Toyota recalls first mass-produced EVs less than 2 months after launch

The 2023 Toyota bZ4X all-electric SUV is on display at the 2021 LA Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, USA on November 17, 2021. REUTERS / Mike Blake

TOKYO, June 23 (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.T) It said on Thursday it will recall 2,700 of its first mass-produced electric vehicles (EVs) for the global market due to the risk of wheel loosening.

The world’s largest automaker by sales has submitted the recall of bZ4X SUVs to Japan’s transport ministry. Of the 2,700 vehicles, the company said 2,200 were allocated for Europe, 260 for the United States, 10 for Canada and 110 for Japan.

Subaru Corp. (7270.T) It also said Thursday it is recalling about 2,600 units of Solterra, its first all-electric vehicle developed in partnership with Toyota, globally for the same reason.

Japan’s safety regulator said sharp turns and sudden braking can cause a hub bolt to come loose and increase the risk of wheels coming off the vehicle. He said he was not aware of any accident caused by the defect.

The regulator advised drivers to stop using the vehicle until a more “permanent” repair measure is taken.

Spokespersons for automakers said that not all cars recalled in Japan have yet been delivered to customers, as they are for test drives and display purposes.

“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you,” the Toyota website states. Said. “We would fix it as soon as possible, but we are investigating the details.”

A Toyota spokesperson declined to say not every model was subject to the recall, but how many were produced in total.

A Subaru spokesperson said most of the vehicles for Subaru are for dealers and none of them are delivered to customers in the US.

The recall comes less than two months after Toyota, which came to the electric vehicle market relatively late, introduced the bZ4X electric SUV to the domestic market, albeit only as a rental option.

Toyota’s rental offering unit, KINTO, has canceled planned promotional test drive events in three Japanese cities due to safety precautions.

Toyota has been criticized by some investors and environmental organizations for not moving fast enough to phase out gasoline-powered cars and adopt EVs instead.

The company has repeatedly opposed criticism, arguing the need to offer a variety of powertrains to suit different markets and customers.

Gasoline-electric hybrid models remain far more popular in Toyota’s domestic market than EVs, which accounted for just 1% of passenger cars sold in Japan last year, according to industry data.

Still, the market is growing rapidly and foreign automakers including Tesla Inc. (TSLA.O) They make visible roads on the streets of cities like Tokyo.

(This story fixes the number of vehicles for a recall in Canada to 10, not 20, in the second paragraph, after Toyota corrected the figure)

Reporting Editing by Satoshi Sugiyama and Maki Shiraki by Jane Merriman and Bernadette Baum

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