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Volvo cars is recalling more than 40,000 of its flagship EX30 electric SUVs due to the risk of battery packs overheating and catching fire.
A recall involves replacing modules in the high voltage battery packs in the SUV, which is an important model in Volvo’s push to compete with cheap Chinese brands. The news was first reported by Reuters.
The recall includes a total of 40,323 model year 2024-2026 EX30 Single-Motor Extended Range and Twin-Motor Performance vehicles with electric power cells. Volvo is a Sweden-based car manufacturer that is majority owned by China’s Geely.
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More than 40,000 Volvo Car EX30 all-electric SUVs will be recalled from Volvo due to a battery fire hazard. (Francesca Volpi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Volvo said it planned to replace the affected units free of charge and urged owners to continue to reduce their charging by up to 70% until repairs are completed. fire hazard.
“Our investigation has identified that in very rare cases, the affected vehicles can overheat when charged at a high rate. In the worst case scenario, this could lead to a battery fire,” Volvo said in a statement to FOX Business.
The automaker said that, in total, 40,323 vehicles are affected worldwide; of those, he “identified 189 in the US to be tested and repaired if necessary.”
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Volvo says car owners will get their EX30 electric SUV batteries repaired for free. (Claudia Greco/Reuters)
The automaker first told EX30 owners in more than a dozen countries – including the US, Australia and Brazil – in December to park their cars away from buildings and charge 70%, according to the report. control installation and the company.
Volvo may face higher costs for replacing battery packs, according to a Reuters analysis based on what a Chinese battery maker could be billed resulting in an average of $195 million, excluding planning and maintenance costs. Volvo said the figures were “speculation” and that they were in talks with suppliers.
The automaker is pursuing deeper integration with its parent company, Geely, while the batteries are made by Geely’s joint venture known as Shandong Geely Sunwoda Power Battery Co. Volvo has indicated that the supplier has fixed the problem and will supply new battery cells.
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Volvo says it is working with suppliers to fix the issue. (Yves Herman/File Photo)
Andy Palmer, an auto industry veteran who oversaw the launch of Nissan Motor’s Leaf EV in 2010, said Volvo has less room for error than its rivals because reputation for safety it is a central part of its identity as a company.
“Volvo cannot afford the safety issue because that strikes at the heart of their product,” said Palmer.
Volvo said they are contacting the owners of the affected vehicles to inform them of the next steps for the recall.
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Reuters contributed to this report.
