The issue with EV batteries continue with Chinese electric car maker NIO issuing a recall recently. NIO recalled more than a quarter of all its ES8 all-electric SUVs sold thus far due to a risk of overheating and spontaneous combustion in battery packs of the vehicles.
At the moment is stands that 4,803 ES8 electric vehicles that were manufactured between April 2-October 19, 2018 are involved in the recall.
Three NIO fires have been reported in China during the past few months. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a new notice last week that requires EV makers to quickly issue reports about vehicle-related fires and EV carmakers who don’t do so could face sanctions.
NIO management earlier this year cancelled their new manufacturing factory for Shanghai after reporting a USD1.4 billion net loss in 2018.
A team of experts from NIO investigated a reported fire involving an ES8 in Shanghai. The team concluded there was a vulnerability in the design of the battery pack that could cause a short circuit.
The battery packs in the vehicles involved were equipped with a module specification NEV-P50. These packs were pressing up against voltage sampling cable harness due to improper positioning, Nio said. The insulation on the cable may wear out due to this repeated contact and cause a short circuit, Nio determined.
NIO said other ES8 vehicles that have experienced issues had the same battery pack.
