Chevy Bolt EV belonging to Vermont lawmaker who has backed industry catches fire.

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The Center for Auto Safety is the nation’s premier independent, member driven, non-profit consumer advocacy organization dedicated to improving vehicle safety, quality, and fuel economy on behalf of all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.

“Safety needs to come first,” Jason Levine, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group, told CNBC. “There remain open questions as to why there seems to be a growing trend of lithium-ion batteries in vehicles catching on fire.”

By Michael Wayland
July 7, 2021

A Chevrolet electric vehicle owned by a Vermont state lawmaker who has backed the industry recently caught fire while charging in the politician’s driveway, according to Vermont State Police.

The vehicle, a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV, is part of a recall of nearly 69,000 of the electric vehicles globally due to fire risks that was announced in November by General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

State Rep. Timothy Briglin, a Democrat, told authorities the EV had been serviced for the recall in recent weeks, Vermont State Police Det. Sgt. Matthew Hill said Wednesday. That could mean the repair was not done correctly; it’s not a solution for the fires; or there’s another problem with the vehicle.

GM said in a statement sent to CNBC on Wednesday that company officials are “in touch with authorities to understand the specific circumstances.” They also have “reached out to the customer and are actively investigating the incident.” A spokesman for the Detroit automaker declined to comment further on the fire until the company has access to the vehicle and its investigation is complete.

Hill said he had not been contacted yet by GM regarding the incident, which he said occurred while the vehicle was plugged in to charge.

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