Spotlight Automotive, a joint venture between Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor and German auto giant BMW, will start recalling 177 pure electric Minis in China at the end of this month because of concerns with batteries' excessive self-discharge.

Spotlight Auto will recall 130 Mini Coopers and 47 Mini Acemans starting Feb. 28, according to a notice on the website of the State Administration for Market Regulation.

The recalled vehicles may experience excessive self-discharge in some cells due to issues in the production process, which can cause the fault warning light on the dashboard to turn on and restrict the car's charging function or, in extreme cases, lead to the battery overheating, the regulator said.

Spotlight Auto will replace the problematic battery modules free of charge to eliminate the safety hazard, according to the notice.

Established in 2018, Spotlight Auto was BMW's first pure electric vehicle JV worldwide, with the 50:50 firm set up to produce Mini-branded autos in China.

The Mini Cooper was the first made-in-China EV launched under the Mini brand, going on sale at a starting price of CNY190,000 (USD26,200) last July. It was followed by the Mini Aceman, which launched at a starting price of CNY210,000.