General Motors continues to address problematic batteries in Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles. In a little over a year, more than a dozen of Bolt’s battery-related fires were reported. Moreover, four of them occurred in July 2021.
Last November, GM announced its first recall of the Chevy Bolt, followed by a second recall in July. In November, owners were advised to charge their cars only up to 90% and a software update was released soon after, in which the limitation was automatically activated.
After that, the scandal subsided until April. However, in April, a “final” software patch was released, followed shortly by another fire. The update was supposed to identify conditions that could lead to a fire and issue warnings to replace battery modules before a fire breaks out.
However, after two fires in early July, GM acknowledged that the fixes in the software updates hadn’t worked and proceeded to re-recall. Simultaneously with the recall, the manufacturer advised car owners not to park indoors and not leave the car charging unattended. Then on July 25, two more fires occurred. GM is still studying them and declines to comment for now.
However, there is some good news. A GM spokesman told reporters that the company has begun informing Chevrolet Bolt owners of the possibility of replacing all battery modules with new ones starting August 23rd. Such users will receive a new warranty for 8 years and 100,000 miles (160,934 km). Priority for replacement will be given to those cases where the risk is highest – cars of 2017-2019 and cars of those owners who have a habit of regularly draining their batteries heavily.
According to a GM spokesman, the automaker decided to do this as a precaution to ensure that all defective modules are replaced. These modules will be sent to GM and LG for examination.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
