The BrightDrop EV600 is GM’s all electric delivery van, but an error in the front drive unit can cause it to leak oil and catch fire
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Fires in electric vehicles are nothing new, but they don’t normally start because of an oil leak. However, EVs still need fluids, and owners of the BrightDrop EV600 are discovering that a fire can occur if they’re allowed to leak.
General Motors is recalling 66 of its all-electric delivery vans due to a manufacturing error in the front drive unit. The automaker first became aware of the issue on December 8, after it received a report of a fire that occurred a day earlier.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t an isolated event and, on December 13, it received another report of a fire at the front of one of its vehicles. It decided to launch an investigation into the front drive units, where the fires had begun.
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Read: GM Issues Voluntary Recall To Fix Hummer EV And BrightDrop Zevo 600 Battery Connector Issues
In its investigation, GM determined that a manufacturing error was to blame for the fires. It found that units built during a specific production window may have received an out-of-specification drive pinion, which cut its way through the casing, and allowed oil to leak out, leading to an under-hood fire.
Naturally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) takes issue with that, and warns that an automotive fire can be dangerous. Although the automaker has not yet determined the root cause of the manufacturing error, it knows enough to be able to reduce the risk to drivers of the EV600.
Since BrightDrop delivery vehicles are sold to companies that operate fleets of delivery vehicles, it knows precisely where the faulty vehicles are. Starting on February 15, it says it will replace the EV600s involved in the recall, per its agreement with the fleet customer that owns them (the company has not been named). The new vehicles will have front drive units that were produced to specification.
