There hasn’t been a whole lot of big news surrounding the Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV in some time, and perhaps that was a good thing. No news often means good news. Now, Jaguar is recalling nearly 6,400 I-Pace models to replace a battery energy control module in hopes of eliminating a potential fire risk.
The Jaguar I-Pace‘s high-voltage batteries could overheat, which leads to a fire risk. According to NHTSA recall data shared by Reuters, Jaguar is aware of eight US fires related to the issue, but there were no reported accidents or injuries. The automaker hasn’t yet figured out whether there’s a defect with the way the battery pack is assembled, but it does have a fix prepared.
Jaguar will update the software that monitors the battery energy control module, and if the module itself needs replacing, it will be replaced free of charge. The problem can be found in I-Pace vehicles from the very beginning of the electric SUV’s production run through the present. More specifically, it applies to 6,367 I-Pace crossovers from the 2019 through 2024 model years.
The new software will be installed via an over-the-air software update, though it will need to be performed at a Jaguar dealership. It will work to keep close tabs on the I-Pace’s battery pack to ensure that it’s not overheating. If the pack does get to the point that it could overheat, it will alert the driver with a number of warnings and limit charging capacity to 75 percent if it senses a potential fire risk.
If the new software sense a fire risk, I-Pace owners will be told to head back to the dealership for an inspection. Again, if a battery module or the entire pack needs to be replaced at this time, Jaguar will take care of it as part of the recall, free of charge.
The recall notes that most recent copies of the Jaguar I-Pace already have updated battery monitoring software. In addition, some of the earlier versions of the electric crossover don’t have the over-the-air software update capability.