Volvo is recalling some 40,000 EX30s worldwide over a potentially defective battery pack; this is an expansion of an initial recall announced in January that targeted only 125 units in Canada and the United States. The recall impacts both single-motor and dual-motor variants of the new EV.
That first recall affected 85 EX30s in Canada as well as 40 more in the U.S., and it was accompanied by a recommendation to park the vehicle outside and away from buildings until the issue was fixed. This new announcement thus marks a major expansion and is the result, surely, of a deeper investigation by the carmaker into the extent of the problem.
The problem
A possible defect within the EV’s high-voltage battery can lead to overheating, which creates the risk of a short circuit – which could in turn lead to a fire. That could potentially happen even while the vehicle is parked and turned off.
The problem can be traced to battery packs supplied by Shandong Geely Sunwoda Power Battery Co., a joint venture that includes Chinese auto giant Geely, which is Volvo’s parent company.
According to Transport Canada, owners may see a message warning of overheating displayed on the instrument panel if the defect is present.
Volvo says it has not yet received any reports of accidents, fires or injuries related to the problem, so this is a preventive measure it is taking.
The solution
Volvo says it has resolved the original issue at the manufacturing stage. It will be contacting owners of affected vehicles (though no timeline on that has yet been given), and asking them to bring their vehicle to their dealership. There, technicians will install new battery modules.
In the meantime, the automaker asks owners to continue to avoid parking the vehicles indoors or near building if possible. Owners are also being asked not to charge their EX30 to more than 70 percent of full capacity.