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Tesla Recalls Almost 13,000 EVs over Risk of Battery Power Loss

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Re: Tesla Recalls Almost 13,000 EVs over Risk of Battery Power Loss

#131
post #120
post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've owned three Audis over the last decade with no recalls Tesla deliberately pushes boundaries and breaks from tradition. That's admirable, but traditional manufacturers have decades of engineering knowledge behind their approaches for good reasons. Push the envelope enough and you'll have more misses and in Tesla's case more recalls

You are making things up out of thin air. These are recalls from JAN 2024- MAR 2025 Ford Motor Company, 94 (7%) Chrysler (FCA US, LLC), 78 (6%) Forest River, Inc., 67 (5%) General Motors, LLC, 41 (3%) BMW of North America, LLC, 39 (3%) Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, 33 (3%) Hyundai Motor America, 28 (2%) Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC, 26 (2%) Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., 25 (2%) Daimler Trucks North America, LL…

Ratio of U.S. vehicles recalled in 2024 → 2024 U.S. sales

Tesla: 5,135,991 → 516,597 ≈ 9.94.

Ford: 4,777,161 → 2,078,832 ≈ 2.30.

GM: 1,872,567 → 2,700,000 ≈ 0.69.

Toyota: 1,221,666 → 2,330,000 ≈ 0.52.

Honda: 3,794,113 → 1,291,490 ≈ 2.94.

A Tesla sold in 2024 was roughly 4 times more likely than a Ford to be involved in a recall campaign that year. Despite selling far fewer vehicles, Tesla’s recalls affected nearly ten times its annual U.S. sales volume.

This reflects a structural difference, not media bias. Tesla initiates fewer recall campaigns overall, but those campaigns routinely involve millions of vehicles. When normalized for sales volume, Tesla’s recall exposure is the highest of any major automaker. “Innovation risk” cuts both ways.

Re: Tesla Recalls Almost 13,000 EVs over Risk of Battery Power Loss

#132
post #106
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tesla brakes are conventional. Yes, the driver has to push harder if the hydraulics fail, same as any car. There's nothing unique to the failure here, normal cars run their boosters off of the power train too (via belts or vacuum usually, also some have 12V pumps and would be subject to exactly this kind failure). As to whether the booster is run off of the 400V or 12V bus I don't actually know. My guess would be the…

>12V battery is tiny and would probably not provide enough power LiFePO4 is capable of providing massive amounts of current for its size (way higher than a conventional acid one). 100A is not that high amount of current to run even with 4s4p setup. A 10kg battery would be beyond sufficient (should be able to fully power the brake system for 1h use). Note: jump on the brakes is expected to consume around 1200W

> "A 10kg battery would be beyond sufficient"

I don't have the exact weight, but Tesla's LFP low-voltage batteries weigh far less than that. Around 2kg at a guess.

Rating is 12.8V nominal, 12Ah, 153.6Wh. Not all that much bigger than a laptop battery!

Re: Tesla Recalls Almost 13,000 EVs over Risk of Battery Power Loss

#133
post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is it that every single Tesla recall becomes national news, but virtually no recalls by other automakers ever do? (I can only think of two exceptions in recent history: Takata airbags and Chevy Bolt batteries.) Maybe you don't read enough legitimate/mainstream media? I see them all the time. Just yesterday: Ford, Dodge, Nissan among over 1.1 million vehicles recalled - https://www.usatoday.com/story/cars/recalls/…

>Just yesterday: Ford, Dodge, Nissan among over 1.1 million vehicles recalled - https://www.usatoday.com/story/cars/recalls/2025/10/20/check ... but how notable was it? In other words was it on the front page either online or in print? The nature of publishing nowadays is that virtually unlimited amounts of articles can be published, but unless you're seeking them out you're not going to stumble upon them like this p…

You only stumbled across this post because you are part of the relatively niche community of HN. It is not a sign of notability. At most its a sign of targeting this demographic.

