Hyundai, Kia To Recall 1,70,000 EVs Over Software Issue In South Korea: Report

Hyundai Motor Co and sister company Kia Corp have announced that they will recall about 170,000 electric vehicles (EVs) in South Korea over problems with software in the charging systems, reported news agency Reuters quoting South Korea's transport ministry.

"Hyundai Motor and Kia will take prompt actions to prevent customer inconvenience and will continue to prioritize the safety of our customers and their vehicles," Hyundai Motor Group said in a statement.

As per the report, Hyundai will recall 113,916 EVs in the country, affecting five EV models, including Ioniq-series and Genesis models while  Kia will recall 56,016 EVs. Errors have been found in the software of the integrated charging control units used in 1,70,000 Hyundai and Kia EVs, which could make it difficult to power a low-voltage battery and lead to the possibility that the vehicles could stop while driving, the ministry said.

On the other hand, European Union (EU) witnessed a rise in the sale of battery-only electric passenger cars in 2022 reveals the data shared by Eurostat, which is the statistical office of the European Union. It also showcased an increase in the number of battery-only electric passenger cars in the EU. The highest share of the new passenger cars (aged 2 years and less) among the EU members was registered in Luxembourg (18% of all passenger cars in Luxembourg), followed by Germany and Sweden (both 15%), Belgium, Ireland and Austria (all 13%). Meanwhile, the oldest passenger cars (20 years or older) were registered in Estonia (34%), Romania (31%), Finland (30%), Poland (29%) and Portugal (26%)

Recently, the Union Government has approved a scheme on Friday (March 15) to promote electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing in India and to attract investments in the e-vehicle space by key global manufacturers.