Things continue to go less-than-perfect for Chevrolet, which is recalling another 140,000 Bolt EVs capable of catching fire in a traffic incident.
The issue is not in the powertrain this time around, though. As the company explains, the powder charge used by the seat belt pretensioner releases hot gas when triggered. This gas can ignite when coming into contact with the floor mats, potentially causing a fire.
The solution is to use a heat insulation material similar to metal foil; the powder cartridge itself will not be replaced. The recall encompasses around 120,000 EVs sold in the United States and around 20,000 sold in Canada through the model years 2017–2023.
This will be far from the first recall for the Bolt EV. The last time it happened, Chevrolet blamed LG traction batteries for the fires and tied around a dozen cases with this design defect. The company is still busy replacing the batteries in the affected vehicles.