GM (GM) Issues New Recall on Chevy Bolt EVs for Fire Risks

General Motors (NYSE: GM) announced Friday that they have issued a new recall order on nearly 69,000 Chevrolet Bolts after reports of two fires, according to a Reuters report. GM will replace defective battery modules as needed.

The Bolt EVs were recalled back in November for fire risks. At least one of the two new fires was in a vehicle that had already had the software update released as part of the previous recall.

The company said, "experts from GM and (battery maker) LG have identified the simultaneous presence of two rare manufacturing defects in the same battery cell as the root cause of battery fires in certain Chevrolet Bolt EVs."

NHTSA opened an investigation of the fire reports in October that is still open and is reviewing GM's recall fixes. The agency said Friday it is aware of one fire with the interim initial recall fix and two fires with the software fix.

“The question is whether GM has the technological capability to detect and identify defective batteries. If there is not, they may have to replace the total batteries, which will be costly, like Hyundai did,” said South Korean battery expert and professor Park Chul-wan.

GM is asking owners to charge their vehicle after each use and avoid depleting the battery below approximately 70 miles of the remaining range, where possible, to reduce the risk of a fire. The company is still recommending customers park vehicles outside immediately after charging and not leave them charging overnight.

GM shares were down about 1% in morning trading.

By Michael Elkins | [email protected]

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