US agency opens probe into EV batteries

US safety regulators have begun an investigation into electric and hybrid vehicle batteries after five automotive manufacturers issued recalls due to possible defects that could cause fires or stalling.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says the “equipment query” covers about 138,324 vehicles with batteries made by LG Energy Solution of South Korea, Stuff reports on the Associated Press (AP) story.

Teslarati also covers the issue.

General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Stellantis and Volkswagen have issued recalls since February 2020, most due to internal battery failures that can increase the fire risk, Stuff adds.

According to reports, the NHTSA says it will write to LG and other companies that might have bought similar batteries to make sure recalls are being done when needed. AP says it left messages seeking comment from LG Energy Solution.

The NHTSA has a special site for recalls, particularly any associated with fire risks. It is providing the new tool to vehicle owners to help them quickly identify if their vehicle has an urgent safety recall where the vehicle should not be driven or parked inside until fixed.

The latest investigation comes amid a global EV roll-out to replace internal combustion vehicles (ICE) to help cut emissions and fight climate change.

Ford and BMW also have recalled batteries in recent years. The US National Transportation Safety Board also investigated a series of fires in Tesla EVs, saying the high-voltage lithium-ion batteries pose safety risks to first responders after crashes.

Data on EV fires is limited, but a small sample in April 2021 by the insurance industry’s Highway Loss Data Institute found that EVs and their conventional ICE counterparts had about the same number of non-crash fire claims per 1000 insured vehicle years, Stuff says.

“The institute tracked claims for 10 EVs and their ICE equivalents and found that EVs had 0.19 fire claims per 1000 insured vehicle years compared with 0.2 for ICE counterparts.”

LG Energy Solution tells the Detroit News it understands the NHTSA’s latest request is a follow-up procedure to determine if the same or similar batteries involved in the recalls were supplied to other OEMs, adding it will fully cooperate with the enquiry.