbs. Unauthorized redistribution prohibited.
