Smaller Mercedes EVs face recall

Last week, the Mercedes EQB for the 2021 to 2024 model years was recalled in the US after several vehicle fires. Now, the German Federal Motor Transport Authority’s recall database shows that the sister model EQA is also affected.

Mercedes, authorities, and suppliers’ investigations revealed that the cause was probably a problem with the high-voltage battery, even if the damage only occurred under certain environmental conditions.

EQA also involved

While the American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has only commented on the just over 7,000 EQBs affected in the US, the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (Kraftfahrt Bundesamt or KBA)  has now provided more detailed information in its recall database.

According to the KBA, the EQB and the EQA with the identical battery (EB330) are affected. 33,705 vehicles built between 2021 and 2024 are concerned worldwide, 3,119 in Germany.

Short circuits

The problem description in the KBA database is similar but much shorter than in the US documents: “Short circuits in the high-voltage battery can lead to fire.” The NHTSA specified more details: “variations during an early stage production period at the supplier, combined with local external influencing factors (such as the occurrence of electric current ripples in the charging infrastructure or potential mechanical damage to the high-voltage battery”.

NHTSA named the Chinese manufacturer Farasis Energy as the supplier. “As a result of that analysis, Mercedes-Benz’s understanding was that, while no specific root cause was found, factors arising from certain EB330 production issues, combined with external conditions in the local market, could lead to the thermal events,” the NHTSA said. EB330 is the type of battery installed in the EQB and EQA.

The measures to fix the problem are the same: “The battery management system software will be updated. Until the remedy is available, customers are instructed to charge the battery to a maximum of 80 percent,” explains the KBA. Affected owners should contact the vehicle manufacturer or an authorized workshop.

Isolated cases of damage

The KBA recall database states that Mercedes-Benz AG is “aware of isolated cases of material damage.” The US documents still mentioned five vehicle fires in China.

However, some readers of the German website electrive.com commented on an article about the US recall that there had been fires in Germany, too. Whether these are connected to the battery problem is currently unknown, but it will likely be an important question for insurance companies.