Hyundai Motors announced back in February that more than 75,000 units of the Kona electric vehicles would be called back. The batteries of these cars were replaced due to a possible short circuit in the battery, which would cause the vehicle to catch on fire. Even after the automobile manufacturer recalled the faulty cars, Hyundai Kona electric car had two fire accidents on the same day. Moreover, these two incidents were not reported at the time of the accident. Last Wednesday, two fire accidents involving Kona electric vehicles occurred in South Korea and Norway.
Hyundai Motors recalled a large number of faulty Kona vehicles so as to avoid any casualties and complications; nonetheless, on June 29, 2021, two more Kona vehicles were caught on fire but these incidents were not reported, which could also indicate that there are more faulty Kona vehicles that the company has failed to recall.
The fire accident of the Hyundai Kona electric car in South Korea occurred at about 9:39 am local time last Wednesday. The car was parked on a beach in Boryeong City, 181 kilometers south of Seoul. The fire accident in Norway occurred at 10:30 am local time.
After an impressive effort on the fire department’s part, the fire was put out; however, one car in South Korea was severely damaged. However, an official has mentioned that, in the case of the Norway Kona vehicle incident, that it is highly unlikely that the car caught on fire. Subsequently, the spokesperson also mentioned that they are investigating the cause of the fire.
They are yet to announce the results of their inquiry. For the fire accident in South Korea, the Korea Automobile Testing and Research Institute (KATRI) under the Korea Transportation Safety Administration, Hyundai Motor, and battery manufacturers are also investigating the cause of the fire.
