that's qute a list of no-nos...

[Mike Mercury]

for your Chevy Bolt

GM is warning owners
*not to charge their Bolts in or near their homes overnight
*park the vehicles outside when not being charged
*not to charge their Bolts above 90 percent
*or deplete the battery to below 70 miles of remaining range.

General Motors is expanding its recall of the Chevy Bolt to include all models — including the two new versions released earlier this year — after multiple fires in the electric vehicle’s battery packs caused by defects in the LG Chem cells found inside.

https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/20/2...e-fix-problems

GM is warning owners not to charge their Bolts in or near their homes overnight, and to park the vehicles outside when not being charged. It’s also asking owners not to charge their Bolts above 90 percent, or to deplete the battery to below 70 miles of remaining range.

Owners should follow these guidelines until replacement modules — the groups of batteries that make up the pack — are ready. It’s not clear when that will be, though. GM says it will “only begin replacing battery modules in customer vehicles when GM and LG are confident in the safety of LG’s product.”

“We are working aggressively with LG to adjust production to have replacement modules available as soon as possible,” Daniel Flores, a spokesperson for GM, said in an email.

GM had already recalled the 2017-2019 model year Bolts twice after the initial fix — in which new software was supposed to help stop any fires from happening — appeared not to work.

The expansion of the recall comes after a 2020 model year Bolt caught fire this week in the United States. A video of the fire had been posted to YouTube but was removed a few hours later, and users on Reddit had noticed that it was a newer Bolt that wasn’t subject to the original recalls.

GM confirmed to The Verge that the vehicle was in fact a 2020 Bolt, but said it has not had a chance to inspect the remains of the electric car. “That vehicle is certainly troubling but we base recall decisions on data,” Flores said.

In July, GM confirmed that the fires happen when there are two defects present in the LG Chem batteries that power the Bolt. On Friday, the company specified that the defects are a torn anode tab and a folded separator in the cell. It also shared that the defects are in cells made at multiple plants.

“After further investigation into the manufacturing processes at LG and disassembling battery packs, GM discovered manufacturing defects in certain battery cells produced at LG manufacturing facilities beyond the Ochang, Korea, plant,” GM wrote in a statement. “GM and LG are working to rectify the cause of these defects. In the meantime, GM is pursuing commitments from LG for reimbursement of this field action.”

The recall has cost GM some $800 million to date, but the company said Friday that the expanded recall will cost an additional $1 billion.

GM is not alone in having trouble with LG’s batteries. Hyundai had to recall the Kona EV earlier this year after a handful of vehicles caught fire. The company even discontinued the electric SUV in South Korea, as sales cratered following the fires and the recall.

But GM’s partnership with LG runs deep. GM and LG are spending billions of dollars building battery factories in the US to supply cells for the automaker’s upcoming lineup of electric vehicles, including the Hummer EV.

[DJ_Critterus]

Are they trying to beat Tesla in the fire hazard department?

[Dan Dlabay]

I feel that the battery technology for electric cars and the electric grid is not there yet support mass produced electric vehicles.

[DAB]

go with what is proven: Rayovac AA batteries.

[Steve_R]

[pHrEd] I love my Chevy appliance. I don’t care if it kills me. [/pHrEd]

[dvarapala]

Originally Posted by Steve_R

[pHrEd] I love my Chevy appliance. I don’t care if it kills me. [/pHrEd]

I survived the Note 7 debacle, and I'll survive this one as well. Here are some facts:

At this time the problem has only been confirmed to exist in the Korean-made LG battery modules that were used in 2017 - 2019 Bolts. These cars are the subject of the original recall. GM's remedy for these cars is to replace all of the battery modules in their battery packs with new modules manufactured in America. These modules are the exact same ones used in 2020+ Bolts. At this time there are no confirmed cases of the fire-causing defects appearing in any of these new battery modules.

Last week there was a suspicious fire in a 2020 Bolt. This particular car was charged up to 100% and then left plugged in for 14 hours prior to the start of the fire. GM has not yet examined this vehicle nor has it determined that the fire was caused by the same defect that triggered the original recall.

GMs safety guidelines for Bolt owners who are waiting for new battery modules is to maintain the State of Charge at between 30% and 90%. Note that SOP for a BEV is to charge up to no more than 80% on a daily basis to prolong the life of the battery, so it's not a burden to comply with these guidelines.

