Tata Motors-owned brand Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has reportedly issued a voluntary recall for almost 6,400 I-PACE models in the US due to their high-voltage batteries that may overheat, increasing fire risk.
Notably, the recall comes after eight reported fire incidents emerged in the US involving the I-PACE vehicles.
Scope of the recall
Jaguar is recalling approximately 6,367 I-PACE vehicles from the 2019 to 2024 model years, per the company’s filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
To be specific, the automaker is starting a recall campaign for all the US-shipped I-PACE models manufactured from June 5, 2018, to May 25, 2023, and produced from the e Graz Vehicle Assembly Plant. The problematic battery is a 90-kWh from LG Energy Solution.
“Vehicles have experienced thermal overload which may show as smoke or fire, that may occur underneath the vehicle where high voltage traction battery is located. Investigations are continuing.”
NHTSA
Chronology
Jaguar claims it initially discovered the battery issue on February 2, 2022, after its Product Safety and Compliance Committee got a vehicle file case report. JLR tasked its engineering team to investigate and address the said incident.
The engineering team obtained the EV batteries that encountered thermal overload, which led to smoke and fire. After their internal investigation, JLR handed the defective batteries to their manufacturer, South Korea’s LG Energy Solution, for further evaluation.
Fix
JLR has not yet found a permanent solution to the batter fire issue. Nonetheless, it at least aims to protect owners by installing a new Battery Energy Control Module software to the affected models. According to the filings, the automaker will start communicating with owners about the update on July 21.
In essence, this planned update will effectively monitor the status of the battery pack, identifying when it is at risk of overheating. Moreover, it will also cap the high-voltage battery’s charging rate to only 75%.
It is also worth noting that JLR is willing to replace the defective battery packs for free and reimburse owners who have already replaced them due to the current issues, if necessary.
See Also:
- Jaguar I-PACE sales down in Q3 since the launch
- Jaguar and Land Rover charging comes to the UK
- Who makes electric car batteries?
- Are electric cars dependable?
- Can I charge my EV at home?
Fortunately, JLR has not received any reports of crashes, serious injuries, or fatalities due to these battery fires.
In the meantime, the automaker advised owners to park their I-PACES models away from buildings and charge outdoors until recall repairs concluded.
