Nikola has recalled all 209 Class 8 Tre battery electric vehicles in service and announced a suspension of all new BEV sales pending a safety review.
More trouble for start-up truck builder Nikola as it has announced a recall of its battery electric trucks following a battery fire at its Arizona headquarters in June 2023. Following an investigation by Exponent (a third party safety investigator), it was determined that a coolant leak within one of the battery packs was the likely cause of the incident and a voluntary vehicle recall has been announced of the Nikola Tre battery electric trucks - the hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) currently in production, are not affected, as the battery pack design differs for these vehicles.
While the Tre BEV trucks can still be operational, says Nikola, the company has advised all customers and dealers to take the following immediate actions for optimal safety and performance:
- Maintain the Main Battery Disconnect (MBD) switch in the “ON” position to enable real-time vehicle monitoring and safety system operation.
- Consider parking trucks outdoors to facilitate over-the-air updates and enhance connectivity with Fleet Command, Nikola’s truck monitoring system.
Nikola’s software systems continue to actively monitor trucks in the field, assessing potential risks in real-time. Out of over 3,100 packs on trucks produced thus far, only two battery packs have experienced thermal events, constituting less than 0.07% of the total, says the company. In the forthcoming weeks, Nikola will release additional information, updates, and instructions for affected customers.
“At Nikola we take safety very seriously. We stated from the beginning that as soon as our investigations were concluded we would provide an update, and we will continue our transparency as we learn more,” explained Steve Girsky, newly appointed CEO of Nikola following the recent departure of Michael Lohscheller.
