Toyota restarting EV production after finding wheel, airbag fixes

Toyota has restarted its electric vehicle (EV) production after fixing issues with car wheels and airbag units following a mass recall earlier this year. 

The Japanese automaker announced on Thursday that it plans to restart production on its EV series model, the bZ4X, after a three-month delay. 

The bZ4X was recalled in June after the company discovered problems with the model’s wheel parts, citing that sharp turns and sudden braking can cause the wheel’s bolts to become loose, resulting in an accident, Reuters reported. 

Globally, 2,700 bZ4X models were recalled, most of them sold in Europe, North America and Asia. 

Toyota also noted issues with the EV’s airbag unit, saying that some airbags have been installed improperly at the company’s factory, specifically the placement of a strap inside of the airbag. 

The company said the faulty error could injure the driver when the airbag is deployed, according to The Associated Press. 

Toyota’s chief technology officer, Masahiko Maeda, said at a news conference that the company takes full responsibility for the faulty airbag error and noted that officials became aware of the issue two months ago, according to Reuters. 

“We apologize again for the concern, anxiety and inconvenience we have caused to our customers, our dealers and our stakeholders,” Maeda told the reporters at the meeting. 

The news comes as Toyota, which also owns Lexus, committed $35 billion last year to develop and produce battery-run EV models.

The automaker expects sales of its EV models to reach 3.5 million by the end of the decade, Reuters noted. 

The Hill has reached out to Toyota for comment and more information.