In a recent development, eleven Kia EV6 owners have raised concerns regarding a loss of motive power, leading to the initiation of a Preliminary Evaluation by the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) in the United States. All of the affected vehicles involved in the complaints belong to the 2022 model year.
According to multiple EV6 owners, they encountered a sudden “loud pop noise” while driving, followed by a warning appearing on their dashboard. Shortly after these events, they experienced either a reduction or a complete loss of motive power.
Through interviews conducted by the ODI, it was confirmed that the time intervals between the warning message and the loss of power varied, as did the extent of power reduction experienced.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) official document reveals a noteworthy “strong correlation” between these incidents and the failure of the Integrated Control Charging Units (ICCU). The ICCU is responsible for supplying power to both the high-voltage and low-voltage batteries of the electric vehicle. Preliminary findings from the review indicate that an over-current within the ICCU might be the underlying cause, leading to potential damage to the transistors (FET) in the DC-to-DC converter. Consequently, the 12V battery fails to recharge, resulting in a diminished or complete loss of motive power, as well as the inability to utilize other vehicle systems. In some instances, the complaints were associated with the occurrence of a depleted 12V battery on multiple occasions.
The ongoing investigation aims to ascertain the “scope and severity” of the problem and evaluate any safety-related implications. Should the Office of Defects Investigation’s Preliminary Evaluation result in a recall, approximately 19,824 units of the 2022 Kia EV6 may be affected.
NHTSA Document
[pdf-embedder url=”https://evmagz.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/INOA-PE23012-8615.pdf”]
