Highway safety agency reports power problems in 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SUVs

DETROIT — Many U.S. owners of Hyundai’s popular Ioniq 5 electric SUV have complained of a complete or partial loss of thrust after hearing a thud, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Saturday. big Bang.

Hyundai said it will provide a software update early next month and replace affected parts if necessary.

NHTSA said in a notice posted online that it has received 30 complaints about the issue on 2022 models, of which an estimated 39,500 are on US highways.

The Office of Defect Investigations at NHTSA has opened a preliminary investigation and said Hyundai indicated in an initial assessment that the power surge damaged the transistors, rendering the vehicle’s 12-volt battery unable to function. rechargeable.

Hyundai spokeswoman Ira Gabriel said the company is fully cooperating with the investigation and will launch a service campaign in July to update the affected vehicles’ software and, if necessary, will replace the relevant part. It’s called the Integrated Control Charger.

The technical problems that come with automakers rolling out electric vehicles globally to combat climate change have included battery recalls for potential fires. Last month, Jaguar recalled more than 6,000 I-Pace electric SUVs in the US due to a high-voltage battery that could catch fire.

General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Stellantis and Volkswagen have also issued recalls since February 2020, mostly due to internal battery defects that can increase the risk of fire.

The US National Transportation Safety Board has also investigated a series of Tesla vehicle fires and says high-voltage lithium-ion batteries pose a safety risk to first responders after collisions.

Many governments are counting on electric vehicles to replace gasoline-powered vehicles that emit greenhouse gases that cause global warming.