Rumor: Hyundai Stopping Home Sales Of Kona EV Due To Recalls

Hyundai is reportedly halting sales of its popular Kona EV in South Korea due to issues leading to recall of these vehicles.

Reportedly, fires and faulty brakes led to mass recalls of the Kona EV, and the problem is apparently so bad that Hyundai is halting domestic sales of the EV.

While it is stopping Kona EV sales at home, Hyundai will reportedly continue sales in Europe. no mention is made of the United States. The domestic sales account for approximately a quarter of Kona EV sales.

“In October, Hyundai recalled Kona EVs in South Korea due to the risk of short circuit possibly caused by faulty manufacturing of its high-voltage battery cells,” Reuters reports. “The recall, which includes software updates and battery replacements after inspections, involves 25,564 Kona EVs built during September 2017 to March 2020.”

That’s on top of 50,864 Kona EV and Nexo hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles that were recalled because of faulty electronic braking systems. It’s apparently been a tough year for Hyundai EVs.

While the company is clearly having issues with the Kona EV, it is also on the verge of launching the Hyundai Ioniq 5, an electric crossover. It seems Hyundai may be considering whether to put all its electric resources into that model or work on reviving the Kona EV in South Korea. Or I’m making an incorrect assumption based on the slim details available so far.

The Kona EV has been one of the most popular electric vehicles in Europe, South Korea, and the United States. It was also 2019 CleanTechnica Car of the Year. I would assume that Hyundai’s goal is to revive the model once it works out these safety issues.

Top photo by Kyle Field, CleanTechnica