Just a few years again, Common Motors needed to recall 142,000 Bolts in a significant fiasco as a result of hearth danger. This time round, nonetheless, only a small variety of Bolts are being recalled, solely 107. However the danger of fireside is deemed excessive – based on the NHTSA – if these autos are charged to full or almost full capability.
The Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) posted a recall of the Chevrolet Bolt EVs and its bigger model, the EUV, protecting mannequin yr 2020-22 that had been recalled and repaired beforehand over the identical danger. 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 danger.
“The set up of superior diagnostic software program could have failed,” the NHTSA said. “As such, the excessive voltage battery might catch hearth when charged to full or almost 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 danger, together with setting the “goal cost stage” 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 situation, and that it is a voluntary recall to appropriately set up superior diagnostic software program from “an earlier area motion involving these autos.” He added: “The software program could fail to determine faulty battery modules that require substitute, growing the chance 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 via mannequin yr 2022. However in contrast to this newest recall, these recollects had been as a result of battery defects that would begin a hearth, with 18 Bolts catching hearth whereas parked. GM confirmed that 13 of these fires had 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 unit is slated to supply 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 common Chevy Bolt EV, no less than 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 will count on a re-emergence of its best-seller subsequent yr.
Picture credit score: Common Motors Chevy Bolt
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