The recall of electric Mercedes models has turned out to be much larger than initially thought. The fire hazard problem now spreads to 33,000 cars in Europe.
Mercedes-Benz has significantly expanded its recall of electric vehicles, now covering 33,705 EQB and EQA models sold across Europe.
This is stated by the German response to the Danish Road Safety Authority, KBA.
This is all happening because Mercedes has determined that there is a risk of fire in the cars' battery packs. Owners of the affected electric cars are advised not to charge their vehicles to more than 80 percent of the battery's capacity.
In the US, the recall began last week. Here, 7,362 EQBs from model years 2021 to 2024 may be affected by the defect.
The cars are equipped with batteries from the Chinese manufacturer Farasis Energy. The batteries do not work as they should, and in the worst case scenario, the entire car could catch fire.
So far, Mercedes has not registered that any people have been injured due to the dangerous batteries.
But now it's Europe's turn, where the recall also includes the sister model EQA, which shares a battery and platform with the EQB.
At a global European level, there are a total of 33,705 electric cars, of which only 3,119 are in Germany, according to Electrive.
It is still unclear how many cars have been sold in other countries. It is not known whether the cars in Denmark are part of the recall, but if so, owners will be notified via the Motor Register.
Mercedes says the issue may be resolved with a software update. Until then, owners are advised to limit charging to 80 percent. Mercedes has previously commented on the recall.
– Due to the combination of certain production and vehicle usage conditions, an internal short circuit of a battery cell in the high-voltage battery may occur, the car brand says.
The problems with Mercedes' electric cars are reminiscent of challenges faced by other manufacturers. Recently, both Audi and Jaguar were hit by battery problems that could lead to fires.
For Jaguar, the problem is so extensive that the American importer has chosen to buy back 2,760 copies of the I-Pace electric car.
Here in Denmark, the importer does not believe that the error is present. Instead, the importer maintains that the Danish Safety Technology Authority has approved a software update that should keep the problem at bay.
On the other hand, there are indications that this is far from enough. In Norway, for example, an I-Pace is left with an unusable car because the battery died after just 35,000 kilometers. Read more about that case here.
At Audi, the Ministry of Industry and Energy has recalled 43,000 and 27,000 units of the e-tron 55 model in Europe and the United States, respectively.
Here too, owners were asked not to fully charge their cars. Jaguar has not yet found a permanent solution to the problem, and Audi has been working on a solution for a year without any progress.
In fact, the batteries in Audi's plug-in hybrids are also a problem. Owners of those cars have been directly told not to charge their cars. Boosted has heard from several Audi owners who are dismayed that the importer has no solution ready.
If you own a recalled Audi with battery problems, we would like to hear from you. Write an email to web editor Bjorn S. Nielsen at bj@boosted.dk.