Extending the recall to newer Bolts was only done out of "an abundance of caution" - this was not a data-driven decision. GM is in full-blown CYA-mode right now.

Conclusion: In actual fact, the risk of Wifie's car catching fire is lower than her risk of dying from COVID-19. The car remains parked in the garage, zero ****s given.

OB pic of wife:

[dvarapala]

Originally Posted by Dan Dlabay

I feel that the battery technology for electric cars and the electric grid is not there yet support mass produced electric vehicles.

The same could be said for consumer cell phones - remember the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 that would spontaneously catch fire in your pocket?

Ditch your smart phone now and go back to that nice, safe Western Electric 500 rotary-dial unit.

[Aerovette]

If the battery is to only be charged to 80%, why doesn't the charge circuit shut off at 80%?

[Rodnok1]

Originally Posted by aerovette

If the battery is to only be charged to 80%, why doesn't the charge circuit shut off at 80%?

Sounds more like shitty software than batteries.

[dvarapala]

Originally Posted by aerovette

If the battery is to only be charged to 80%, why doesn't the charge circuit shut off at 80%?

It does.

Remember, this is the mainstream media that's reporting this. They don't understand that there is no significance to the fact that the charging cable was still plugged in even after charging was complete.

[dvarapala]

Originally Posted by Rodnok1

Sounds more like shitty software than batteries.

The problems identified thus far are both mechanical manufacturing flaws.

[DJ_Critterus]

Come to think of it, my ex-wife didn't even have tht many No-No's for me.

1) No parking in another garage
2) No putting it in her butt
3) Who ever cooks doesn't have to do the dishes (no problem with this one).
4) What's hers was hers and what was mine was also hers.

[Steve_R]

Originally Posted by dvarapala

I survived the Note 7 debacle, and I'll survive this one as well. Here are some facts:

At this time the problem has only been confirmed to exist in the Korean-made LG battery modules that were used in 2017 - 2019 Bolts. These cars are the subject of the original recall. GM's remedy for these cars is to replace all of the battery modules in their battery packs with new modules manufactured in America. These modules are the exact same ones used in 2020+ Bolts. At this time there are no confirmed cases of the fire-causing defects appearing in any of these new battery modules.

Last week there was a suspicious fire in a 2020 Bolt. This particular car was charged up to 100% and then left plugged in for 14 hours prior to the start of the fire. GM has not yet examined this vehicle nor has it determined that the fire was caused by the same defect that triggered the original recall.

GMs safety guidelines for Bolt owners who are waiting for new battery modules is to maintain the State of Charge at between 30% and 90%. Note that SOP for a BEV is to charge up to no more than 80% on a daily basis to prolong the life of the battery, so it's not a burden to comply with these guidelines.

Extending the recall to newer Bolts was only done out of "an abundance of caution" - this was not a data-driven decision. GM is in full-blown CYA-mode right now.

Conclusion: In actual fact, the risk of Wifie's car catching fire is lower than her risk of dying from COVID-19. The car remains parked in the garage, zero ****s given.

OB pic of wife:

Thanks.

You can crawl back under the bed now.

YW.

[ToolMaker]

Originally Posted by DJ_Critterus

Come to think of it, my ex-wife didn't even have tht many No-No's for me.

1) No parking in another garage
2) No putting it in her butt
3) Who ever cooks doesn't have to do the dishes (no problem with this one).
4) What's hers was hers and what was mine was also hers.

I think my ex is related to her?

[Torqaholic]

Does that mean the advertised range will be revised down by 30% or will they just continue using unrealistic inflated values?

[Rodnok1]

Originally Posted by ToolMaker

I think my ex is related to her?

Pretty sure there's a club and secret handshakes...

[DJ_Critterus]

Originally Posted by Rodnok1

Pretty sure there's a club and secret handshakes...

And probably some mimosas at brunch, too.

[snide]

Originally Posted by DJ_Critterus

Come to think of it, my ex-wife didn't even have tht many No-No's for me.

1) No parking in another garage
2) No putting it in her butt
3) Who ever cooks doesn't have to do the dishes (no problem with this one).
4) What's hers was hers and what was mine was also hers.

This one is always true, according to her.

[snide]

Originally Posted by Dan Dlabay

I feel that the battery technology for electric cars and the electric grid is not there yet support mass produced electric vehicles.

**** your feelings.

[Mike Mercury]

Originally Posted by snide

**** your feelings.

in the 21'st century... if you're a white income-producing male - your feelings don't matter.