Based on the MLB Evo platform rather than an EV-specific architecture, the Audi e-tron and its better-looking brother have been hit with a recall. An estimated 26,866 vehicles produced for the 2019 through 2022 model years are equipped with LG Energy Solution E61V battery modules that – in certain scenarios – may overheat and catch fire.
The suspect battery module bears part number 4KE-915-591-H in Audi's part system. The Audi e-tron and e-tron Sportback feature 36 of them. The high-voltage battery is best described as a flat-ish block. Located beneath the passenger compartment, said battery is divided into two sections: a long one in the floor of the vehicle and a short one located beneath the rear seat.
Volkswagen Group of America reports that a small number of e-tron electric vehicles experienced thermal overload that resulted in smoke or fire from underneath the vehicle. However, the German automaker hasn't determined the root cause for this overheating condition. The risk, however, is associated with battery modules exhibiting a critical self-discharge behavior. Affected vehicles were manufactured between January 3, 2019 and March 11, 2022 at the Audi Brussels facility in Belgium.
On December 22, 2023, the Volkswagen Group of America instructed Audi dealers to install advanced onboard diagnostic software in order to detect any suspect changes in the battery module. Be that as it may, the software in question will become available in the third quarter of 2024. Vehicles with an active data plan will be monitored online. In case of a potentially critical module, Audi will advise the owner to charge the vehicle at 80 percent capacity until the module can be replaced by a technician.
Dealers have further been instructed to perform diagnostic procedures and replace any suspect battery module. Of course, dealers will also instruct owners to charge at no more than 80 percent capacity until the advanced onboard diagnostic software becomes available in the third quarter of 2024. As a brief refresher, the pre-facelift Audi e-tron and e-tron Sportback are equipped with 95- or 71-kWh batteries. The Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback, by comparison, offer 114- or 95-kWh battery packs.
Photo: Audi
Vehicles produced from March 2022 onward aren't affected because said vehicles use a different battery cell. For the Q8 siblings, Audi said "auf wiedersehen" to LG Energy Solution in favor of Samsung SDI. As per documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, owners will be notified via first-class mail no later than February 16, 2024. For the US market, an estimated 21,981 examples of the e-tron and 4,885 of the e-tron Sportback were produced with suspect modules.
Never a big seller, the e-tron premiered at the 2018 Paris Motor Show with – get this – only 204 miles of driving range. That's the EPA estimate rather than the more optimistic WLTP estimate. The swoopier e-tron Sportback launched for the 2022 model year with 218 miles, whereas the 2023 model year Audi e-tron topped 226 miles (364 kilometers). By comparison, the Q8 e-tron offers 285 miles (459 kilometers). The driving range champ, however, is the Q8 e-tron Sportback with its 300 miles (483 kilometers).
Still not impressive, though, but what did you expect from an electric vehicle based on a platform developed for ICE applications? The same applies to the J1 of the Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan, a platform derived from the MSB of the Bentley Continental GT, Flying Spur, and Panamera.
Looking forward, the Volkswagen Group intends to bring all of its electric vehicle platforms under the SSP banner. Come 2026, the Scalable Systems Platform will be introduced as the successor to the MEB of the Volkswagen ID.4 and PPE of the yet-to-debut Porsche Macan EV and Audi Q6 e-tron.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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