Back in August, Jaguar announced that it would be recalling 668 I-Paces over a failing high-voltage coolant heater that could prevent the driver from defrosting their windshield. As it so happens, Lucid used the same exact unit from the same supplier and is now also launching its own recall.
Lucid says it started investigating issues with its heater in March 2022 but only became aware that Jaguar EVs were suffering the same issue after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notified them of the I-Pace recall.
The reason for that campaign was a design flaw in the heater, produced by Webasto Thermo & Comfort SE. According to documents filed by Jaguar, the aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide coatings on the heating elements can delaminate, causing the heater to fail.
Read: Certain Jaguar I-Paces May Not Be Able To Defrost Their Windshields, Leading To Recall
That’s especially problematic in an electric vehicle because the heater is the main means by which the windshield is defrosted as there’s no internal combustion engine to produce heat. If it doesn’t work, the driver may not be able to see out of the vehicle, leading to a recall.
In Lucid’s case, the recall may affect 2,042 Air sedans produced between November 10, 2021, and June 11, 2023, after which time a new heater was used. The vehicles made during that period span both the 2022 and 2023 model years.
To address this issue, Lucid has pushed a software update that will warn drivers if their high-voltage coolant heater fails, and provide them with a warning that visibility may be affected before they need it. In addition, Lucid says it will replace and heater identified as part of this recall action at a Lucid Service Center at no cost to the owner.
