Jaguar EV owners say they are scared to drive their cars after the company warned thousands of people that their vehicles could be a potential fire safety risk.
The British automobile manufacturer issued a notice to I-PACE customers explaining some of the electric vehicles (EVs) have experienced thermal overload in the battery, which “may present as smoke or fire”.
More than 26,000 vehicles in the UK up to the end of the 2021 model year are thought to be affected, according to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), but Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) puts the figure closer to 16,300.
In the note to customers, JLR said: “A vehicle thermal overload condition, such as fire or smoke, can result in increased risk of occupant injury and/or injury to persons outside the vehicle, as well as property damage.”
Vehicles up to the 2018 model year have already undergone previous software updates, but JLR said “field evidence” showed there was still a risk.
The company has urged people to park away from buildings and charge their cars outside until they get an interim repair, which restricts the maximum charge of the car to 90 per cent.
Drivers claim they have been given no indication as to when a permanent fix will be available and are demanding immediate action to resolve the issue.
Kim Armstrong, a fire safety engineer, told The Independent that he won’t let his grandchildren in his car over concerns for their safety.
He was made aware of the safety issue notice online and had to “badger” JLR to receive the letter himself. He has repeatedly asked the company when a permanent fix will be available, but said he has not received a response.
Mr Armstrong said: “I'm driving around in a vehicle that is at risk of fire, danger to me, danger to others, and with possible structural defects.
“Because of my job, I understand the balance of risk. I don't put my grandchildren in the car. I'm sceptical about charging it at work, because it's an underground car park.
“If you had a vehicle next to a building with the thermal capacity of any of the batteries in these vehicles, the fire service would struggle to put the batteries out.”
Mr Armstrong has since gone to his insurance company, which told him they would not cover any damage caused by a battery fire.
Another owner, David, has owned the I-PACE model for nearly two years and only learned about the issue after seeing it on social media.
The father said it is a serious safety concern and is worried about driving the vehicle. “Is it just going to catch fire as I'm driving along? Is my wife and child going to be driving along the road and all of a sudden it catches fire? Or am I going to sit inside and see flames coming out? It's quite concerning,” he added.
“They still don't have a fix for it, which is even more worrying… I feel that they don't truly understand the issue if they haven't got a fix for it.”
Andrew Parker, who also owns one of the models, said the issue was the latest of multiple problems he has had with the battery. Since purchasing the car in 2023, it has undergone 18 months of work at the dealership in total.
“Their resolution is to just cap and limit the original function of the vehicle,” he said. “Imagine you buy a petrol car, and then you take it into the garage one day, and they go, ‘Oh by the way, we've shrunk the size of your petrol tank.’ That's not appropriate. That's what they've done.
“They've been kicking the can down the road for two years now.
“My car was devalued from £32,000 to now about £7,000… Nobody would buy this car if I tried to sell it tomorrow, because you can only charge it to 90 per cent. It has faults, so they have prevented me from getting out of this vehicle and buying something different.”
A JLR spokesperson said: “JLR is voluntarily recalling certain Jaguar I-PACE vehicles equipped with traction battery packs manufactured up to the end of the 2021 model year.
“Affected clients will be contacted and asked to visit a JLR authorised repairer, who will carry out an inspection and cost-free software update to address an elevated safety risk. This precautionary action reflects our continued commitment to the safety of our clients and our vehicles.”
A DVSA spokesperson said: “JLR have put an interim recall in place and DVSA would encourage owners to act upon that advice as swiftly as possible to ensure their safe use of the vehicle can continue.
“DVSA is closely monitoring the situation to ensure that any potential safety defects are addressed promptly.”
