Chevy To Bolt Users Worried Of Fires: Park 50 feet away from other cars

“Park 50 feet or more away from another vehicle.”

Owners of the Bolt EV and EUV will not find this information on the electric vehicle’s official recall website. Instead, General Motors’ “concierge” customer service specialists tell concerned owners who call in with questions about parking the recalled cars.

For 2017 through 2022, the Chevy Bolt EV and new EUV models are being recalled due to a battery fire risk. It’s been a long saga that began in November for some early Bolt models before spreading to all of them last month. LG batteries allegedly caused the fires, according to GM.

Another Bolt EV exploded a few weeks ago while parked in Sacramento, Calif. Several cars parked around it were destroyed in the overnight fireball. (So far, all Bolt fires have occurred in parked cars.) the owner of the car, 20-year-old Jesus Damian, told Mashable last week that Chevy is still investigating the fire’s cause.

In an email sent Friday, a Chevy spokesperson explained that customers who call 1-833-EVCHEVY to inquire about parking in decks, lots, and structures would receive the following recommendation:

We urge parking on the top floor or an outdoor deck and parking at least 50 feet apart from another vehicle if a fire occurs. Furthermore, we still ask you not to leave your vehicle charging unattended, even if you use a charging station in a parking deck.

But not all Bolt owners are receiving this advice. Chevrolet currently only gives it to those who ask for it.

Chevy still advises that consumers follow three main recommendations after upgrading the car software until a reliable battery upgrade, car swap, or buyback is available. It is recommended that the company keeps the battery charged above 70 miles of the remaining range, never trust the car to 100 percent, park outside after setting, and not leave it charging indoors unattended.

Chevy spokesperson said the parking recommendation would not be posted on the leading recall site or elsewhere, though he did not explain why. It has not published anything online about parking distances at your apartment lot or while shopping. The call center specialists would continue to provide extra advice.

While this is concerning Bolts, it has already sold, Chevy’s Bolt factory is still closed, adding to the recall’s nearly $2 billion costs. Currently, there’s no time estimate for when LG will have a defect-free battery available, which is frustrating owners.

Chevy’s freshest parking guidance might not have performed it to the recall website, but it still applies to Bolt owners who continue to drive the car or don’t have access to remote, isolated parking.

Additionally, this puts great responsibility on other drivers to avoid the models parked on the streets: It makes you think twice about pulling into that spot next to a Bolt.