Photo: Hyundai
Early adopters are heroes in the sense that they volunteer to discover everything that can go wrong with a product for the privilege of being the first ones to have them. That lesson’s most recent episode came from the Ioniq 5, which can present coolant leaks. According to UPI, a Hyundai spokesman has admitted that but said that there are no fire risks involved.
Although electric cars need no front grilles, they need coolant in their BMSs (Battery Management Systems). Some manufacturers have tried to adopt air-cooled battery packs, but they ended up shortening the lifespan of these components. Currently, liquid-cooled battery packs are the most trustworthy, even if they are also heavier and more complex.
In the Ioniq 5, it is not clear what is causing the leaks. According to UPI, the Hyundai spokesman would have said they are due to production problems and poor circulation of the coolant due to water pump failures.
We can’t help to think about what Sandy Munro saw on the Ford Mustang Mach-E as a possible cause for the leaks. The engineer found multiple hoses, spring clamps, COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) Ts, nipples, and connectors in a complex arrangement that he feared would lead to leaks in the future. It is not unlikely that the Hyundai Ioniq 5’s cooling system is as complicated as that of the Ford. So far, no company has presented a solution even remotely similar to that Tesla delivered with the Octavalve or the Super Manifold.
Hyundai did not disclose how it plans to fix the problem nor when. It also did not inform if it has addressed the situation in production lines to avoid manufacturing new units with the same issues. After the Kona Electric fires, the company has to act fast.
In that case, Hyundai said the LG Energy Solution cells had a manufacturing problem – a folded anode tab – that caused the short circuits and fires. Although there have been no registered cases of Ioniq 5 fires, the coolant leaks are concerning. Tesla was accused of knowing about coolant leaks that would have led to battery fires in the past because the dried coolant would become flammable. The accusation was considered ridiculous by independent and reputable specialists in the brand. Let’s wait to see how Hyundai solves this matter.
In the Ioniq 5, it is not clear what is causing the leaks. According to UPI, the Hyundai spokesman would have said they are due to production problems and poor circulation of the coolant due to water pump failures.
We can’t help to think about what Sandy Munro saw on the Ford Mustang Mach-E as a possible cause for the leaks. The engineer found multiple hoses, spring clamps, COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) Ts, nipples, and connectors in a complex arrangement that he feared would lead to leaks in the future. It is not unlikely that the Hyundai Ioniq 5’s cooling system is as complicated as that of the Ford. So far, no company has presented a solution even remotely similar to that Tesla delivered with the Octavalve or the Super Manifold.
Hyundai did not disclose how it plans to fix the problem nor when. It also did not inform if it has addressed the situation in production lines to avoid manufacturing new units with the same issues. After the Kona Electric fires, the company has to act fast.
In that case, Hyundai said the LG Energy Solution cells had a manufacturing problem – a folded anode tab – that caused the short circuits and fires. Although there have been no registered cases of Ioniq 5 fires, the coolant leaks are concerning. Tesla was accused of knowing about coolant leaks that would have led to battery fires in the past because the dried coolant would become flammable. The accusation was considered ridiculous by independent and reputable specialists in the brand. Let’s wait to see how Hyundai solves this matter.
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