Audi and Porsche have issued recalls on some of their flagship EVs due to a battery fault with potentially pyrotechnic consequences.
Per Audi’s recall report, the trouble started with a battery known for causing trouble in the Taycan. That part, manufactured by LG Energy Solution Wroclaw in Poland, has a history of bad behavior. In September 2023, Porsche had to recall almost 5,000 2023 Taycans for batteries melting sealant into the motor.
That’s where Audi entered the chat. As the report put it, “the Audi E-Tron GT is a substantially similar vehicle” to Porsche’s first EV, notably using that same pesky battery. By December 2023, when Porsche informed Audi of a possible problem, things had escalated. The sealant was no longer the issue. Instead, the battery was prone to overheat and short circuit, potentially causing what the NHTSA, with admirable restraint, calls a “thermal event.” Other people call those fires.
As of March 22, Audi stated that the company was “not aware of any warranty claims, injuries, crashes or fires due to this issue.” Porsche wasn’t so lucky. The Porsche recall, which was only issued last month, records Taycan battery fires as far back as 2021.
According to NHTSA documentation, the Porsche and Audi recalls cover 1,013 2022-2024 Audi E-Tron GTs and RS E-Tron GTs, as well as 749 2021-2024 Porsche Taycans. Concerned owners can search the NHTSA recall database by VIN or make and model year to see if their vehicles are affected. In the interim, both companies are currently advising owners to charge their cars to no more than 80% capacity. Porsche dealers will check batteries and swap parts free of charge; Audi will do the same through a reimbursement program.
For what it’s worth, when it isn’t bursting into flames the Taycan is Autobahn royalty, ranking with the best high-performance EVs on the market. The specs on the 2025 Turbo GT model are frankly absurd. We also found the E-Tron GT luxurious, responsive, and fast. Just drive carefully, don’t recharge fully, and maybe keep an extinguisher handy.
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