VW May Recall EVs Due To Carcinogenic Metal

Volkswagen may have to recall 124,000 of its electric and hybrid vehicles because of cadmium, a carcinogenic metal.

Cadmium is most commonly used in appliances like televisions but has been banned for most car parts. Despite this, German weekly newspaper Wirtschaftswoche discovered that an unidentified supplier delivered battery chargers with cadmium to the German car manufacturer.

These chargers were then installed in a number of electric and hybrid vehicles from Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche between 2013 and June 2018. Each charger contains 0.008 grams of cadmium and the automaker told news outlets that 124,000 vehicles could be affected by the recall.

“Clarification is under way for a recall order by Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority,” a VW spokesman said.

Another recall is the last thing VW needs.

Those vehicles containing the harmful metal don’t pose any immediate danger to drivers because the cadmium is well-insulated from the atmosphere, The Local reports.

Nevertheless, Volkswagen temporarily stopped taking orders of the Golf GTE back in May when the discovery was made. Production of the Volkswagen Group’s electric and hybrid models has since been restarted because the part containing cadmium have been replaced by a new part from an alternative supplier.

Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority, the KBA, is currently deliberating whether or not a recall of all potentially affected models should be issued.

If Volkswagen is forced to recall all 124,000 vehicles, it will cost the company millions of dollars and deal its electrified efforts a serious blow. However, any possible recall will still remain small when compared to all the diesel vehicles the firm is in the midst of recalling and repairing.