Thousands of electric vehicles recalled in Australia due to battery fire risk

Thousands of Australian drivers will be asked to check their electric vehicle batteries as part of a global recall involving more than 100,000 cars.Hyundai issued a local recall for almost 5,000 vehicles on Friday due to a fault with its battery management software that could cause a fire while the car is recharging or while it is parked.The recall involves two Hyundai models: the Kona EV manufactured between 2018 and 2023, and the Ioniq EV made between 2018 and 2022.The announcement comes after the company began warning vehicle owners worldwide in March, and almost five years after Hyundai Ioniq vehicles were recalled in Australia over a separate battery issue.The federal transport department announced the recall of 3,478 Hyundai Kona electric cars and 1,402 Ioniq EVs, warning drivers they would be contacted by the manufacturer to organise an assessment.“A software issue in the Battery Management System may cause an electrical short circuit while charging or parked, leading to a vehicle fire,” the recall said.“A vehicle fire could increase the risk of injury or death to vehicle occupants, other road users and bystanders.”Hyundai Australian dealers will diagnose the car batteries and issue a software update or hardware fix to address the fault.The Australian recall comes weeks after the South Korean manufacturer issued a worldwide warning for 104,011 models potentially affected by faulty battery software.Batteries in the company’s Ioniq were also recalled and replaced in 2021 after the discovery of a manufacturing defect.Despite concerns about potential risks with battery-powered cars, only 13 electric vehicles have been involved in fires in Australia between 2021 and March 2026, according to EV Firesafe.Two of the 13 fires were caused by arson attacks, four by high-speed collisions, three by external fires, and others remain under investigation.