Hyundai’s Kona electric vehicle (EV) saw major recalls in the past several months, and as a result, the company has new plans for its flagship EV.
On Friday, it was reported Hyundai is ready to stop selling the Kona EV domestically, due to a series of mass recalls from faulty braking systems and fires, according to Reuters.
The Kona EV has, thus far, been one of Hyundai’s top-selling cars in its home market in South Korea, and it has also been one of Europe’s best-selling EVs traditionally – with Hyundai selling three-quarters of its Kona EVs outside of its home market.
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Hyundai declined to comment, though they did manage to share that they were “reviewing various options as we prepare to launch the Ioniq 5.” The Ioniq 5 is an all-electric midsize crossover, set to release from Hyundai by 2022.
Despite the upcoming Ioniq release being the current scapegoat for Hyundai’s choice to drop the Kona EV from its home market, its recalls also involved 25,564 Kona units built between 2017 and 2020 for battery replacements and software updates following an inspection, as well as another 50,864 for faulty braking systems.
In any case, Hyundai is wise not to drop the Kona EV from European markets. While the recalls did apply to much of Europe, the EV is still a top contender there, and the company will likely ride its success into the new wave of Ioniq EVs to come.
