A couple of years again, Common Motors needed to recall 142,000 Bolts in a serious fiasco resulting from hearth threat. This time round, nonetheless, only a small variety of Bolts are being recalled, solely 107. However the threat of fireside is deemed excessive – in keeping with the NHTSA – if these autos are charged to full or practically full capability.
The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) posted a recall of the Chevrolet Bolt EVs and its bigger model, the EUV, protecting mannequin yr 2020-22 that have been recalled and repaired beforehand over the identical threat. Apparently, the beforehand put in superior diagnostic software program, which is meant to detect whether or not or not the battery is flawed, is itself defective, which might, in flip, result in a hearth threat.
“The set up of superior diagnostic software program could have failed,” the NHTSA acknowledged. “As such, the excessive voltage battery might catch hearth when charged to full or practically full capability.”
Chevy sellers will reinstall the software program freed from cost, in fact, to repair the issue. In the meantime, the NHTSA advises homeowners of the recalled automobile to take steps to keep away from a hearth threat, together with setting the “goal cost degree” characteristic within the automobile to 90%, parking exterior after charging, and avoiding depleting the battery to 70 miles of vary remaining.
GM spokesman Kevin Kelly informed Detroit Free Press that the corporate isn’t conscious of any Bolts having caught hearth because of the subject, and that it is a voluntary recall to accurately set up superior diagnostic software program from “an earlier subject motion involving these autos.” He added: “The software program could fail to establish faulty battery modules that require alternative, growing the danger of a possible automobile hearth.”
GM Bolt homeowners suffered heaps of frustration following three recollects of the autos beginning in late 2020, with a complete of 142,000 Bolt EVs recalled a yr later. These recollects concerned mannequin yr 2017 going by mannequin yr 2022. However not like this newest recall, these recollects have been resulting from battery defects that would begin a hearth, with 18 Bolts catching hearth whereas parked. GM confirmed that 13 of these fires have been brought on by faulty batteries.
LG Power Resolution, the battery maker for the Bolt, changed the batteries with new battery packs and gave Bolt homeowners restricted warranties of eight years or 100,000 miles. LG additionally reimbursed GM for $1.9 billion in prices and costs because of the recall.
Final December, GM minimize 945 jobs from the meeting plant in Lake Orion because of the firm ending its manufacturing of the Bolt EV and EUV. The manufacturing facility is slated to provide Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV on GM’s new Ultium EV platform after a $4 billion funding, however the firm has pushed again the launch from 2024 to late 2025. In fact, GM says it’s bringing again the widespread Chevy Bolt EV, at the very least the EUV, with the next-gen mannequin to reemerge on the Ultium platform in 2025.
Since, discovering a Bolt hasn’t been simple, with solely a handful noticed on dealership heaps – however we are able to anticipate a re-emergence of its best-seller subsequent yr.
Photograph credit score: Common Motors Chevy Bolt
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