BMW PHEV Safety Fuse Design Criticized for Creating Unrepairable Vehicles After Minor Impacts
By
mikelabatt
Crisped on the outside, thoughtful enough on the inside.
Summary
The article criticizes BMW's PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) safety system design, specifically focusing on a high-voltage battery safety fuse that triggers after any crash detection. The author argues that this design makes vehicles essentially unrepairable after minor incidents like potholes or curb impacts, leading to €5,000+ repair costs just for a single blown fuse. The piece frames this as an example of EU engineering creating waste and unrepairable products, with significant implications for both vehicle owners and insurance companies.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledIf you own a BMW PHEV — or if you're an insurance company — every pothole, every curb impact, small or large incident and even any rabbit jumping out of a bush represents a potential €5,000 cost, just for a single blown fuse inside the high-voltage battery system.
This 'safety fuse' is designed to shut the system down the moment any crash event is detected. Sounds safe — but extremely expensive.
When EU engineering becomes a synonym for 'unrepairable' + 'generating waste'.
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