Factbox-Chevrolet Bolt fires date back again to early 2019, GM suggests
(Reuters) – 1 of the earliest battery-connected fires in a Chevrolet Bolt electrical auto was claimed 18 months ago. Basic Motors Co did not open a official investigation on Bolt fires until eventually August 2020. A 12 months later, GM released its third remember, covering all Chevy Bolts crafted, to exchange probably defective batteries. Here is a chronology top up to the August 2021 remember, compiled from files submitted by GM to the Countrywide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration:
March 17, 2019 – One particular of the initial stories of a battery-related fireplace in a Chevrolet Bolt requires a 2018 design in Belmont, MA, as GM later confirms to NHTSA.
Aug. 26, 2020 – GM has acquired studies of 12 Bolt fires, confirming that at least five are battery-similar, and opens a formal investigation.
Oct. 9, 2020 – NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opens a preliminary analysis on 2017-2020 Bolts soon after the company receives two issues and experiences of 3 fires and one injury.
Nov. 5, 2020 – GM remembers 50,932 2017-2019 Bolts to deal with the risk of hearth in batteries produced at companion LG Chem’s Korea plant. As an “interim cure,” GM dealers will set up a program update that restrictions the battery demand to 90%. GM tells sellers to end the sale of new and utilized Bolts until eventually the program update is offered.
April 29, 2021 – GM describes a “final” treatment: Dealers “will complete a diagnostic process and, if important, substitute battery module assemblies that fall short the diagnostics.” Sellers also will put in highly developed onboard diagnostic software that can predict opportunity difficulties relevant to battery charge.
July 14, 2021 – GM learns of battery fires in two Bolts that experienced acquired the “final” cure. It advises entrepreneurs of 2017-2019 Bolts to park their autos outdoors right away soon after charging, and not to go away their motor vehicles charging overnight.
July 17, 2021 – GM orders a 2nd basic safety remember of the same 2017-2019 Bolts.
July 21, 2021 – GM and LG identify “the simultaneous presence of two rate producing defects in the similar battery cell as the root cause of the battery fires.”
Aug. 6, 2021 – GM gets to be mindful of a Bolt hearth “outside of the recall population” and identifies the battery pack as a probable cause. GM tells dealers that “the essential restore to full the recall is not nevertheless accessible.”
Aug. 20, 2021 – In the 3rd recall in 9 months, GM calls again all remaining Bolts built by design year 2022, as nicely as the new Bolt EUV. A final repair is not but obtainable.
(Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit Modifying by Dan Grebler)