[경제]Kona battery replacement starting this month…Who will pay 1 trillion won?

[앵커]

The replacement of the batteries of three types of Hyundai electric vehicles, such as Kona EV, following a fire, will start from the end of this month (March).

All of the recall targets are 80,000 units, and the cost is around 1 trillion won.

In terms of cost sharing, Hyundai Motor Company and LG Energy Solutions, a battery maker, are expected to continue a tight tug of war.

This is reporter Lee Ji-eun.

[기자]

The Kona electric car after fifteen fires.

Hyundai Motor Company decided to enter the second recall to change the battery from the 29th.

This is due to a fire even in a car that has finished updating the battery management system in the first recall.

It can also be interpreted as reflecting the strong will to relieve anxiety by unveiling the new electric car Ioniq 5.

The targets include Kona and Ioniq electric cars, and the electric bus that burned down last month. The total number of cars was 26,000, and the total number of overseas sales exceeded 80,000.

Batteries account for 40% of the price of electric vehicles, and Hyundai estimates the recall cost of 1 trillion won.

This amounts to 36% of Hyundai Motor’s operating profit last year and 257% of LG Energy Solution’s operating profit.

Hyundai Motor Company and LG Energy Solutions, which have to share costs together, are still in conflict over the cause of the fire.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Hyundai Motors said that it was confirmed that a fire may have occurred due to defective manufacturing of some battery cells.

LG Energy Solutions refuted that it is difficult to see battery failure as a direct cause as a result of the experiment.

It also revealed that Hyundai Motors incorrectly applied the fast charging logic proposed by LG.

[김필수 / 대림대 자동차학과 교수 : 두 번의 발표가 있었는데 아직도 원인이 정확히 밝혀지지 않은 부분들은 그만큼 전기차 화재 원인을 밝히기 어렵다는 반증이기도 하고 또 열이 워낙 높기 때문에 다 녹아내린다는 겁니다.]

[이항구 / 한국자동차연구원 연구위원 : 이번 전기차 분야에서는 이게 새로운 사례이기 때문에 명확하게 원인을 밝히기도 좀 어렵지 않나 그렇게 봅니다.]

In the end, as it is not possible to determine who is responsible for the subsequent fires, the nervous war between Hyundai Motor Company and LG Energy Solutions, which has cost KRW 1 trillion in recall costs, is expected to continue for some time.

YTN Lee Ji-eun[[email protected]]is.

[저작권자(c) YTN & YTN plus 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]