I recently took my US 2019 Kona Limited EV through the service program. It involved an inspection, a software update, and resetting the charge limit to 100%. Afterwards, the dealership declared my car “healed.” However, what’s concerning is the continued lack of transparency regarding the battery issue. Previously, it was suggested that the problem stemmed from a manufacturing defect, something a software update couldn’t resolve.
To truly feel secure, Hyundai (HMC) needs to openly explain their reasoning behind believing a software update and inspection are sufficient. If they’ve gained a deeper understanding of the issue and concluded that not all batteries from the suspect production batches are problematic, they owe this information to Kona owners. Has the “folded anode tab” theory been replaced by a new explanation?
Frankly, Hyundai’s silence leads me to suspect a more pragmatic, and perhaps less reassuring, approach. It seems possible they’ve decided that addressing problems as they arise is more cost-effective than a large-scale preemptive battery replacement. Their strategy might be to rely on improved software detection to identify issues early, before critical failures or fires occur. This way, they can selectively replace batteries or offer buyouts when early warnings trigger, potentially minimizing overall costs and avoiding widespread battery replacements. This is just speculation, but the lack of clear communication from HMC fuels this kind of cynical interpretation.
