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Mercedes Electric Vehicles Recalled Over Battery Software Error

Modern passenger vehicles, especially electric vehicles, are increasingly more complex. More electronic stuff automatically means more software, and – as it's often the case with software – coding errors do happen. Mercedes recently acknowledged a programming issue affecting 3,823 electric vehicles based on the EVA platform, which is also a noncompliance with safety standard number 305 (electrolyte spillage and electrical shock protection).
Mercedes EQE 20 photos
Photo: Mercedes / edited
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The German automaker became aware of a potential deviation from the required specifications in May 2022 during routine testing. More specifically, certain diagnostic functions of the battery management system might not work as intended. Back in March 2023, the Stuttgart-based company identified a warning indicator that might fail to inform the driver of a battery system malfunction.

Documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal that said issue was fixed in production back in September 2022. This, in turn, shows that Merc has been fully aware of the noncompliance condition since September 2022. The automaker that prides itself on delivering "the best or nothing" has already notified its US dealer network of the recall, instructing dealers to update the battery management system software at no charge to affected owners. Mercedes-branded envelopes will be delivered to said owners by first-class mail no later than June 27.

Suspect vehicles were manufactured for the 2022 and 2023 model years in the period between February 2021 and September 2022. A plug-in hybrid is also included, namely the S 580 e 4MATIC, that rocks an I6 engine as opposed to a V8 for the S 580 4MATIC. The fuel-sipping luxury sedan costs a whopping $122,550 sans destination charge. Its 21.5-kWh battery pack and permanently excited synchronous electric motor are much obliged to provide a zero-emission range of 100 kilometers (62 miles) on the WLTP.

There is no EPA estimate available at press time, but nevertheless, remember that Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure ratings are far more optimistic than those of the Environmental Protection Agency. The remainder of the recall population comprises all-electric vehicles, beginning with the EQE 350. The most basic specification for the E-Class of electric vehicles is joined by three variants of the larger EQS: the rear-wheel-drive 450 and 450+, plus the Mercedes-AMG EQS 53.

As opposed to the four-door EQE, the EQS is a liftback-style affair with five doors. The F-segment electric sedan is the first Mercedes built on the aforementioned EVA platform, which will be absorbed by the upcoming MB.EA vehicle architecture for medium and large applications. Merc intends to launch the MB.EA in 2025. It will be joined by the MMA for compact applications and AMG.EA for high-performance cars and utility vehicles. The commercial side of the business will get the VAN.EA platform sometime in 2025.

Looking at the bigger picture, Mercedes is going all in on electric vehicles where market conditions allow. The switch to all-electric vehicles will be complete by decade's end, which means that the 223 is the final S-Class to feature internal combustion engines.
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 Download: Mercedes EV BMS software recall (PDF)

About the author: Mircea Panait
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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.
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