Just as Christmas lights continue lighting up all around, so do electric cars. The latest recall concerns 66 Polestar 1 hybrids capable of overheating and bursting into flames while plugged into a charging terminal.
To be fair, the NHTSA said it was not aware of any incident potentially linked to the issue. Nonetheless, all affected vehicle owners must avoid charging them to 100 percent until the repairs can be carried out.
The recall only concerns coupes assembled between September 2019 and May 2020 with battery cells made in China by Forever Energy. The replacement parts and the necessary tools will not be available until summer 2023, so until they arrive, Polestar will “freeze” the issue by rolling out a software update preventing the batteries from exceeding safe charge levels.
According to Carscoops, some Volvo EVs have shipped with the same battery cells, meaning that their owners, too, may want to be careful until a solution is found.
The U.S. version of the Polestar 1 comes equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine in tandem with a pair of electric motors. The resulting output amounts to 609 PS (600 hp / 447 kW) and 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft) of torque. The coupe became the marque’s first mass-market car after it became a standalone brand and was produced from 2019 until 2021.
