Another Chevrolet Bolt owner has, unfortunately, learned that GM’s calls to owners to park their EVs outside and not in their garages were not overstated.
On September 13, the Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services posted about a fire they fought that appeared to originate from a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt. Per the post, the owner was alerted to the fire when the smoke alarm inside their house started going off.
They left the house to discover that their garage was filled with smoke that appeared to be emanating from the Bolt, which was moved out of the garage, though it had already suffered extensive damage.
Read Also: GM Recalls Every Chevy Bolt And Bolt EUV Over Fire Risk At An Extra Cost Of $1 Billion
“Firefighters worked hard to keep the fire from spreading to the house that was next to the garage,” said Ricky Collett, Battalion Chief.
Fortunately, the damage seems to have been largely contained and no injuries were reported, although the other vehicle in the garage, a 2017 Dodge Ram, did suffer smoke damage.
The Chevrolet Bolt has been under one recall or another since late 2020, with fires reported as a result of defective battery modules. The problem appeared to be fixed, but reemerged in late August, prompting GM to initiate another recall and to stop production of new Bolt EV and Bolt EUV as it and battery supplier LG Chem seek to discover the problem at the root of the fires.
Estimates suggest that the recall could cost GM up to $1 billion and the timing couldn’t be worse as the company launches its electrification push with brands like GMC and Cadillac promising big things in the near future.