Another Chevy Bolt Recall: Will It Scare Consumers Away?
Lisa Steuer McArdle
· 3 min read
The
Chevy
Bolt has been recalled three times in the past year. Now, GM is reportedly recalling every Chevy Bolt ever made, including new electric utility vehicle models.According to
Ars Technica
, the latest recall is due to safety issues regarding LG batteries catching on fire. A recent data report from us here at
Jerry
also indicates that the Chevy Bolt is the most popular electric vehicle for users ages 18 to 20. But will the recent recalls drive customers to other electric vehicles?
About the Chevy Bolt recalls
The Chevy Bolt was first recalled back last November when several cars that hadn’t been involved in any accidents caught on fire. A second batch were recalled in July after Chevy investigated the problem further.
The company traced the problem to two manufacturing defects—a torn anode tab and folded separator—that could occur simultaneously and created conditions that could lead to a short in cells, according to Ars Technica.
The most recent Chevy recall involves 73,000 Bolts made from 2019 to 2022, which brings the total recall to nearly 142,000 cars. GM is blaming LG and will reportedly be seeking reimbursement from the company.
GM will replace the batteries, but it is reportedly a costly and laborious procedure that will take some time. Until service appointments can be scheduled, Chevy is urging Bolt owners to park their vehicles outside, to limit the battery’s state of charge to 90% or lower, and to not let the estimated range dip below 70 miles.
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The Chevy Bolt, electric vehicles and fires
MORE: Electric Car Fires Are Uniquely Dangerous
There is a larger concern that electrics are more likely to be caught on fire. But Ars Technica says it’s not clear whether electric vehicles do catch fire more frequently than internal combustion engine vehicles.
In fact, Tesla even recently released a report claiming that fossil-fuel vehicles are 11 times more likely to catch fire than Tesla’s cars.
But there’s also 2019 data from the London Fire Brigade that says that plug-in cars are more likely to catch fire than internal combustion engine vehicles.
So it seems it’s a debated issue that perhaps needs more data and studies.
About Jerry data report
MORE: Tesla, Car of the Future—but Maybe Not so for Younger Drivers
Jerry analyzed more than 5,000 electric vehicle quotes from a sample of over 1 million insurance quotes from June 2020 to June 2021. While the data shows that the Chevy Bolt is most popular among 18- to 20-year-olds, Tesla was the most popular with every other age group.
The Chevy Bolt is increasingly popular with younger generations, but Nissan is more popular with older generations. Tesla is consistently popular across all age demographics.
The data further shows that Volkswagen E-Golf and Nissan-Leaf have the oldest drivers, while Ford Mustang Mach-E and Chevy Bolt have the youngest drivers.
Car insurance
costs could be influencing younger drivers to choose the Chevy Bolt—because our data shows that both Volkswagen E-Golf and Tesla are the most expensive to insure, while the Chevy Bolt is the cheapest to insure.In fact, our data shows that the average monthly insurance premium for the Chevrolet Bolt is $194, while Tesla has a monthly average of $226. The Volkswagen E-Golf has the most expensive average monthly premium at $227, while the Nissan Leaf comes in at $210.
But with the recent recalls and problems with the Chevy Bolt, could younger drivers shift their preferences to another vehicle?
It’s hard to say right now, but we could see things trending that way soon.
