Photo: LGES
The battery fires that got Chevrolet Bolt and Hyundai Kona recalled are still fresh in people’s memory. The recall put a lot of strain on LG Energy Solution, the Korean company that supplied the batteries. The problems are far from over, though, as the same batteries are used in residential energy storage systems. One of them might be in your home right now.
The Chevrolet Bolt is probably the most prominent example of what can happen when Li-Ion batteries are not built correctly. Dozens of cars ended their careers in flames, and in the aftermath, LG was almost put out of business. But the Chevrolet Bolt owners weren’t the only ones to suffer because of the faulty LGES batteries.
Many car brands use the same batteries because LGES is a major supplier for the car industry. Hyundai was in a similar position to Chevrolet with its Kona EV recall. According to NHTSA, more than 138,000 electric vehicles are using faulty LGES batteries in the U.S. alone, including those made by Stellantis, Volkswagen, and Ford. NHTSA wants to ensure all the faulty batteries are replaced, regardless of the car manufacturer.
But as it turns out, LG’s exploding cells have spread much further than initially thought. They are used not only by the car industry but also in residential energy storage systems worldwide. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) confirmed this and issued a warning to homeowners to check their energy storage systems amid a national recall of those batteries.
More specifically, ACCC has warned that some LG-branded batteries using cells manufactured between March 2017 and September 2018 could overheat and catch fire. Although LGES issued a recall in February 2021 for an estimated 7,200 of the affected batteries, very few of them were actually replaced: only about 800, according to ACCC. The consumer watchdog pointed out that faulty batteries have been linked to nine fires in Australia and five in the U.S., causing property damage and injuring two people.
“We encourage consumers to urgently check if they have an LG, Solax, or Opal solar energy storage battery included in the recall by LG,” said ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard, according to PV Magazine. “These batteries have already caused injury and fire damage to properties and could lead to serious injuries or death.”
The Commission warned the residents to switch off the batteries and contact LGES for a free replacement. The faulty batteries might have got not only in LG-branded systems but also in other brand’s products for which LGES was a supplier of Li-ion batteries.
Many car brands use the same batteries because LGES is a major supplier for the car industry. Hyundai was in a similar position to Chevrolet with its Kona EV recall. According to NHTSA, more than 138,000 electric vehicles are using faulty LGES batteries in the U.S. alone, including those made by Stellantis, Volkswagen, and Ford. NHTSA wants to ensure all the faulty batteries are replaced, regardless of the car manufacturer.
But as it turns out, LG’s exploding cells have spread much further than initially thought. They are used not only by the car industry but also in residential energy storage systems worldwide. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) confirmed this and issued a warning to homeowners to check their energy storage systems amid a national recall of those batteries.
More specifically, ACCC has warned that some LG-branded batteries using cells manufactured between March 2017 and September 2018 could overheat and catch fire. Although LGES issued a recall in February 2021 for an estimated 7,200 of the affected batteries, very few of them were actually replaced: only about 800, according to ACCC. The consumer watchdog pointed out that faulty batteries have been linked to nine fires in Australia and five in the U.S., causing property damage and injuring two people.
“We encourage consumers to urgently check if they have an LG, Solax, or Opal solar energy storage battery included in the recall by LG,” said ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard, according to PV Magazine. “These batteries have already caused injury and fire damage to properties and could lead to serious injuries or death.”
The Commission warned the residents to switch off the batteries and contact LGES for a free replacement. The faulty batteries might have got not only in LG-branded systems but also in other brand’s products for which LGES was a supplier of Li-ion batteries.
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