I was driving in EV mode and was behind another vehicle waiting to turn out of a plaza. The exit is on a slope which is important to mention. The car in front of me began to turn and as I was releasing the brake to move up the hill, the car engine kicked on, the RPM’s went up extremely high as if the accelerator was being pressed all the way to the floor, the car jolted forward on its own and hit the car in front of me. I kept trying to brake, but the car continued to accelerate on its own into the car in front of me a second time. I understand that when on a slope driving in EV mode, the cars engine will kick in to allow the car enough momentum to make it up the hill. However, in this case, the engine kicked in, but the momentum was extreme to the point that when I released the brake to roll forward the car shot forward so fast there was no avoiding a collision. This is extremely faulty and unsafe! My child and I suffered injuries as a result of striking the other car twice. We’re lucky we were not hit by multiple other cars as we were propelled into the intersection. I’m terrified to drive this car with my children. I contacted the dealership that instructed me to have the collision repairs completed first and then they would check out the car out.
NHTSA ODI 11614103