Re: Tesla Recalls Almost 13,000 EVs over Risk of Battery Power Loss

#134
post #112
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What would be the exact benefit for 48V? Virtually all electronics need a step down (buck) converters as they run at lower voltages 5, 3.3, 1.8. 12V > 3.3- 1V would a single step. 48V ones would likely require an intermediate step. The only exception would be running some power systems where it'd require less current.

Cost. The wiring for 48V can be a lot thinner than it is for 12V. As there is a square law involved for resistive heating it turns out that wiring for 48V can use 1/16th of the weight of copper as that for 12V. A switchmode converter can be designed for 48V just as easily as 12V.

It's far cheaper and easier to just pluck a readily available 12V power supply off the shelf than it is to design one that will have limited applications outside of a single manufacturer.

Re: Tesla Recalls Almost 13,000 EVs over Risk of Battery Power Loss

#135
post #106
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tesla brakes are conventional. Yes, the driver has to push harder if the hydraulics fail, same as any car. There's nothing unique to the failure here, normal cars run their boosters off of the power train too (via belts or vacuum usually, also some have 12V pumps and would be subject to exactly this kind failure). As to whether the booster is run off of the 400V or 12V bus I don't actually know. My guess would be the…

>12V battery is tiny and would probably not provide enough power LiFePO4 is capable of providing massive amounts of current for its size (way higher than a conventional acid one). 100A is not that high amount of current to run even with 4s4p setup. A 10kg battery would be beyond sufficient (should be able to fully power the brake system for 1h use). Note: jump on the brakes is expected to consume around 1200W

LiFePO4 can't really be charged and don't like being discharged below freezing.

Re: Tesla Recalls Almost 13,000 EVs over Risk of Battery Power Loss

#136
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder why all electric cars aren’t designed from the start to use 48v.

What would be the exact benefit for 48V? Virtually all electronics need a step down (buck) converters as they run at lower voltages 5, 3.3, 1.8. 12V > 3.3- 1V would a single step. 48V ones would likely require an intermediate step. The only exception would be running some power systems where it'd require less current.

The move to 48v is very much about efficiency within the harness backbone. For the same wattage, less amperage is needed in a higher voltage system, meaning the wires can be smaller and they produce less waste heat.

There are a few different topologies for a 48v harness, but somewhere in the line there's a 12V DC/DC converter in there somewhere.

Re: Tesla Recalls Almost 13,000 EVs over Risk of Battery Power Loss

#137

Other automakers have recalls all the time too. Why is it that every single Tesla recall becomes national news, but virtually no recalls by other automakers ever do? (I can only think of two exceptions in recent history: Takata airbags and Chevy Bolt batteries.)

It makes the news here because theres a lot of Tesla drivers and more importantly investors on this site.

Theres always someone complaining about or defending negative Tesla news here for the same reason, but less so because of the drivers.

Re: Tesla Recalls Almost 13,000 EVs over Risk of Battery Power Loss

#138

For comparison, the level of seriousness compared to an ICE vehicle: this would be like if the fuel tank stopped working.

Not unprecedented for ICE. Fuel tank straps will fail outright with heavy rust. There are similar recalls:

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2018/RCRIT-18V160-2117.pdf

Re: Tesla Recalls Almost 13,000 EVs over Risk of Battery Power Loss

#139
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Component availability mostly, the entire automotive world is designed for 12v systems.

I would not have expected many shared components between electric and ICE cars. Especially Teslas.

For the powertrain, sure obviously and absolutely.

But e.g. why have different electric window motors, wiper motors, turn signal solenoids etc etc?

Re: Tesla Recalls Almost 13,000 EVs over Risk of Battery Power Loss

#140
post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems really odd to me to have 400V brake regeneration and run the brake booster off of 12V, but quick searches don't reveal the answer for a Tesla or even a Prius.

"Regenerative braking" is a feature implemented by the drive motor and controller, it's got nothing to to with the brakes. Again, Tesla brakes are very conventional hydraulic devices and they work (and fail) like brakes in any other car you're going to drive.

The most recent Teslas (Model Y Juniper) have gotten a bit less conventional as they now have blended braking. ie: the brake pedal controls both regenerative and friction brakes, with the brake pedal "feel" effectively implemented by software.
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