April 6, 2021 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V242000
Exceeding Charge Limit May Cause Battery Shutdown
Opening the main contactor may cause a battery shutdown and loss of motive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V242
Manufacturer Arcimoto Inc
Components ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Potential Number of Units Affected 252
Summary
Arcimoto Inc. (Arcimoto) is recalling certain 2019-2021 FUV, Deliverator, Rapid Responder, Roadster motorcycles. The inverter’s firmware may allow the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (aka “regen”) to exceed the Current Charge Limits and cause the Battery Management System to open the main contractor.
Remedy
Arcimoto will notify owners, and will update the firmware, free of charge. The recall began April 27, 2021. Owners may contact Arcimoto customer service at 1-541-683-6293.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
| Regulatory Recall Report | RRR0024 | ||
| Inverters Exceeding Current Limit May Cause Battery Shutdown | Rev: 1 | ||
| Author: MM, RS | PO: Dir of GRC | Appr: Dir of GRC | Date: 06/23/2021 |
1 SUMMARY
In accordance with Part 573 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Arcimoto Inc. hereby reports a safety issue and intends to recall quantity two-hundred fifty-two (252) Arcimoto Deliverator-1, Rapid Responder, FUVs and Roadsters produced between September 19, 2019 and March 10, 2021. Due to unintended firmware behavior, the inverters disrespect the Battery Management System’s (BMS) Current Charge Limits (CCL) when using the throttle and the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS aka “regen”) simultaneously. Repeated and/or sustained exceeding of the CCL can cause the BMS to open the main contactor, leading to unexpected battery shutdown and immediate loss of motive, which would make the vehicle more difficult to control and increase the likelihood of a crash.
Note: Fields left blank will be marked “NR” meaning “Not Reported” in public view.
2 NHTSA MANUFACTURER RECALL PORTAL FIELDS
(c)1 IDENTIFICATION OF THE MANUFACTURER, IMPORTER, DISTRIBUTOR, OR BRAND NAME OWNER
| Manufacturer: | Arcimoto, Inc. |
| Address: | 2034 W. 2nd Ave., Eugene OR 97402 |
| Contact: | John W. Dorbin, Jr.
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Arcimoto, Inc. |
(c)2 VEHICLE INFORMATION
| Model Year Start: | Type: |
| 2019 | MOTORCYCLES |
| Model Year End: | Body Style: |
| 2021 | OTHER |
| Make: | Powertrain: |
| Arcimoto | HYBRID ELECTRIC |
| Model: | Descriptive Information: |
| Deliverator-1, Rapid Responder, FUV and | Affects all two-hundred fifty-two MY2019 |
| Roadster | – MY2021 vehicles (fifty-seven MY2019 T-FUV, one-hundred twenty-six MY2020 T-FUV, six MY2020 D-Deliverator-1, four MY2020 R-Roadster, three MY2021 D-Deliverator-1, one MY2021 E-Rapid Responder, two MY2021 R-Roadster, fifty-three MY2021 T-FUV) produced from 09/19/2019 through to 03/10/2021. |
| Production Dates: | Begin: 09/19/2019 | End: 03/10/2021 |
| VIN Range(s):
(T – FUV, tandem) | Begin:
7F7ATR312KER00000 | End:
7F7ATR317KER00056 |
| VIN Range(s):
(D – Deliverator-1, single) | Begin:
7F7ADR316LER00001 | End:
7F7ADR315LER00006 |
| VIN Range(s):
(T – FUV, tandem) | Begin:
7F7ATR312LER00001 | End:
7F7ATR310LER00126 |
| VIN Range(s):
(Roadster, tandem) | Begin:
7F7ARR314LER00001 | End:
7F7ARR31XLER00004 |
| VIN Range(s):
(D – Deliverator-1, single) | Begin:
7F7ADR314MER00001 | End:
7F7ADR318MER00003 |
| VIN Range(s):
(Rapid Responder, tandem) | Begin:
7F7AER318MER00001 | End:
7F7AER318MER00001 |
| VIN Range(s):
(Roadster, tandem) | Begin:
7F7ARR312MER00001 | End:
7F7ARR314MER00002 |
| VIN Range(s):
(T – FUV, tandem) | Begin:
7F7ATR310MER00001 | End:
7F7ATR318MER00053 |
(c)3 TOTAL NUMBER POTENTIALLY INVOLVED, (c)4 ESTIMATED PREVALENCE OF DEFECT
| Number potentially involved: 252 | Estimated percentage of involved with defect: 100% |
