Yikes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into 40,000 Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric vehicles, the 2022 model, after owners complained of losing acceleration while driving.
What is the possible cause? Too much electricity. From Reuters:
The agency said many consumers reported a loud popping noise followed by a warning displayed on their dashboard, and immediately experienced a loss of power that ranged from a reduction in acceleration to a complete loss.NHTSA said it learned from Hyundai the failure is related to the Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) responsible for powering both the main electric vehicle and low-voltage 12-volt batteries.A preliminary review indicates too much current within the unit can damage transistors, resulting in the inability to recharge the 12V battery, NHTSA said.
Thank goodness no one reported crashes or injuries:
One complaint reported a driver traveling 75 miles (120 km) per hour on a highway using advanced highway assist and “the car became completely unresponsive.” The driver added that there was a semi-trailer truck behind him “and one to my right in the slow lane. The car stopped accelerating, and I was unable to resume driving. I was forced to coast to a stop on the side of the highway.”According to another complaint in February, a driver on a highway in Santa Maria, California, heard a loud pop coming from my car and “within a few seconds my car lost speed rapidly, from 55 mph to 25 then a second later 22 mph.”
I had this problem once in my 2019 Toyota 4Runner, which is not electric. I cannot remember what caused it and am too tired to look it up. I just remember the dealership said it’s rare for it to happen on its own. Usually, it’s caused by an animal, like a squirrel chewing on the wire.
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