Due to the high-voltage lithium-ion batteries used to keep them running, electric vehicles are especially prone to shortening in a fire that is larger and more difficult to control than is typically seen in gas-powered engines.
What models have been called?
The latest car company to issue a recall notice is the German luxury car maker BMW (BMWYY) .
First spotted by auto site Autoblog, it said a “small number” of 2022 i4 sedans and iX SUVs have been recalled due to the risk of battery fires.
xDrive 50, iX M60, i4 eDrive40 and i4 M50 are some of the affected models.
The recall was preceded by an incident in which a 2022 i4 eDrive safety inspection in April found pieces of cathode debris inside the battery.
The cathode, or negatively charged particle, is necessary to keep the electrical device running, but by creating a high energy density, it can lead to fires.
Two similar incidents with the 2022 iX xDrive50 and 2022 iX M60 were reported later in June.
“Fortunately, the recall affects very few vehicles,” BMW spokesman Jay Hanson told the media. “Our customer relations team has already proactively reached out to all owners of affected vehicles to provide information and assistance.”
Go to follow
While dealers have already been informed of the problem and advised to pull the cars off their parts, all owners are expected to receive an announcement by letter September 19.
In total, 83 vehicles are now affected and BMW has advised owners not to drive them and keep them parked away from other vehicles.
Electric vehicle fires: politics
Car fires are still quite rare in the industry in general, with research by insurance company AutoinsuranceEZ finding that electric motors have a 0.03% chance of catching fire while for gas engines they have a 1.5% chance.
But due to the potential for serious damage, the risk of a vehicle fire can lead to extensive recalls. Back in December, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration forced Tesla to recall more than 54,000 Model 3 and Model S vehicles.
More recently, Ford Motor Co. (F) – Get a Ford Motor Company report It also announced that it will recall approximately 48,924 Ford Mustang Mach-Es produced between May 27, 2020 and May 24, 2022, due to a safety defect.
The Mustang Mach-E is a direct competitor to Tesla’s Model Y.
Stories of a mother of five dying after being trapped inside a Tesla car during a fire or firefighters having to use more than 30,000 gallons of water to put out a Tesla fire have sparked wider outrage from the public.
Meanwhile, Conservative groups and lobbyists in the auto industry often use any problem with the electric car to point out why people choose gas-powered cars instead even if the industry is moving quickly toward electric.
McKinsey data shows electric vehicle sales are up more than 40% from 2016.
“Anytime you have this new technology, you’re going to have new problems pop up – problems they can’t anticipate – and that’s where you’re going to see this increase in recalls,” Sedgwick’s head of sales, Wayne Mitchell, recently told Axios.
BMW stock was largely unaffected by the stock pull, with shares in the past five days up more than 6% to $27.45.