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, Feb. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — Owners of Hyundai Motor Co.’s Kona Electric have lost a lawsuit against the automaker for a series of fires caused by battery issues.
The Seoul Central District Court has ruled in favor of Hyundai in a compensation lawsuit filed by 173 Kona EV owners against the automaker.
A series of fires involving Kona EVs sparked widespread controversy, after which Hyundai voluntarily recalled some 25,000 units in October 2020.
The recall involved updating the Battery Management System (BMS) and replacing the battery if there were any abnormalities like excessive voltage gap between cells, and oscillating temperatures.
The car owners argued that the recall wasn’t sufficient, suing the company in November of the same year.
They requested compensation for physical and mental damages for the deteriorating reputation of the Kona EV and its devaluation in the secondhand market.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced in February 2021 that defects had been found among several high-voltage batteries manufactured by LG Energy Solution Ltd.’s plant in Nanjing, China.
The production of Kona EVs has been halted since March 2021.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
