As European manufacturers begin to introduce their new all-electric models to take on American rivals Tesla, some niggles are bound to surface eventually, as is with new technology from a company that has never done it before. Even with ones that have stringent quality controls in place, some gremlins are bound to appear.
These gremlins have now forced Jaguar and Audi to recall nearly every one of the electric vehicles they have sold in the US till date for different issues. Jaguar will be issuing a recall for 3,083 units of the 2019 and 2020 model year I-Pace SUV in the US. Audi is recalling over 1,600 units globally of the E-Tron for a possible fire risk.
The recall from Jaguar for the I-Pace is due to a faulty software glitch that manages the regenerative braking. Should the electric regenerative braking system fail, drivers could experience an increased delay in deceleration after applying the brakes according to the documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The manufacturer is expected to notify owners and begin recalling the vehicle from July 1 for a software update at no cost to the owners.
In terms of the Audi, the German manufacturer has found a potentially faulty seal in the battery pack of the E-Tron. If the seal is found faulty, moisture could seep into the battery compartment, lead to a short circuit or even catch fire. Audi reports that five cases have been reported where this has caused a battery fault warning, however no instances of vehicles catching fire. It is being reported that Audi will compensate owners with an $800 cash card and a loaner vehicle for the downtime while their vehicle is recalled and worked on. Audi India is expected to introduce the E-Tron in India by the end of this year, however, this recall might be a contributing factor should the launch be pushed back.
