Tag Archives: battery fire

GM Software To Prevent EV Battery Fires

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General Motors will be contacting owners of select 2017-2019 model year Chevrolet Bolt EVs previously repaired under National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) campaign number 20V-701.

The problem began in October 2020 when the NHTSA started an investigation into owner complaints of battery fires while their Bolt EV was charging. To reduce the risk of fires, GM provided a temporary fix in which the the vehicle’s software was updated to limit it’s charge to 90% of the battery’s capacity.

As part of the final repair, dealers will use diagnostic tools to identify potential battery anomalies and replace battery module assemblies as necessary. The fix will also include the installation of advanced onboard diagnostic software that detects potential issues related to changes in battery module performance. Customers will need to visit their Chevrolet EV dealer to have the service procedure performed. Once the remedy procedure is completed, the dealer will remove the 90% state of charge limitation and return the battery to its previous 100% charging capability.

Customers of 2019 model year Chevrolet Bolt EVs will be able to have this fix performed starting on April 29 and customers who own 2017 and 2018 model year Bolt EVs will be eligible to have the remedy performed by the end of May. GM will be making this diagnostic software standard in the 2022 Bolt EV and EUV future electric vehicles. According to GM, if a problem is diagnosed, the software will warn the driver with an illuminated warning lamp on the gauge cluster and drivers would need to have the vehicle towed to a dealer for repairs.

Chevrolet Bolt EV Battery Problem

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An investigation into battery fires in certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EVs has resulted in a recall involving approximately 50,000 vehicles.

According to the defect report, if the batteries in certain vehicles within this population are charged to full capacity or close to full capacity, they could be at risk of overheating and catching fire. GM is still investigating the cause of the problem and will notifying owners of an interim repair where the hybrid propulsion control module will limit the battery to a 90% charge. A final remedy is still under development.

Owners are advised to activate either the Hill Top Reserve (2017 and 2018 models) or Target Charge Level (2019 models) feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, or park outside, until the software update is completed.

GM’s number for this recall is N202311730 and the NHTSA campaign number is 20V-701.

Chevrolet Bolt Investigated For Battery Fires

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have opened an investigation into certain 2017-2020 Chevrolet Bolt electric cars after several complaints of vehicle fires. The NHTSA says it was contacted by two owners who reported that their Bolt EVs caught fire while parked and unattended. In one case the vehicle was plugged into a charger in the owner’s driveway when it caught fire. The second vehicle was parked but not plugged in approximately 20 minutes after being driven, before it caught fire. Additional research by the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) found a third vehicle, a 2017 Bolt EV with a similar burn patterns.

In all three cases, fire damage appeared to come from the battery compartment with fire passing into the passenger compartment from under the rear seat. The root cause of the fires is unknown and the ODI is opening a “preliminary evaluation” into the matter. If the investigation results in a vehicle recall, approximately 78,000 Chevy Bolt EVs would be affected.

BMW Hybrid Battery Overheating

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BMW North America will be asking the owners of certain 2020-2021 BMW and MINI hybrid cars and SUVs, to return to their dealerships to repair a manufacturing problem affecting the high voltage battery.

Vehicles Affected Include
2021 BMW 330E
2020-2021 BMW X3
2021 BMW X5
2020 Mini Countryman

The high voltage battery in these vehicles may not have been produced according to specification. According to the defect report, an incomplete cleaning during the battery module welding process could result in welding beads left within the battery assembly. Depending upon the size, shape and position of the beads, the beads could develop a short between the cells. In rare cases, the short circuit could lead to a thermal event and a vehicle fire.

Drivers will be alerted of a problem through a warning message displayed in the instrument cluster.

Those receiving notices will be asked to return to their BMW dealership to have the battery modules inspected and replaced as necessary. The NHTSA recall number is 20V-495.

NHTSA Accused Of Chevy Volt Cover Up

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is being accused of trying to keep the Chevrolet Volt battery fire a secret in an attempt to protect the government’s investment in the car company. Members of the House Committee for Government Reform released a report that states that the bailout of GM, creates business and political reasons for the government to sacrifice public safety. They criticize the time it took for the investigation to begin and the conclusion that the vehicle was safe, just two weeks into the investigation.

The NHTSA defends their position on the Chevy Volt investigation, saying that the agency is still developing protocols for dealing with battery powered vehicles. In the case of the Volt, they do not see the fire as a highway hazard because the problem could only be reproduced after impaling the battery with a steel rod. Still, it took at least a week for the fire to start. They added that GM was quick in responding to the problem, and developed protocols to drain the battery after a Volt has been in an accident.

Chevy Volts Repaired But Not Recalled

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General Motors is asking its Chevrolet Volt customers to return their vehicles to dealers so they can make repairs that will lower the risk of battery fires. The announcement comes after an investigation into a battery fire that consumed three vehicles at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) test facility. Follow-up tests to simulate the incident resulted in two out of three vehicles catching fire. GM and federal safety officials believe that the fires were caused by coolant leaking from damaged plastic casing around the batteries after a side-impact collisions. That coolant caused an electrical short, which sparked battery fires seven days to three weeks after the crashes.

Dealers will add steel plates around the Volt battery that will spread the force of a crash over a larger surface area. Tests carried out by GM and the government have shown that the repairs prevent battery damage and coolant leaks.