Jaguar issued an urgent do-not-drive recall of an older-model electric I-Pace SUV due to risk of fire.
The British automaker’s North American unit recalled nearly 2,800 of the 2019 I-Pace model year because their high-voltage batteries can overheat, potentially igniting.
The same group of vehicles were earlier recalled over the same problem. Jaguar has since developed an interim repair remedy and thus recalled them anew. It’s still working on a permanent solution.
The temporary fix involves dealers updating the batteries’ energy control module software.
Jaguar meanwhile warned owners to park the vehicles outdoors and away from buildings until they’re repaired and for 30 days after repair.
The company is scheduled to mail recall notices to owners on Oct. 18.
Though there appears to be no hard evidence that electric-vehicle batteries are more prone to fire risk than gas-powered vehicles, dealerships are still advised to take extra precautions to mitigate the risk, including specialized technician training and facility accommodations in case of a blaze. EV fires can take longer to extinguish.
South Korea is pushing automakers operating there to reveal the source of their EV batteries after a series of vehicle fires in the country, where a lithium battery factory blaze also killed 23 people in June.
