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General Motors issued a recall for 68667 Chevy Bolts after several battery fires were reported, according to Detroit News. The vehicles affected by the recall were manufactured between 2017 and 2019. The automaker is working with U.S. auto regulators to identify the causes of the fires, the report said.
There have been at least five fires involving bolts with fully charged or nearly fully charged batteries, the News reports. Three of those fires are under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which oversees vehicle faults. GM has found two reports of injuries from smoke inhalation. The batteries are manufactured by LG Chem at the South Korean company’s factory in Ochang.
According to NHTSA, 50,932 of the affected vehicles are based in the United States. “Cell packs from affected vehicles have the potential to smoke and ignite inside, which could spread to the rest of the vehicle and cause a structural fire if parked in or near a garage. a house, ”the agency said in a statement. Chevy Bolt owners are advised to park their vehicles outside.
As the investigation continues, GM said it has developed software that will limit the vehicle’s load to 90% of full capacity in order to prevent future incidents. Chevy dealers have been tasked with updating their customers’ vehicle battery software starting Nov. 17 to limit the maximum state of charge to 90 percent.
“We believe this action will reduce the risk of a vehicle fire, while continuing to work around the clock to identify the root cause,” a Chevy spokesperson said, “and we intend to deploy a final solution to restore as much battery capacity as possible. , after the first of the year. “
In the meantime, Chevy advises Bolt owners to change their vehicle’s charge settings to enable either “Hilltop Reserve” (for 2017 and 2018 model year vehicles) or “Target Charge Level” (for year vehicles. 2019 model) using their vehicle’s infotainment. center. Changing these settings will temporarily limit the vehicle’s state of charge to 90%. Customers who can’t make these changes should avoid parking their car in their garage or carport until they’ve visited their dealership, Chevy warns.
GM, which owns Chevy, Cadillac and GMC, is the latest automaker to issue a voluntary recall due to battery faults. Audi recalled more than 500 E-Tron SUVs, the company’s first fully electric car, last year due to a risk of battery fire. Chinese company NIO has recalled nearly 5,000 of its ES8 electric SUVs after multiple reports of battery fires broke out in 2019.
There is no evidence that EVs catch fire at a different rate than internal combustion cars, but the topic has come under scrutiny as more EVs take the road. First responders are even trained to handle EV battery fires because they cannot be extinguished by some traditional methods.
The Tesla vehicle fires have drawn particular attention – to the point that CEO Elon Musk has publicly rejected coverage of these incidents. Other automakers, such as Jaguar, have experienced isolated fires with their electric cars.
GM is preparing to reveal two new versions of the Chevy Bolt. A refreshed Bolt and larger Bolt electric utility vehicle were first announced at the automaker’s “EV Day” earlier this year and are expected to go into production in the summer of 2021.
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