The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking into reports of loss of power in the Kia EV6 electric crossover. This news comes a few weeks after the agency began investigating similar problems in the close cousin of the EV, the Hyundai Ioniq 5. The investigation could potentially affect some 20,000 EV6 vehicles.
See also: The NHTSA Is Investigating Loss of Power in Hyundai Ioniq 5
The NHTSA says it has received 11 reports to date in relation to the problem. As with the Ioniq 5 cases, some owners are reporting hearing a loud popping sound that precedes a loss of power, in some cases partial and in others total. It’s believed the phenomenon is linked to malfunctioning of the integrated charge control unit (ICCU) that powers the vehicle's batteries.
In one reported case, an owner reported hearing the noise and then experiencing a loss of power, and was told by their Kia dealer’s service centre that diagnostics indicated the ICCU needed to be replaced.
In the case of the Ioniq 5, Hyundai’s initial assessment was that a power surge could damage the transistors, preventing the vehicle’s 12-volt battery from recharging.
For now the agency is looking at the severity of the problem and how wide-ranging it might be. The manufacturer could decide to issue a recall on its own, before the NHTSA arrives at any conclusions.
