GM Restarts Bolt EV Battery Production Following Model-Wide Recall

Following reports last week that GM may have to extend the shutdown of its Bolt EV production until at least mid-October, the company announced on Monday that it had “presented a comprehensive action plan to ensure customers can drive, charge safely and with confidence. and park the Chevy Bolts EV and EUV, ”according to a press release from GM. LG’s two factories in Holland and Hazel Park, Mich., Have resumed production and dealer deliveries are expected to begin by mid-October.

The battery fault that led to a model-wide recall of electric vehicles from August turned out to be a pair of issues. Manufacturing defects caused the anodes to tear and the cathode-anode separators to bend. If these two faults occur in the same battery cell, it would be more likely to catch fire.

“LG has implemented new manufacturing processes and has worked with GM to review and improve its quality assurance programs to help build confidence in its batteries in the future,” the GM statement said. “LG will be instituting these new processes at other facilities that will supply cells to GM in the future.”

GM has implemented a notification process to notify affected customers when their replacement battery modules will be available. The company has also developed a diagnostic software suite designed to “detect specific anomalies that could indicate a damaged battery in Bolt EV and EUVs by monitoring battery performance,” the statement said. The software must be installed at the dealership, but will allow Bolt EV owners to exceed GM’s current 90% charge limit if their batteries are successful.