- Geely is recalling 1,473 Polestar 4 EVs equipped with 86 kWh battery packs due to thermal runaway risks under extreme conditions.
- The latest recall follows a similar move by sister brand Zeekr in February.
Geely Auto is recalling 1,473 Polestar 4 electric vehicles (EVs) equipped with 86 kWh battery packs over battery thermal runaway risks.
The recall, targeting a specific batch of EVs manufactured between November 16, 2023, and May 24, 2024, will commence on May 16, according to a statement posted on the website of China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) on Friday.
Due to inconsistencies in the manufacturing of high-voltage power battery components, the internal resistance of the batteries in the recalled vehicles may abnormally increase after long-term use, potentially leading to a decline in battery performance, according to the statement.
In extreme cases, this could lead to thermal runaway of the power battery, posing a safety hazard.
Geely will authorize Polestar's sales company to carry out the recall implementation, and the affected battery modules will be replaced free of charge.
To ensure driving safety, customers are strongly advised not to charge their high-voltage batteries above 70% for daily use until the battery modules are physically replaced.
This latest product recall for Polestar vehicles closely follows a similar action taken by sister brand Zeekr in February this year.
At that time, Zeekr recalled a total of 38,277 Zeekr 001 WE edition cars as they faced the same high-voltage battery thermal runaway risk.
Zeekr's earlier mass recall was conducted after a Geely subsidiary reached a settlement with major battery supplier Sunwoda over a battery quality dispute.
Geely subsidiary Vremt had previously formally sued the battery supplier, seeking massive financial compensation of up to 2.31 billion yuan ($338 million).
Under the newly disclosed agreement, the two companies agreed to proportionally share the substantial repair costs of replacing the defective power battery packs based on actual expenses.
It remains unclear whether the Polestar recall is related to Sunwoda's batteries.
($1 = 6.8254 yuan)
