GM expands Chevrolet Bolt EV recall, adding $1 bn in costs

General Motors expanded a recall of its Chevrolet Bolt on Friday, announcing plans to repair thousands more of the electric autos in a move that will add $1 billion in costs.

The recall will address two manufacturing defects that can be present in electric battery cells, leading to fires in “rare circumstances,” GM said in a news release.

The latest moves adds to the $812 million in costs connected to the earlier recall of Bolt vehicles.

GM said it was pursuing reimbursement from the supplier, LG.

The automaker “discovered manufacturing defects in certain battery cells produced at LG manufacturing facilities beyond the Ochang, Korea plant,” GM said.

“GM and LG are working to rectify the cause of these defects. In the meantime, GM is pursuing commitments from LG for reimbursement of this field action.”

GM is now recalling additional Bolt vehicles from 2019 as well as those of the 2020-2022 model year after the July 23 announcement covered vehicles from the 2017-2019 period.

Friday’s recall affects about 73,000 autos in the United States and Canada, a bit more than the 69,000 covered by the initial recall.

“Our focus on safety and doing the right thing for our customers guides every decision we make at GM,” said Doug Parks, GM executive vice president. “As leaders in the transition to an all-electric future, we know that building and maintaining trust is critical.”

GM reiterated safety steps for consumers as they await notification when replacement parts are ready. This includes adjusting vehicle settings to enable a maximum charge of 90 percent.

Shares of GM fell 2.2 percent to $47.73 in after-hours trading Friday. GM announced the move after the market closed.