(c)5 DEFECT / NONCOMPLIANCE DESCRIPTION
For this Defect/Noncompliance:
| Describe the defect or noncompliance: | Describe the safety risk: |
| Due to unintended firmware behavior, the inverters do not respect the Battery Management System’s (BMS) Current Charge Limits (CCL) when using the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS aka “regen”). Repeated and/or sustained exceeding of the CCL can cause the BMS to open the main contactor. | Repeated and/or sustained exceeding of the CCL can cause the BMS to open the main contactor, leading to unexpected battery shutdown and immediate loss of motive power, which would make the vehicle more difficult to control and increase the likelihood of a crash. |
| If a noncompliance, provide the applicable FMVSS: | Identify any warning which can precede or occur: |
| None. | |
| If applicable, provide any further FMVSS affected: | |
| Describe the cause: | |
| A firmware update from Arcimoto’s inverter supplier appears to cause unintended firmware behavior. | |
| This Recall affects all vehicles. | |
If applicable, identify the manufacturer of the defective or noncompliant component. If the manufacturer of the component is unknown, provide the information for the company that supplied the subject component.
| Component Manufacturer: | |
| Company Information: | Company Contact Information: |
| Company Name: | First Name: |
| Dana Inc. (formerly SME Group) | Peter |
| Country: | Last Name: |
| Italy | McDonald |
| Address 1: | Position: |
| Via della Tecnica, Z.I. 40 | Electrification Business Development
Manager – Americas |
| Address 2: | Email: |
| peter.mcdonald@dana.com | |
| City: | Phone: |
| Arzignano (VI) | 519-591-0965 |
| State: | |
| N/A | |
| Zip / Postal Code: | |
| 36071 |
| Components Involved: (Please list in numerical order) | |
| Component Name (P/N + Description): | |
| 001052 BMS, Orion 2, Standard 36 Cell,
Factory Default Firmware & Profile | |
| Component Description: | |
| BMS, Orion 2, Standard 36 Cell, Factory
Default Firmware & Profile | |
| Component Part Number: | |
| 001052 | |
| Component Name (P/N + Description): | |
| 003222 VCU, ECOTRONS, ES1274A | |
| Component Description: | |
| VCU, ECOTRONS, ES1274A | |
| Component Part Number: | |
| 003222 | |
| Component Name (P/N + Description): | |
| 003375 Firmware and Profile, Orion BMS2 | |
| Component Description: | |
| Firmware and Profile, Orion BMS2 | |
| Component Part Number: | |
| 003375 | |
| Component Name (P/N + Description): | |
| 004085 Inverter, SME, AC-X1, CAN programming interface | |
| Component Description: | |
| Inverter, SME, AC-X1, CAN programming interface | |
| Component Part Number: | |
| 004085 | |
| Component Name (P/N + Description): | |
| 004332 Kinetic Energy Recovery System,
ASSY | |
| Component Description: |
(c)6 CHRONOLOGY OF DEFECT / (c)7 NONCOMPLIANCE DETERMINATION
| Describe the defect/noncompliance remedy program, including the manufacturer’s plan for reimbursement. |
| Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to contact Arcimoto to schedule a service appointment to have their inverter firmware updated. There will be no charge to vehicle owners for this service. To the best of our knowledge, no owners have incurred any costs resulting from this defect. |
| Kinetic Energy Recovery System, ASSY | |
| Component Part Number: | |
| 004332 |
| Provide the chronology of events leading up to the defect decision or test data for the noncompliance decision: |
| On February 9, 2021, a vehicle was reported to Arcimoto’s Service Department as shutting down unexpectedly. An immediate analysis of service records showed a total of four vehicles with potentially similar symptoms. BMS logs indicated that these four vehicles lost motive power because the BMS opened the main contactor. Logs also indicated overcurrent faults.
