Chevy Bolt EV battery recall update: Nearly half have been remedied

General Motors has remedied nearly half the vehicles in an expanded, ongoing Chevrolet Bolt EV battery recall, according to a quarterly report on the recall campaign published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Wednesday.

First spotted by Reddit users, the report shows that as of April 22, 26,925 vehicles out of a total 57,414 have had recall work completed. That’s about 45% of the total number of vehicles potentially affected by the recall, which addresses manufacturing defects that could lead to battery fires.

In addition, 210 vehicles are listed as “unreachable,” and a further 345 are listed as “removed.” Owners were notified of the recall between August 13, 2021, and October 12, 2021, according to the report.

2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV

2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV

All Bolt EV models, as well as the Bolt EUV derivative, are affected by the recall. But GM opted to replace battery modules in all 2017-2019 models. Those vehicles likely make up a larger portion of the recall population, meaning a lot of extra batteries will be needed on top of those slated for use in new vehicles.

GM restarted Bolt EV and Bolt EUV production at its Orion Assembly plant in Michigan April 4 after many months of suspension. Production halted in August 2021, and remained that way until early April aside from a brief restart in November 2021.

Battery supplier LG is paying GM $1.9 billion for the recall, which happened just as GM was readying its new-generation Ultium cells jointly developed with the company. GM and LG also remain partners in Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture with plans for four battery plants supplying cells for GM EV production. So far GM has confirmed locations in Ohio, Tennessee, and Michigan that correspond to assembly plants slated to build future EVs.