The Ford Kuga delivery stop worries automaker Ford.
The new hybrid model has to be returned to the workshop, the fault has not yet been identified.
The new
Ford Kuga Hybrid
is turning into a drama for the automaker.
The fault is the
power supply
.
There is a
risk of fire in
the SUV
- but the exact problem has not yet been determined.
The extradition has stopped and there is a
recall
, the company apologizes publicly.
Cologne / Valencia - Hybrid drives are considered to be the
bridge technology
par excellence for paving the way for vehicles with electric motors.
Also
Ford
has models with this type of drive on offer.
With one of the brand's long-term bestsellers, the
Kuga SUV
, the manufacturer is unable to get a
serious problem
under control.
In summer 2020, for example, it became known that the new
Ford Kuga Hybrid
could no longer be delivered due to the risk of fire from the high-voltage battery.
In addition, the batteries of the current generation cars that have already been delivered may no longer be charged.
Before the Ford recall can be carried out, however, the problem must first be precisely defined.
And that's where the Cologne-based company has failed so far.
Fire hazard in the new Ford Kuga Hybrid: the manufacturer apologizes publicly
The
extent of the complication is
illustrated by a
message of apology
that the Managing Director of Marketing and Sales directs to people who have already bought a
Ford Kuga Hybrid
or are waiting for delivery:
In a handful of vehicles, "the venting of this battery overheated, which led to a fire," explains Hans Jörg Klein in the video that was
uploaded
to
YouTube
on October 8th
.
He says that customers have been “disappointed” and that it will probably take “months rather than weeks” for Ford Werke GmbH to get the problem with the
high-voltage battery
under control.
Ford recall of the Kuga PHEV - SUV may catch fire even after being parked
The manufacturer's problem, which has long been known, is based on a defect in the
battery charger module
on the
underside of
the vehicle: Damage to this component could cause
overheating
, and in the worst case, the entire vehicle could catch fire.
The fire brigade in Wiesbaden had to deal with such an operation at the end of August.
Over 30,000 Ford Kuga models
across Europe are affected by the battery nuisance.
The narrowing down of the error in the hybrid SUV that is produced in Valencia, however, has so far failed, as Klein describes.
In Germany there are over 6000 models of the third Kuga generation, which at least not currently can be driven electrically.
According to reports, the
internal code for the
recall
is internally identified by Ford as “20S34”.
How dangerous are electric cars?
Debate about fire hazard due to batteries
It
will take some time
until the problem with the
Ford Kuga hybrid models
can be resolved in the workshops.
Currently, the SUV should only be moved under two conditions: The
high-voltage
battery
must
not be charged
, and the vehicle should only be
controlled
in "
EV Auto mode
".
This is the standard mode, in which the battery of the Kuga is only fed through braking force recovery, as a spokesman explained.
With the rise of electric cars, the
fire hazard
debate has also
fueled.
With every registered e-car, the risk of accidents increases, warned a fire brigade north of Munich.
The difficult task: Burning electric cars can hardly be extinguished.
(PF)