In October 2020, Hyundai recalled model-year 2019 and 2020 Kona electric vehicles (EVs) after 13 battery fires were reported worldwide.
The latest Kona fire occurred in Daegu, South Korea on January 23 while it was connected to a fast-charging station. The fire destroyed the rear seat above the battery.
The fire is is among 11 Kona fires reported in South Korea — but it is the first to occur after being recalled and repaired.
The recalled Kona that caught on fire had received a software update but no battery replacement, according to a South Korean official.
Back in October, Hyundai blamed the fires on short-circuits in the batteries. All of the fires occurred when the vehicles were parked and the batteries were fully charged.
At the time, Hyundai said it suspected the problem was “defective production of high-voltage batteries.” The company asked owners to park outside and away from structures until the defect could be fixed.
Hyundai Motor has recalled a total of 77,000 Kona EVs that were built between September 2017 and March 2020.
As part of the recall, Hyundai updated the battery management software system, and in some cases replaced the lithium-ion batteries.
Source: South Korea probes adequacy of Hyundai’s Kona EV recall after new fire: ministry official