GM recalls some Chevrolet Bolt electric SUVs for a second time

GENERAL Motors (GM) is recalling some Chevrolet Bolt battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs) because they are at risk of catching fire, three years after a larger callback of the all-electric model for a similar hazard.

The latest action targets 107 Bolts for the 2020 to 2022 model years, the company said in documents posted on Tuesday (Nov 5) on the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) website. That’s a fraction of the 142,000 Bolt models that were subject to a previous recall due to a battery flaw.

The two recalls are related. A software glitch was triggered by a “malfunction in the software programming tool during servicing” for the prior recall, the NHTSA documents said. That might fail to notify drivers of defective battery parts that need to be replaced, according to the filing.

The move, which impacts both the Bolt hatchback and Bolt EUV crossover, comes as GM shifts its approach from a one-type-fits-all battery strategy for its EVs.

GM said that it’s voluntarily recalling the affected Bolt subcompacts to install needed software and aims “to resolve this matter as quickly as possible”. BLOOMBERG