US opens safety probe into Hyundai Ioniq 5 EVs over power loss reports By Reuters

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating nearly 40,000 Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric vehicles for reports of power loss while driving that may be related to a battery charging problem.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s preliminary investigation covers the 2022 model year vehicles after it received 30 consumer complaints alleging loss of acceleration. The agency said that many consumers reported a loud popping noise followed by a warning on their dashboard, and immediately experienced a loss of power that ranged from a decrease in acceleration to a complete loss.

NHTSA said it has learned from Hyundai Motor Co. that the failure is related to the integrated charge control module responsible for powering both the main electric vehicle and the 12-volt low-voltage batteries. NHTSA said an initial review indicated that too much current inside the unit could damage transistors, resulting in an inability to recharge a 12-volt battery. The agency said it conducted several interviews with owners that confirmed a combination of power loss and varying periods of time between the warning message and power loss.

NHTSA has not reported any accidents or injuries related to the matter.

Hyundai did not immediately comment.

One complaint stated that a driver was traveling 75 miles (120 km) per hour on a highway using Advanced Highway Assist and “the vehicle has become completely unresponsive”. There was a semi-trailer truck behind him, the driver added, “and one to my right in the slow lane. The car stopped accelerating and I couldn’t resume driving. I had to pull over to the side of the road. The highway.”

According to another complaint in February, a driver on a freeway in Santa Maria, California heard a loud popping sound coming from my car and “within a few seconds my car rapidly lost speed, from 55 mph to 25 and then a second later 22 mph.”