GM is recalling dozens of BrightDrop electric vehicles after two reported fires

General Motors is to remember about 66 electric pickup trucks manufactured by its BrightDrop subsidiary after the front-wheel drive units in at least two caught fire late last year.

The automaker says it is still investigating the cause of the fire, but believes a manufacturing defect may have caused the car’s controls to puncture the car’s shell, causing an oil leak that could catch fire during heavy use. GM says in paperwork filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it believes the defect occurred in its EV600 sedans built between November 24, 2021 and May 24, 2022.

Companies including FedEx and Walmart have introduced the EV600. The recall does not affect BrightDrop’s EV400 minivans. GM shipped 497 BrightDrop vehicles domestically total in 2023.

The recall comes just months after GM axed BrightDrop in an attempt to streamline its commercial electric vehicle efforts. BrightDrop was initially launched in 2021 when GM spun it off from its Global Innovation organization.

“The safety of our products is the highest priority for the entire GM team, and we are working to quickly resolve this issue for our customers,” the company said in a statement to TechCrunch.

GM received a report of a fire in the BrightDrop EV600 front-wheel drive unit on Dec. 7, and another on Dec. 13, according to paperwork filed by NHTSA. The company opened an investigation into the fire on Dec. 22 and ordered a recall on Jan. 4. Both affected vehicles were owned by an unnamed GM fleet customer.

This is the third time BrightDrop vehicles have been recalled. The EV600 was previously recalled at the end of 2022 after the company discovered a problem with the water seal in the car’s high-voltage battery pack. It faced another recall in October when GM found out issue and one of the van’s airbags.