This massive recall of vehicles by the Stellantis group, which includes the Citroën, DS, Fiat, Opel and Peugeot brands, poses a serious challenge. In question, a potential malfunction of the air conditioning compressor which could cause a cut in the traction chain, making the engine of the vehicle recalcitrant to start, or even causing it to stall in the middle of the road. This recall operation concerning approximately 108,637 electric vehicles in France requires a technical intervention in a specialized center
In an industry that is becoming increasingly electric, a recall of this magnitude raises crucial questions. The problem concerns the management of the air conditioning compressor by the eVCU, or the control unit of the electric vehicle. It is an electronic module that manages all aspects of driving an electric vehicle, including the traction or propulsion system, the battery, and auxiliary systems such as air conditioning.
In this case, the eVCU software could mismanage the A/C compressor, potentially causing the powertrain to cut out, making it impossible to start the vehicle, or worse, stalling the engine mid-road. Such a scenario presents not only inconveniences, but also obvious safety risks for drivers and passengers.
A visit to the technical workshop is necessary
In an era marked by digitalization and connectivity, it might seem surprising that this recall of electric vehicles by Stellantis requires physical intervention and cannot be carried out remotely. However, there is a technical explanation for this.
The error in the eVCU software requires an update to be corrected. However, unlike some other vehicle components that can be updated remotely using over-the-air (OTA) update technology, the eVCU software is not designed to receive such updates. update remotely. Also, very few vehicles come with the OTA update feature. Therefore, a physical intervention in a technical center is necessary to carry out this update.
The recall details
The recall affects a large part of the electric vehicles of the Stellantis group, i.e. around 108,637 cars in France.
The number of vehicles concerned by brand breaks down as follows:
- Citroen : 13,132 vehicles among the ë-C4, ë-C4 X, ë-Berlingo, ë-Spacetourer and ë-Jumpy
- DS : 6,557 DS 3 Crossback e-Tense
- Vauxhall : 12,196 vehicles among the Corsa-e, Mokka-e, Combo-e, Zafira-e and Vivaro-e
- fiat : 645 vehicles among the E-Doblo and E-Ulysse
- Peugeot : 75,837 vehicles among the e-208, e-2008, e-Rifter, e-Traveller and e-Expert
All affected vehicles were produced between 2019 and the end of December 2022. Stellantis will contact affected owners by registered mail to notify them of the need to update their vehicle software. Owners can also check if their vehicle is affected by entering their VIN number on the Stellantis website.
Want to join a community of enthusiasts? Our Discord welcomes you, it’s a place of mutual aid and passion around tech.