South Korea's LG Electronics is compensating American automaker General Motors for $1.9 billion in damages resulting from a massive recall and repair of Chevrolet Bolt EV electric vehicles that were found to have defective high-voltage batteries, Reuters writes. Thus, LG Electronics - the supplier of battery packs for the Bolt EV - admitted its guilt in this story.
Defective batteries have been installed in 140,000 Bolt EVs built from 2017 to 2021. The concern decided to replace them in August after 13 recorded spontaneous combustion of this model.
LG stated that repair costs may increase depending on the number of defective battery modules identified. However, on newly manufactured vehicles, replacement may not be required, the decision will be made on a case by case basis after scanning with diagnostic equipment.
While the cars are not repaired, General Motors asks Bolt EV owners not to leave them in garages overnight to recharge, not to recharge batteries more than 90%, and also not to park closer than 15 meters from other vehicles.
An investigation conducted by LG and GM showed that batteries are prone to two defects at once: anode rupture and separator bending.
GM will receive almost $2 billion from the supplier for low-quality batteries for electric vehicles
