Porsche halts sale of EV over battery fire fears

Telegraph

2 days ago

Porsche has ordered dealers to stop selling one of its electric models amid fears that the car will catch fire.
The first-generation Taycan – a model blighted by a string of safety malfunctions since its launch six years ago – has been taken off the market.
It is understood Porsche fears 'a batch' of the high-end sports cars have a fault within their battery packs.
Electric car fires in the UK have increased by 77 per cent between 2022 and 2024, figures from QBE Insurance suggest, with brigades called out to 232 incidents last year.
The Taycan, which was Porsche's first mass-produced electric vehicle (EV), has been subject to a dozen safety recalls in the past four years, including brake, suspension and welding defects.
Orders to halt sales last week are understood to relate to a previous recall issued in November by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
The gremlin involves a potential short circuit within the Taycan's battery, which 'could lead to thermal events and later to a fire in the vehicle'.
Porsche wrote to its official used car dealers ordering them to immediately take a number of the affected Taycan models off sale, according to Car Dealer Magazine.
A Porsche spokesman said: 'Enhanced battery monitoring software is anticipated to become available for first generation Taycan models towards the end of June. With its imminent arrival, we've advised our retail partners not to sell a small, specific batch of first generation Taycan models until the software update is live.'
A slump in sales
In September 2023, a £200,000 Taycan was reported to have burst into flames in the middle of a busy street in the city of Chongqing, south-western China.
Global sales of the troublesome model plummeted 49 per cent last year – a slump the German manufacturer blamed on the Taycan's mid-cycle facelift and a slower-than-planned electric uptake.
UK owners impacted by the latest fire safety issue have been sent letters detailing the problem. A letter seen by The Telegraph states: 'Cases have come to light in which a short circuit within the high-voltage battery has occurred ... subsequently causing the vehicle to catch fire.'
Until a solution is made available, owners must take the cars to a local Porsche garage every 60 days for a three-hour inspection.
They have been told they can continue to use their Taycans before they are repaired, but are 'urgently' asked to only charge the battery to a maximum of 80 per cent.
They are also advised not to charge under a car cover or next to a building. Such limitations significantly hinder owners from charging the vehicles at home.
The letter, signed by Porsche's product and technical compliance manager, states that the manufacturer 'very much regrets the circumstances'.
Taycan models are among a string of high-end EVs that struggle to retain their value after rolling off the forecourt.
Petrol models to be around for longer
Analysis by car website Parkers shows that a new Taycan S cost £186,300 in January last year, but some used models now can be bought for just £98,360. Across the board, separate research shows a typical EV now retains only 49 per cent of its value after 24 months, compared with 70 per cent for diesel and petrol cars, according to Cox Automotive.
Porsche had previously said that EVs would account for 80 per cent of its new vehicle sales by the end of the decade, but watered down that target last summer. Lutz Meschke, the manufacturer's finance chief, said in November that the company would stick with petrol engines for 'much longer' than previously planned.
The Telegraph approached Porsche for further comment.
A DVSA spokesman said: 'Road safety is our absolute priority, and getting recalled vehicles fixed promptly has a huge benefit for all road users.
'There is an active safety recall on Porsche Taycans produced between 2019 and 2024 for which the manufacturer is in the final stages of developing a remedy. This involves concerns related to the vehicle's electrical propulsion system.'