Mercedes-Benz Issues Recall of EVs in China Over Fire Risk
Mercedes-Benz is pulling nearly 20,000 electric vehicles off Chinese roads over battery defects that could start fires. The recall hits locally built EQA and EQB models manufactured between April 2021 and March 2024. Sloppy production methods during battery assembly created the first problem and flawed control software added an additional layer of risk. Together, these issues contribute to individual cells overloading, short circuiting, and potentially igniting. Inconsistent manufacturing during battery pack assembly weakened some battery cells more than others. Assembly quality also varied across the three-year production run, compromising electrical stability in the affected units. Battery management software compounded the problem by pushing certain cells past safe operating limits during…