There have been three recent Chevy Bolt EV fires, two within the past 2 weeks. One in May which had the temporary recall, another July 1st which had the final software update in Vermont, and another with the final update in New Jersey in the past week or so. GM has updated their recall page with an acknowledgement of the problem, and is telling owners to not charge overnight at all, and not to park inside.
Here’s the updated recall notice:
JULY 14 2021 IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM GENERAL MOTORS
General Motors has been notified of two recent Chevrolet Bolt EV fire incidents in vehicles that were remedied as part of the safety recall announced in November 2020. Out of an abundance of caution, we are asking owners of 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EVs who were part of the recall population to park their vehicles outdoors immediately after charging and not leave their vehicles charging overnight while we investigate these incidents.
Customers who have not had the remedy completed should still visit their dealer for the recall remedy while our investigation continues. At GM, safety is our highest priority, and we are moving as quickly as we can to investigate this issue. Customers should visit https://my.chevrolet.com/recalls or contact the Chevrolet EV Concierge 1-833-EVCHEVY or their preferred Chevrolet EV dealer.
Chevrolet page for the Chevy Bolt Fire Recall – emphasis ours
Our previous article went in depth on this situation to explain the current problem and risk levels.
We have reached out to GM for comment, and will continue to update this article as the story progresses.
Electrek’s Take
This is an interesting development. On the surface it seems like not much – it’s just acting out of caution. But big companies don’t take these steps unless they feel like there actually is a problem. GM, in particular, has not been particularly forthcoming with details with the recall. Although they did make a big deal about the initial recall, information was sparse after that. We had to ask them repeatedly in order to get a February update, and again in April.
What’s really interesting is that this is a more aggressive notice than they used last time. It’s not only to park outdoors this time, it’s to not charge overnight at all.
This would appear to be an acknowledgement that they have a problem with charging, and that’s a major problem for owners. One of the biggest benefits of an electric vehicle is that you plug in overnight, and leave in the morning at a full charge. If owners cannot charge overnight anymore, how are they supposed to use their vehicles if they have more than a minor commute?
The fact that they are taking this step also implies that they do not have faith that their software is able to prevent the conditions that can lead to fire, even with post-charge monitoring.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.