Cake 0 Emission USA Incorporated, the American division of Swedish e-bike maker Cake Motorcycles, has issued a safety recall for specific models of its electric two-wheelers to fix an issue related to battery safety.

The affected e-bike models include the Kalk&, Kalk Ink&, and Kalk:Work motorcycles built between January 1, 2018, and November 1, 2023. As per information provided by the manufacturer, a potential safety issue related to lithium-ion battery cells that could pose a risk of failure during charging prompted the company to issue the recall. The issue can potentially lead to smoke during charging and, in extreme cases, it can lead to a fire hazard.

Nearly 264 units, constituting around half of the identified population, is expected to be affected by this recall. The specific concern revolves around lithium-ion battery cells with distinct chemical compositions that might experience failure when subjected to charging conditions. These affected e-bikes have VINs ranging from YW2C1M108KT000001 to YW2C1M104PT002060. It may be noted here that the VINs aren’t in sequential order.

The official recall report points out that battery cells in certain Kalk motorcycles exhibit somewhat different chemical compositions, which make them susceptible to being pushed outside their operating range during the process of charging, resulting in potential cell failure. The company urges owners to be vigilant for any sort of abnormal battery behavior, including failed charging, reduction in range, and power cutoff during operation, as these are potential warning signs of the identified issue.

The decision to recall the battery-powered motorcycles was prompted by an incident reported in the month of October last year, where a Kalk bike caught fire during charging at a Cake dealership in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Following a probe in collaboration with the local fire department, the company reached the conclusion that batteries with similar cells could pose risk to customer safety.

As part of the remedy, the manufacturer has plans to replace the existing lithium-ion battery packs in the affected motorcycles with a different battery that utilizes cells with an altered chemical composition. Replacement batteries are expected to be available in March 2024.

For further assistance, owners of affected models can reach out to Cake Motorcycles' customer service via email at service@ridecake.com. Alternatively, they can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Association Vehicle Safety using hotline number 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) for additional information on the recall.