General Motors announced a massive recall of its Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles Friday due to a battery issue it said could cause the car to catch fire.
The automaker warns some of the all-electric vehicles may have two safety issues that could ignite flames. GM cautioned customers not to charge their vehicle batteries beyond 90% and to keep them parked outside. Owners are also encouraged not to allow cars to sit for too long without being driven.
The recall fuels concerns about lithium-ion batteries and their safety. Firefighters estimate electric vehicle fires require 40 times the usual amount of water they'd use to extinguish a gas-powered vehicle fire.
While the White House foresees half of all cars in the U.S. running on electricity by 2050, California anticipates all of its new car and truck sales will be electric-only by 2035.
GM's Friday announcement includes 73,000 Chevrolet Bolts manufactured between 2019 and 2022. A previous recall on Bolts already affected 69,000 vehicles, which the motor company blamed on a South Korean battery factory. Newer Bolt models' batteries are manufactured at a plant in Holland, Michigan.
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Ten people have reported Bolt battery fires in the last few years. One fire injured two people; another fire tore through a family's home.
GM said it would not manufacture or market the Bolt model until it addresses all battery issues. Meanwhile, the company will replace the power packs in all the affected models from 2017 to 2022.
"Our focus on safety and doing the right thing for our customers guides every decision we make at GM," said General Motors product development chief Doug Parks.
So far, General Motors' recalls on its Bolt models have totaled nearly $2 billion.
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