I'm surprised if any cars contain cadmium which can escape to cause public cancers, though maybe VW are protecting their workforce and dealers. After all, cars have contained lead batteries since the year dot, and probably many other nasties too. Admittedly we have dispensed with lead-based additives.

Since VW is not in the business of manufacturing rechargeable batteries, it is likely that the supplier was not supplying according to the specification and will pick up the bill for the recall.

They had "diesilgate", so they must have welcomed the development of hybrids and EVs - but:

"The Volkswagen Group may imminently recall 124,000 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, pending a decision by Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority, the KBA.

The recall is prompted by the discovery that cadmium, a carcinogenic metal, is used in part of the cars’ charging systems. This means that all electric cars and plug-in hybrids in the Volkswagen range - the e-Golf, e-Up, Golf GTE and Passat GTE - are affected, as well as hybrid Audi and Porsche models."

Any reason why there are loads of hyperlinks to Autocar magazine for the models listed on your post and nothing to do with an article about this issue? Or is this, ironically, some kind of ad software on this site that has gone wrong and is linking to competitor's websites.

Very strange indeed, especially as someone else said the popup ads now appearing (for those of us not using blockers) direct them to dodgy websites offering unrealistically low prices for certain goods.