Toyota bZ4x, Subaru Solterra EVs recalled due to possible wheels falling off

The wheels barely roll in Toyota and Subaru’s electric (EV) plans, but they’ve run the risk of falling off the pair’s first dedicated EVs.

The Toyota bZ4x and Subaru Solterra The twins, co-developed by the two brands, were recalled globally due to problems with their wheel hub bolts, not their batteries or electric motors.

A recall notice issued by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism warns that “the latch may come loose due to multiple sharp turns and sudden braking”.

It indicates an unusual noise can occur and in the worst case, there is a risk of the tire falling off.

The department is warning owners to stop driving their vehicles and “take permanent measures as soon as the measures are decided”.

Likewise, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall notice warns owners not to drive their vehicles until they’ve been repaired and that “current remedy is not available.” under development”.

“The cause of the problem and the driving patterns under which this problem may occur are still under investigation,” the announcement said.

Reuters reports the recall affects 2700 bZ4x and 2600 Solterras models globally.

These are the first models to use the new e-TNGA electric vehicle architecture, which is also marketed by Subaru as the e-Subaru Global Platform.

The problem was discovered after people in the US were driving the cars, although it’s not clear if there were any accidents.

A source told Reuters a vehicle in trouble was driven particularly hard.

Although the stock prices of both companies initially fell after the news broke late last week, they have since recovered.

However, this is an embarrassing recall for companies that have been slow to introduce electric vehicles.

Although Toyota has produced electric versions of two generations RAV4 available to rent in some markets and recommend an electric one C-HR in China in 2020, bZ4x is the company’s first electric vehicle.

The company has revealed a series of 16 electric vehicles branded Toyota and Lexus Last December, it announced it would offer 30 electric vehicle models globally by 2030 in the passenger and commercial vehicle segments.

The company is targeting annual electricity sales of 3.5 million – excluding hydrogen and hybrid – a 75% increase from the previous target. Lexus will only BEV in core areas at that time.

It also said it would commit eight trillion yen (AU$85 billion) to electrifying its product line by 2030, half of which is expected for battery-powered vehicles.

Toyota has been criticized not only for its slow rollout of electric vehicles but also for its lobbying efforts.

Reuters reports Toyota President Akio Toyoda, who is also the president of the industry group the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, has lobbied for the Japanese government to put hybrid vehicles on par with BEVs that would otherwise lose the support of the Japanese automaker. automobile industry.

Akira Amari, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, reportedly asked for a change to the government’s annual economic policy roadmap at a party meeting earlier this month, saying he said talked to the president of Toyota the day before.

The previous version of the roadmap said the government was targeting new car sales by 2035 that included EVs only, but the updated version involved hybrids and electric vehicles.

Amari argued at the meeting that synthetic fuels and hydrogen would make hybrid cars “100 percent clean,” and so the roadmap should address that.

New York Times last year Toyota sent Chris Reynolds, a senior executive overseeing government affairs, to Washington DC to campaign against the aggressive transition to electric vehicles in order to give hybrid vehicles a greater role. and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

It also reports that Toyota has campaigned against stricter emissions standards in markets such as the US, UK, European Union and Australia, and donated to politicians who reject the scientific consensus. on human-caused climate change.

Toyota will not commit, as some other automakers have done, to phasing out sales of vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.

“We will not, cannot, limit the options [of our customers]because Toyota is truly global and serves customers in different regions,” said Executive Vice President Masahiko Maeda.

Toyota said it believes different markets will take “different paths” to decarbonization and has committed to offering a wide range of eco-friendly vehicles including its popular electric and hybrid vehicles.

It is also argued that electric vehicles are not suitable for some markets and that more attention needs to be paid to the short and medium term, where hybrid vehicles can significantly reduce emissions.

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