The update affects the battery management system.
HyundaiThe Hyundai Kona Electric has reportedly received a battery update of some sort following reports of two fires, one in Canada and another in South Korea.
InsideEVs reported Thursday that the South Korean automaker pushed a software update of some sort to owners to tweak the battery management system. The update "contains additional diagnostic health monitoring of the high-voltage battery and cells to ensure continued quality performance of the vehicle."
When Hyundai pushed the update isn't totally clear. The Kona Electric fire in Canada occurred last year, while the fire in South Korean happened on May 29 of this year. According to South Korean news agency SBS News, the Kona Electric was parked and charging when the fire began. EV fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish, due to the way a lithium-ion battery burns. According to the report, the entire car was lost in the blaze. An investigation remains ongoing.
As for the fire in Canada, the CBC reported last year that the vehicle's owner first heard an explosion before the fire began and the garage partially collapsed with the Kona Electric inside. It's not clear if the electric car was charging at the time. The investigation remains ongoing.
Exact details on the battery update aren't available. Hyunda didn't immediately return Roadshow's request for comment on the battery management system and the investigations.
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