Toyota recalls its first electric cars amid fears the wheels could fall off

[Still Waters]

Toyota has been forced to recall 2,700 of its first electric vehicles because of concerns the wheels could fall off, in a blow to the world’s largest carmaker’s belated attempt to launch a battery-only car.

The global recall affects the Japanese manufacturer’s bZ4X sports utility vehicle, its first effort at a pure battery electric vehicle (EV), after the manufacturer found a problem with the bolts that connect the wheels to the chassis. It is investigating whether the components need to be replaced.

“Until the remedy is available, no one should drive these vehicles,” the company said in a statement.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jun/24/toyota-recalls-its-first-electric-car-amid-fears-the-wheels-could-fall-off

[+Desertrat56]

Belated attempt is the right word, how about 30 years behind the times, just like the solar industry is 50 years behind the times.

['Walt' E. Kurtz]

Sounds like it was made by Ikea...

[Guyver]

Interesting.  The wheels actually did fall off my golf game yesterday.  I wish I could recall those two balls I hit into the water. Sigh.

[acute]

I don't know much about electric vehicles.

Are the wheels essential?

[Dreamer screamer]

I wonder when God will recall earth as the wheels fell off a long time ago.

[+and-then]

6 hours ago, acute said:

I don't know much about electric vehicles.

Are the wheels essential?

Only if the onboard "hover mode" goes kaput 

[newbloodmoon]

Just strap a large fan to the back and an inflatable raft on the bottom… presto chango insta hover craft.

[Ozymandias]

18 hours ago, Still Waters said:

Toyota has been forced to recall 2,700 of its first electric vehicles because of concerns the wheels could fall off, in a blow to the world’s largest carmaker’s belated attempt to launch a battery-only car.

The global recall affects the Japanese manufacturer’s bZ4X sports utility vehicle, its first effort at a pure battery electric vehicle (EV), after the manufacturer found a problem with the bolts that connect the wheels to the chassis. It is investigating whether the components need to be replaced.

“Until the remedy is available, no one should drive these vehicles,” the company said in a statement.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jun/24/toyota-recalls-its-first-electric-car-amid-fears-the-wheels-could-fall-off

This is a mechanical problem having nothing to do with the fact that the vehicle is an electric car. In terms of its battery-powered electrical propulsion system this is a complete non-story.

Normal driving conditions, including hard braking and tight turning manoeuvres, are causing the wheel-hub nuts to loosen to the point where the wheels can detach from the hub. You would think that a car-maker of Toyota's calibre and expertise - or, indeed, any other major manufacturer - would have this problem sorted, but wheels come off vehicles very regularly and the causes are varied and not always due to an engineering design fault. Wheel detachment was a huge problem in the 80s and 90s and although remedies were applied to solve the problems it has not been completely eliminated.

The Toyota issue is under investigation and nobody yet knows why the problem occurs. The wheels have come off only 2 vehicles and less than 700 vehicles in private ownership my be affected, the rest have not been sold.

The problem is under investigation and one thing is certain: it has nothing to do with the fact that the vehicles are electric or that Toyota is late to the electric car market with a design of its own.

Edited June 25, 2022 by Ozymandias

[Eldorado]

Two test drivers are reported to have been killed after the Nio electric car they were testing in Shanghai plummeted out of a third-storey office window.

One member of staff and a person from a partner company were inside the vehicle when it fell on Wednesday about 5.20pm local time, the electric car manufacturer said in a quickly-deleted Weibo post.

Rescue workers were filmed trying to get the passengers out of the wrecked vehicle as it lay on its side covered in broken glass and debris from where it smashed out of a building.

The car involved appeared to be a model ET5, which features self-driving technology, according to South China Morning Post (SCMP).

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/two-test-drivers-killed-as-nio-electric-car-plummets-out-of-office-building-in-shanghai/ar-AAYOKqO?

[+Desertrat56]

8 minutes ago, Eldorado said:

Two test drivers are reported to have been killed after the Nio electric car they were testing in Shanghai plummeted out of a third-storey office window.

One member of staff and a person from a partner company were inside the vehicle when it fell on Wednesday about 5.20pm local time, the electric car manufacturer said in a quickly-deleted Weibo post.

Rescue workers were filmed trying to get the passengers out of the wrecked vehicle as it lay on its side covered in broken glass and debris from where it smashed out of a building.

The car involved appeared to be a model ET5, which features self-driving technology, according to South China Morning Post (SCMP).

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/two-test-drivers-killed-as-nio-electric-car-plummets-out-of-office-building-in-shanghai/ar-AAYOKqO?

Why were they test driving a car in a building on the third floor?