Toronto, Ontario — All eyes are on LG Energy Solutions as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is in the thick of probing the global energy powerhouse for a number of EV battery-related recalls that stem from the company’s technology.
The NHTSA is looking at more than 138,000 vehicles that have been linked to recalls issued by five OEMs over the past two years to determine a link between LG’s lithium-ion EV batteries and numerous reports of battery safety issues.
The OEMs affected by the series of recalls includes Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Hyundai, Stellantis and Volkswagen.
“We understand NHTSA’s latest request is a follow-up procedure to determine if the same or similar batteries involved in the recalls were supplied to other OEMs,” wrote LG in a statement.
“NHTSA has already completed its official procedures on most of the recalls, such as the GM Bolt and the Hyundai Kona/Ioniq. Additionally, we have already reached settlements with other related OEMs. Therefore, we do not expect this latest move by NHTSA to cause any new or additional issues.”
The NHTSA wrote on April 1, “The purpose of this Equipment Query is to write to LG, and other companies that might have purchased the same or similar equipment from LG, [to] notify them of this defect in any vehicles they manufactured, and to ensure thorough safety.”
Safety defect reports on LG-equipped vehicles first began circulating on Feb. 24, 2020, when it was found that one of Mercedes-Benz’s vehicles “may contain a defect allowing for an electrical arc, which can ignite inside the battery cells, increasing the risk of a fire.”
On Oct. 13, 2020, Hyundai notified NHTSA of a defect in some 2019 and 2020 model year Kona EVs noting a similar issue—“the high-voltage battery system in the subject vehicles, supplied by LG, may have been produced with internal damage to certain cells of the lithium-ion battery increasing the risk of an electrical short circuit, which could result in a fire.”
Hyundai issued another recall in March of 2021 for another case of battery defects affecting 2019 and 2020 Kona EVs, as well as 2020 Ioniq EVs. Hyundai found that when the negative tab of the battery is folded, the cell could allow the lithium plating on the tab to contact the cathode, which would lead to an electrical short and increase the risk of fire while the vehicles are parked, charging, and/or on the road, according to NHTSA.
General Motors issued a recall on Nov. 13, 2020 to sort out defects in 2017, 2018 and 2019 Chevrolet Bolt models that were since proven to be fire hazards.
The most recent LG battery-related recalls were on Feb. 11 by Chrysler and on March 16 by Volkswagen. Vehicles affected are Chrysler 2017-2018 Pacifica plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and VW’s 2021 ID.4.
GM restarted Chevrolet Bolt production on April 4. Chevrolet Marketing Director Steve Majoros told the Detroit Free Press the OEM “plans to set a production and sales record that tops 24,000 Bolts this year.”