Testing immediately began on several vehicles in an effort to reproduce the fault but was initially unsuccessful. However, during testing it was observed that the inverters were not respecting the maximum CCL level set by the BMS. Although short CCL excursions can be tolerated, longer excursions have the potential to overload the battery, thus the BMS as an independent safety system will detect such potentially dangerous overcurrent conditions and will open the main contactor before any damage can occur.
Further testing was able to reliably provoke the failure mode and demonstrate that these repeated excursions did indeed cause the BMS to open the contactor.
Since this situation can result in a loss of motive power, an Engineering and Regulatory meeting was held on March 10, 2021 and recommended this issue to be escalated as a recall-candidate to Leadership. Leadership accepted the recommendation with a majority vote on March 29, 2021 and declared a voluntary safety recall. |
(c)8 IDENTIFY THE REMEDY
| Describe what distinguishes the remedy component from the recalled component. |
| Arcimoto is unable at this time to unilaterally fix the inverters; in certain situations, the inverters will continue to disrespect the Battery Management System’s (BMS) Current Charge Limits (CCL), such as when using the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS aka “regen”) at the same time as the throttle.
However, Arcimoto has developed a modification to the Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) firmware that can successfully and consistently prevent motive battery-pack contactors from opening and causing battery shutdown in the event of the inverters disrespecting BMS CCL. The modified VCU firmware catches the failure mode in a fail-safe and prevents the shutdown cascade by reducing KERS, then turning KERS off, thus ensuring motive power is not lost. Specifically, the modified VCU firmware is intended to stop overcurrent excursions before the BMS reaches the decision to open the contactors (and thereby cascade a battery shutdown), by disabling the KERS in the event of an imminent BMS fault if the inverters violate the CCL.
Arcimoto will work with its inverter supplier to implement corrected inverter firmware via a service bulletin in the future. |
| Identify and describe how and when the recall condition was corrected in production. |
| Starting March 23, 2021, all vehicles in production are built with the same modified VCU firmware used as remedy, which will successfully and consistently prevent motive battery-pack contactors from opening and causing battery shutdown in the event of the inverters disrespecting BMS CCL. The modified VCU firmware catches the failure mode in a fail-safe and prevents the shutdown cascade by reducing KERS, then turning KERS off, thus ensuring motive power is not lost. |
IDENTIFY THE RECALL SCHEDULE
| Describe the recall schedule for notifications: | Planned Dealer Notification Begin Date: |
| Arcimoto does not intend to send any dealer or distributor notifications, as it has neither dealers nor distributors at this time. | N/A |
| Planned Dealer Notification End Date: | |
| N/A | |
| Planned Owner Notification Begin Date: | |
| 04/19/2021 | |
| Planned Owner Notification End Date: | |
| 05/03/2021 | |
| Manufacturer’s identification code for this recall (if applicable): |
Please be reminded that owner notification letters must be mailed no more than 60 days from submission of this report.
MANUFACTURER COMMENTS TO NHTSA STAFF
Arcimoto does not intend to send any dealer or distributor notifications, as it has neither dealers nor distributors at this time.
