#GM Advises Chevy Bolt Owners to Park 50 Feet Away From Other Vehicles – Review Geek

Chevy Bolt owners that call into GM’s help hotline are being asked to park their car 50 feet away from other vehicles. While it isn’t the most realistic piece of advice, it’s a sign that the Chevy Bolt’s battery issues are more dangerous and pervasive than first expected.

The first notable Chevy Bolt recall was issued last year following reports of sporadic battery fires. It was a limited recall, as GM initially thought that only a handful of Bolt EVs had defective batteries. But it turns out that every Chevy Bolt battery ever manufactured by LG Chem may contain small, dangerous defects.

GM finally issued a recall every Chevy Bolt ever sold in August and paused Chevy Bolt production two weeks ago. It is now working directly with LG Chem to bring some “GM quality metrics” to the battery manufacturing process. And, unfortunately, Chevy Bolt owners are left waiting until their battery can be replaced.

Chevy Bolt owners are advised to take the following actions:

• Don’t let your vehicle exceed a 90% charge. You can use the Target Charge Level mode to do so. Instructions are on the Chevy Bolt recall page.
• Charge your vehicle more frequently and avoid depleting the battery below the 70-mile (or 113 km) mark.
• Park your vehicle outside when it isn’t charging, and don’t charge it overnight.
• Keep your car 50 feet away from other vehicles and buildings if possible.

While GM’s newest piece of advice is a bit unrealistic, you should try to follow it when possible. At least one Chevy Bolt has incinerated nearby cars due to a battery fire.

If you aren’t comfortable following these steps, you can take your Chevy Bolt to the dealer or contact the Chevrolet EV Concierge service (1-833-EVCHEVY) for more information on the recall. The line is open weekdays 8:00am to 12:00am ET and weekends 12:00pm to 9:00pm ET.

Source: Bloomberg via CNBC