Bolt!

[CaminoRacer]

I haven't been worried about the Bolt recall (my car has 91k miles, I feel like it would have caught fire already if it's going to), but this is getting ridiculous.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/14/gm-warns-some-bolt-ev-owners-dont-park-them-inside-or-charge-them-unattended-overnight.html

Might end up selling it, but any other EV is gonna cost twice as much as I paid, and 3-4x what the car is currently worth. Bolt EUV, Model 3, or Mach E would be the obvious upgrades. Or go back to ICE, probably either a Civic or Accord. But I don't like the recent Civics, I'd want a 2022+ with the new styling.

[FoMoJo]

One of these.  2.5 litre hybrid.  Cheap.



You'll be all set for lawn care/landscaping/gardening when you get your house.

[CaminoRacer]

It seems that 7 of the ~11 fires have been in 2019 models, 3 from 2017, and 1 from 2018. Mine is a very early build - built in September 2016 as a 2017 model. Given it's been 4+ years and 91k miles, I think the battery is probably fine.

2017-early 2019 models have battery packs built by LG in South Korea. Halfway through the 2019 models, they switched to US made batteries and those haven't had any issues.

[Submariner]

"Two of the vehicles caught fire after they were repaired as part of a recall meant to address fire risks."

LOL

[CaminoRacer]

The recall "fix" isn't really a fix, it's a software update to try to find the problem before burns the car/garage/house down. I didn't get the "interim fix" or the "final fix" done yet. The interim fix just limited the battery to 85-90% full, which I could do myself. I was going to get the "final fix" at some point, but not until I get the Miata back from the body shop.

New battery packs are the only real fix.

[NomisR]

The recall "fix" isn't really a fix, it's a software update to try to find the problem before burns the car/garage/house down. I didn't get the "interim fix" or the "final fix" done yet. The interim one straight up just limited the battery to 85-90% full, which I could do myself. I was going to get the "final fix" at some point, but not until I get the Miata back from the body shop.

New battery packs are the only real fix.

I've been charging till 80% since the original recall, I haven't even gone in for the first recall since they never did anything.  Probably should for insurance purposes but the lease is up in a few months..

[MrH]

It seems that 7 of the ~11 fires have been in 2019 models, 3 from 2017, and 1 from 2018. Mine is a very early build - built in September 2016 as a 2017 model. Given it's been 4+ years and 91k miles, I think the battery is probably fine.

2017-early 2019 models have battery packs built by LG in South Korea. Halfway through the 2019 models, they switched to US made batteries and those haven't had any issues.

11 fires?  That's a slow quarter for Tesla

[AutobahnSHO]

11 fires?  That's a slow quarter for Tesla

[NomisR]

11 fires?  That's a slow quarter for Tesla

[Morris Minor]

Total Chevy Bolt Sales: 79,000
Chevy Bolt Conflagrations: 11
Chevy Bolt Conflagration Rate: 0.014%

Total Tesla Sales: 1,820,000
Tesla Conflagrations: 25 (quick Wikipedia count)
Tesla Conflagration Rate: 0.00138%

Employing advanced mainstream media statistical analysis techniques: 25 is a number that is about twice as large as 13, therefore Teslas are about twice as lethal as Chevy Bolts.

[CaminoRacer]

LG vs SK batteries is an interesting background fight in the EV world.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a36488021/ford-f-150-lightning-batteries-us-trade-war/

LG batteries have had multiple issues. Hyundai Kona and Chevy Bolt batteries were built by LG in South and Korea and both had issues. I'm getting conflicting information whether the Mach E uses LG or SK. The Lightning will be SK made in the USA. I think the Mach E might be using a battery pack made by LG in Poland?

[CaminoRacer]

Total Chevy Bolt Sales: 79,000
Chevy Bolt Conflagrations: 11
Chevy Bolt Conflagration Rate: 0.014%

Total Tesla Sales: 1,820,000
Tesla Conflagrations: 25 (quick Wikipedia count)
Tesla Conflagration Rate: 0.00138%

Employing advanced mainstream media statistical analysis techniques: 25 is a number that is about twice as large as 13, therefore Teslas are about twice as lethal as Chevy Bolts.

Breaking it down by year really makes the 2019 Bolt's statistics look bad. When I bought my 2017 I could have leased a 2019 for a similar price per month. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't?

2019 Bolts with the Korean-made battery: 14,371
Fires: 7

0.048%

[Morris Minor]

Munro touched on that, & subsequently corrected himself when he was talking about the Mach E in one of the teardown vids. It's LG.

https://youtu.be/hjhKPmTV7Tk?t=90

[Submariner]

Total Chevy Bolt Sales: 79,000
Chevy Bolt Conflagrations: 11
Chevy Bolt Conflagration Rate: 0.014%

Total Tesla Sales: 1,820,000
Tesla Conflagrations: 25 (quick Wikipedia count)
Tesla Conflagration Rate: 0.00138%

Employing advanced mainstream media statistical analysis techniques: 25 is a number that is about twice as large as 13, therefore Teslas are about twice as lethal as Chevy Bolts.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MS2aEfbEi7s

[Morris Minor]

Srsly - Tesla is so far ahead of the rest, and will remain so until the others at least fix their charge fill rates, & availability of simple-to-use and reliable public chargers.

[MrH]

Tesla wishes they only had 25 fires. Actuary tables from insurance companies tell a very very different tale. Tesla immediately tries to get an NDA signed anytime there is a fire

[MrH]

Just a quick update:

There's a Dutch guy on Twitter who has been tracking every Tesla fire.  We're up to 144 that he's been able to document.

[CaminoRacer]

Are most of them after a big collision? I feel like those are the common Tesla fires I hear about

[MrH]

It's a mixed bag.  There are a ton of them just igniting while parked.  The difference is not what's starting the fires, but in the OEMs response.  Tesla won't recall shit until they are forced to, and even then, they'll fight it.

[r0tor]

The difference is not what's starting the fires, but in the OEMs response.  Tesla won't recall shit until they are forced to, and even then, they'll fight it.

...this is unique how???

Also the Tesla fire rate is still much lower than the bolt even with internet numbers

[MrH]

Almost all other OEMs do their recalls voluntarily to get out in front of the issue.

[r0tor]

Maybe after a few lawsuits

[NomisR]

Almost all other OEMs do their recalls voluntarily to get out in front of the issue.

It's also the only company with no PR department

[MrH]

It's also the only company with no PR department

As long as you don't count the paid flying monkey division on social media, then sure, they don't have a PR department.

[NomisR]

As long as you don't count the paid flying monkey division on social media, then sure, they don't have a PR department.

Well, I guess they depend on unpaid fanbois to defend their product non-stop.. but no PR in a traditional sense

[MrH]

They're not all unpaid.  That's the point I'm making.

[Laconian]

They're buying back my brother's Bolt at full MSRP. He gets to keep the tax credit, of course. His three years and 80,000 miles of driving were free.

[SJ_GTI]

They're buying back my brother's Bolt at full MSRP. He gets to keep the tax credit, of course. His three years and 80,000 miles of driving were free.

Whoa, that is handy.

Edit, actually, if they are paying MSRP, that means he got paid (via the tax credits) to drive it for three years.

[CaminoRacer]

They're buying back my brother's Bolt at full MSRP. He gets to keep the tax credit, of course. His three years and 80,000 miles of driving were free.

I thought they subtracted for mileage?

[Laconian]

I thought they subtracted for mileage?

Yeah, 15%. But I think he got $7k of tax credits.