Volvo AB has announced a recall of almost all battery-powered electric trucks produced in the U.S. over the past four years. This precautionary measure is being taken to address a potential issue that could result in a battery fire.
The recall applies to approximately 172 vehicles under the Volvo brand and nine Mack Trucks manufactured between 2019 and 2023. The decision to replace the batteries was prompted by a recent incident of a battery fire at Volvo’s assembly plant in Virginia, as reported by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Fortunately, the fire was contained within the battery and did not spread further.
Ensuring the safety of their customers is a top priority for Volvo AB, which is why they have taken swift action to rectify this potential risk.
The trucks have battery packs supplied by Akasol AG, and the problem is limited to a specific plant in the U.S. The batteries have technical issues with power distribution that may result in debris getting inside the pack, which can potentially cause a short circuit and increase the likelihood of a fire.
“The third-generation version of the batteries Akasol have delivered may catch fire,” said Claes Eliasson, a Volvo spokesperson.
The growing use of battery packs in transportation is drawing increased attention to the risk of fires. Although combustion-engine vehicles are just as susceptible to catching fire as electric vehicles, extinguishing battery fires is more challenging due to self-oxidizing lithium salts that can cause them to reignite. In fact, extinguishing a battery fire requires thousands of gallons of water, far more than what is needed to stop a fire in a gasoline car.
In a recent incident, Nikola Corp. attributed a fire that affected multiple big rigs at its Phoenix headquarters to foul play. Meanwhile, the cause of a recent blaze on a containership carrying thousands of cars, including electric vehicles, is still under investigation.
Source: Transport Topics