DOCUMENT UPLOAD
1.1 (c)10 A representative copy of all notices, bulletins, and other communications that relate directly to the defect or noncompliance and are sent to more than one manufacturer, distributor, dealer or purchaser. These copies shall be submitted to NHTSA’s Recall Management Division (NVS-215)
3 REVISION HISTORY
| Function | Role | Name | Signature | Date |
| Author | RA-RCP | Matt M | <insert name> | 06/23/2021 |
| Author | RA-RCA | Raymond S | <insert name> | 06/23/2021 |
| Author | Dir of GRC | Pete Z | <insert name> | 06/23/2021 |
| Author | Dir of Engineering | Gerrit H | Gerrit Hurenkamp | 06/23/2021 |
| PO | Dir of GRC | Pete Z | <insert name> | 06/23/2021 |
| Approver | Dir of GRC | Pete Z | <insert name> | 06/23/2021 |
| Revision | Reason for change;
Summary of change from prior Revision | |
| # | Date Issued | |
| 0 | 03/31/2021 | Initial Issue:
Internal Outline of Defect and Noncompliance Report Format pursuant to §573.6. |
| 1 | 06/23/2021 | Updated to include component part, description and part number |
IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL
This notice applies to your vehicle: 7F7ATR31XXXXXXXXX
April 27, 2021
Safety Recall: Inverters Exceeding Current Limit May Cause Battery Shutdown NHTSA Recall: 21V242
Dear <First name, Last name>:
This notice is being sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
Arcimoto has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 2019, 2020, and 2021 model year FUVs, Deliverators, Rapid Responder, and Roadsters.
! I PORTANT !
► Your vehicle is being recalled
► You should contact Arcimoto to schedule the repair at no charge
Why is your vehicle being recalled?
Due to unintended inverter behavior under certain conditions, use of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS aka “regen”) can lead to unexpected battery shutdown and immediate loss of motive power, which would make the vehicle more difficult to control and increase the likelihood of a crash.
What will we do?
Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to contact Arcimoto to schedule a service appointment to have their inverter firmware updated. There will be no charge to vehicle owners for this service.
What should you do?
Please contact Arcimoto to schedule a service appointment.
Do you have questions?
If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact Arcimoto. Arcimoto’s main telephone number is 541-683-6293 or call Arcimoto Service and Product Support 541-780-0032.
If after contacting Arcimoto, you are still not satisfied that we have done our best to remedy this condition without charge, and within a reasonable time, you may submit a complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E., Washington, D.C., 20590; or call the toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to https://www.safercar.gov. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Campaign ID Number for this recall is 21V242.
We apologize for any inconvenience this recall may cause you. Thank you for being an Arcimoto customer.
Sincerely,
Arcimoto, Inc.
Tel: (541) 683-6293
2034 W. 2nd Avenue, Eugene, OR 97402
Arcimoto, Inc.
2034 W. 2nd Avenue, Eugene, OR 97402 Tel: (541) 683-6293
12 Affected Products
Vehicles
| MAKE | MODEL | YEAR |
| ARCIMOTO | DELIVERATOR | 2019-2021 |
| ARCIMOTO | FUV | 2019-2021 |
| ARCIMOTO | RAPID RESPONDER | 2019-2021 |
| ARCIMOTO | ROADSTER | 2019-2021 |
10 Associated Documents
Recall 573 Report
RCLRPT-21V242-6477.PDF 216.667KB
Recall 573 Report
RCLRPT-21V242-3742.PDF 216.667KB
Recall Acknowledgement
RCAK-21V242-3166.pdf 669.695KB
Remedy Instructions and TSB
RCRIT-21V242-4680.pdf 282.014KB
Part 577 Owner Notification Envelope
ISSUED Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)
RCONL-21V242-3709.pdf 132.551KB
Recall Quarterly Report #1, 2021-2
RCLQRT-21V242-6683.PDF 211.132KB
Defect Notice 573 Report
RCLRPT-21V242-7836.PDF 216.142KB
Recall Quarterly Report #3, 2021-4
RCLQRT-21V242-5231.PDF 211.315KB
Recall Quarterly Report #2, 2021-3
RCLQRT-21V242-8648.PDF 211.233KB
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