Hyundai Motor Co. evaluates the driving range of the Kona Electric in a test run in Germany, in this file photo provided by the Korean automaker on Aug. 14, 2020.
SEOUL, Aug. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — Customers are up in arms as a recall of Hyundai Motor Co.’s Kona EV, which sparked controversy over safety following a series of fires, is being delayed.
Since March, the company was found to have recalled only 36 percent of 25,083 Kona EVs in the country.
At this speed, the recall is expected to drag on until early next year.
Ensuing complaints following the first round of recalls in October last year has led the company to issue a second recall and replace all batteries.
In the first round of recalls, the batteries were replaced only if there were defects in the battery management system (BMS) update. Hyundai was able to complete more than 90 percent of all recalls in less than one or two months.
This time, however, batteries need to be replaced for all recalled vehicles, which is expected to take a considerable amount of time, industry sources said.
In the meantime, frustrations continue to grow among Kona drivers after two additional fires were reported in South Korea in June and July, and one more overseas, reaching a total of 18 cases (13 in South Korea, five overseas).
The company recommends that drivers charge batteries no higher than 90 percent, causing inconvenience among drivers as seen in online communities.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
