Photo: BMW/NHTSA/edited by autoevolution
The BMW i4 and iX are the more recent pieces of evidence of what early adopters have to endure. For the privilege of being the first ones to drive a car, they are also the ones that face all problems a more mature manufacturing process should avoid. After a recall in January, they are getting another one due to fire risk.
To the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), BMW said that “the high-voltage battery may not have been produced according to specifications. During battery cell production at the supplier, a cathode plate may have been damaged, which could have allowed pieces/debris to enter a battery cell. As a result, this could lead to a short circuit.”
The issue affected 56 iX and 27 i4 units in the U.S. Considering these cars are made in Europe, the problem certainly plagues more vehicles worldwide. So far, BMW has not revealed how many. It just said the solution is replacing the defective battery modules. The German carmaker buys these cells from Samsung SDI. While the replacement is not possible, BMW asked affected owners to stop driving and charging these cars. They are also required to “park their vehicles away from structures.”
BMW discovered the issue on April 16 due to “a non-US field incident involving a 2022 BMW i4 eDrive40.” On June 3, the company heard about a similar incident with a 2022 iX xDrive50 in the U.S. On June 19, another one followed abroad with a 2022 BMW iX M60.
The German carmaker did not explain exactly what happened in these “field incidents” but reinforced it “has not received any reports” related to it. The carmaker also said it is not aware “of any accidents or injuries” associated with the defect, which makes the field incidents even more mysterious. The investigation revealed the cathode plate issue.
In January, BMW recalled the i4 and iX because “the crash pads for the high-voltage battery may not have been assembled. This can cause damage to the high-voltage battery in the event of a serious side crash and may cause a short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.” The recall affected 1,246 electric cars: 1,063 units of the i4 and 183 of the iX.
The issue affected 56 iX and 27 i4 units in the U.S. Considering these cars are made in Europe, the problem certainly plagues more vehicles worldwide. So far, BMW has not revealed how many. It just said the solution is replacing the defective battery modules. The German carmaker buys these cells from Samsung SDI. While the replacement is not possible, BMW asked affected owners to stop driving and charging these cars. They are also required to “park their vehicles away from structures.”
BMW discovered the issue on April 16 due to “a non-US field incident involving a 2022 BMW i4 eDrive40.” On June 3, the company heard about a similar incident with a 2022 iX xDrive50 in the U.S. On June 19, another one followed abroad with a 2022 BMW iX M60.
The German carmaker did not explain exactly what happened in these “field incidents” but reinforced it “has not received any reports” related to it. The carmaker also said it is not aware “of any accidents or injuries” associated with the defect, which makes the field incidents even more mysterious. The investigation revealed the cathode plate issue.
In January, BMW recalled the i4 and iX because “the crash pads for the high-voltage battery may not have been assembled. This can cause damage to the high-voltage battery in the event of a serious side crash and may cause a short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.” The recall affected 1,246 electric cars: 1,063 units of the i4 and 183 of the iX.
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