GM issued a second recall for the 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV due to a manufacturing defect that led to some batteries catching fire during charging, GM announced on Friday.
The recalls cover over 68,000 Bolt EVs worldwide. Owners who had their Bolt EV repaired according to the previous recall are advised to have it fixed again. The initial recall in November 2020 primarily involved a software update to limit the Bolt’s maximum state of charge to 90%.
The temporary solution proved insufficient as GM continued its investigation. In May, GM revealed a comprehensive solution plan that “would use diagnostic tools developed by GM to identify potential anomalies in the battery and replace battery module sets as necessary.”
Two more Bolt EV fires prompted GM to issue another action less than two weeks ago, urging drivers to park outdoors and avoid leaving their cars charging overnight. Both fires occurred in vehicles that had already undergone the remedy, bringing the total reported Bolt EV fires in the U.S. to nine.
One of these incidents happened on July 1, involving a Bolt EV owned by Vermont State Representative Timothy Briglin, who co-sponsored legislation related to electric vehicles. GM issued a statement at that time, saying, “General Motors has been made aware of two recent Chevrolet Bolt EV fire incidents in vehicles that were remedied as part of the safety recall announced in November 2020. Out of an abundance of caution, we are asking owners of 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EVs who were part of the recall population to park their vehicles outdoors immediately after charging and not leave their vehicles charging overnight while we investigate these incidents.”
Now, GM will replace the faulty battery modules at no cost to the owners. Until then, GM continues to advise affected vehicle owners to take caution when charging, following three steps.
Regardless of whether the vehicle received the software update, affected Bolt EVs should limit charging to 90% using Hilltop Reserve mode (2017-2018 models) or Target Charge Level mode (2019 models). Owners can seek assistance from a dealer if they are uncomfortable changing the setting.
The second action is that owners should not deplete the battery below 70 miles of remaining range and should charge the battery after each use.
Lastly, “as a precaution,” customers should park the vehicle outside immediately after charging and avoid charging it overnight.
All incidents involved fires originating around the battery packs when the cars were plugged in and nearly fully charged. GM noted that none of the affected vehicles have the “N2.1 design level” cells that GM transitioned to in mid-2019. These unaffected cells were manufactured in Holland, Michigan, as opposed to Ochang, South Korea, for the earlier ones.
The situation takes on an unusual aspect as GM prepares for the initial deliveries of its GMC Hummer EV, leading its Ultium EV push with unrelated next-gen technology, later this year.
Hyundai faced a similar issue with certain Kona Electric models and opted in March for a quick but costly solution: replacing the entire battery pack in up to 82,000 affected vehicles, including nearly 4,700 in the U.S.
