GM tells Bolt EV owners to park 50 feet away from other vehicles

New, even more cautionary guidance is being given to all Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV owners. In addition to the many other cautions GM provided, now owners are being told to park and store their vehicles at least 50 feet away from other cars.

This advice is being given to reduce the chance that a spontaneous Bolt EV fire could spread to other nearby vehicles. Bloomberg first reported this latest development in what has become a Bolt EV fire saga.

GM’s words of caution apply to buildings, too. Bolt EV owners are encouraged to park on the top deck of parking structures, or on the top floor. The previous advice of not leaving the car unattended while charging still applies. Of course, much of this could prove troublesome or downright impossible for urban Bolt EV owners that are limited in their parking options.

GM in August widened its Bolt recall to more than 140,000 vehicles (all Bolt EVs worldwide) to replace battery modules, at a cost now estimated at $1.8 billion after reports of 10 fires. The automaker said it would seek reimbursement from GM battery supplier LG.

Just today, GM announced it would extend the Bolt EV production shutdown through mid-October. GM’s previous Bolt EV production shutdown was scheduled to end September 24.

GM will not resume Bolt production or sales until it is satisfied that the recall remedy will address the fire risk, it added.

This report contains material from Reuters.

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