If there’s one factor electrical car house owners don’t wish to hear, it is that their vehicles are being recalled for battery fireplace danger.

Whereas EV battery fires will not be as frequent as folks suppose, once they do occur the results are dramatic. In comparison with ICE car fires, EV fires take much more effort from firefighters and sources to place out.

Naturally, EV producers are doing the very best they will to attenuate this danger. Ought to such a danger be recognized, carmakers have a tendency transfer as swiftly as attainable with investigations and recollects. Kia is doing simply that with a small variety of first-generation Soul EVs in america, recalling them for fireplace danger associated to {an electrical} quick circuit within the battery pack.

The recall includes 2,689 Kia Soul EVs from mannequin years 2015-2019 outfitted with the E400 high-voltage battery pack, together with some autos which have had their authentic batteries changed below guarantee with E400 packs.

Extra particularly, the recall inhabitants consists of all 2018-2019 mannequin yr Soul EV autos manufactured from July 3, 2017 via September 28, 2018 outfitted with an E400 battery and sure 2015-2017 mannequin yr Soul EVs manufactured from July 15, 2014 via June 30, 2017 that had their excessive voltage battery changed below guarantee with an E400 battery.

The automaker’s investigation discovered that {an electrical} quick circuit between the anode and cathode of the battery cells can happen inside the battery pack meeting case positioned beneath the car. 

“If {an electrical} quick circuit happens, a hearth could outcome whereas driving, thereby growing the chance of damage. The reason for the quick circuit situation stays unknown, however it’s believed to be attributable to abnormally extreme precipitate inside the battery cells.”

Kia famous within the NHTSA recall report that warning indicators of this challenge may embrace incomplete excessive voltage battery charging, loss or fluctuating car vary, and illumination of the EV warning gentle.

The automaker stated it is solely conscious of three incidents associated to the difficulty, happily with no accidents consequently. Kia sellers will diagnose the difficulty utilizing a software program replace that may detect irregular cell voltage earlier than a brief circuit happens. 

Following set up of the brand new software program, if the irregular battery cell voltage is detected, the EV warning gentle will illuminate, charging might be restricted to 80 p.c, and the car will enter limp house mode. If this happens, sellers will substitute the battery freed from cost.