With even Mini EVs being a hazard, is it time to accept that EVs are inherently flawed?
More than 1,400 luxury electric vehicles are being recalled in Australia due to concerns that their batteries could short-circuit and ignite while being driven. The Australian federal transport department announced the recall on Tuesday for Mini Cooper SE electric cars sold in the country from 2020 to 2023.
This action follows a broader recall of over 140,000 Mini Cooper vehicles initiated by manufacturer BMW globally earlier this month. The Australian recall specifically targets a software defect that could compromise the safety of these vehicles. According to the transport department, the issue affects 1,408 cars, significantly raising the risk of serious injury or death for passengers.
Moreover, the defect lies in the high-voltage battery management software, which lacks adequate protections against short-circuit events. If such a short-circuit occurs, it could potentially result in a fire while the vehicle is either in motion or parked.
BMW has confirmed that this faulty software can be rectified through an update, urging owners to promptly contact their local Mini dealerships to arrange for the necessary repairs. The Australian recall comes in the wake of BMW’s global recall, which included 39,000 vehicles in Germany and more than 12,000 in the United States.
On top of that, the company emphasised that a vehicle fire cannot be ruled out, even when the car is parked. Despite rising concerns surrounding the safety of electric vehicles, statistics from EV FireSafe indicate that Australia has only experienced six electric car fires since 2010. These incidents included one case of arson, two collisions, and three vehicles parked near a fire.
In New Zealand, a spokesperson for Mini confirmed awareness of the global recalls affecting the previous generation of Mini Cooper SE models produced between 10 June 2020 and 1 December 2022. Quality tests revealed that 14 vehicles in New Zealand were impacted by this recall due to an error indicated by a check control message.
Wbzt;s more, all affected customers have been contacted, with seven already having received the necessary repairs. Dealers are currently coordinating with the remaining customers to schedule vehicle checks and any required repairs.
The spokesperson stressed that the safety of BMW Group customers remains the top priority, and efforts will continue to work closely with dealers to manage the recall effectively. It is important to note that this recall affects only the older Mini Cooper (F56) model and not the newer variant (J01).
We got all this from The Canberra Times and their full article is linked here. Thank you Canberra Times for the information and images.
