Volkswagen threatens the recall of numerous electric cars due to exposure to the toxic heavy metal cadmium. The group announced that a recall by the Kraftfahrtbundesamt (KBA) was “currently in clarification”. Accordingly, up to 124,000 electric cars are affected. In them, a charger is installed, which contains cadmium to a small extent. The material data submitted by the supplier did not contain information on cadmium use.
The use of cadmium is strictly regulated, it can cancer trigger. Because Volkswagen found cadmium traces in the chargers, the group informed the KBA in mid-July. Thus, only 0.008 grams of cadmium were detected per charger. The chargers were built between 2013 and June 2018 in battery electric cars as well as in hybrid vehicles the brands Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche installed.
Volkswagen stopped then according to own data the production and delivery of the concerned vehicles. The charger was replaced by that of another supplier and production resumed.
The cadmium-containing relay is installed in a solid housing inside the charger, which in turn is surrounded by a solid housing. This way, Volkswagen can ensure that no consumer or technician comes into contact with the heavy metal and cadmium does not enter the environment. Nevertheless, the cars are potentially not in conformity with European legislation on end-of-life vehicles. It regulates the later disposal of the vehicles.