Manufactured at CAMI Automotive in Canada, the BrightDrop Zevo has been hit with a safety recall. As per documents filed by General Motors with the federal watchdog, the front drive unit in certain delivery vans from the 600 series may leak oil.
The Detroit-based automaker was informed about said condition by an employee through Speak Up For Safety, a program that encourages the automaker's workforce to report safety-related concerns. SUFS rolled out during a time when GM's biggest headache was the infamous flawed ignition switch that saw the death of 124 people.
According to the report attached below, the front drive unit of a 2022 model year BrightDrop Zevo 600 caught fire on December 7 last year. Not even a week later, on December 13, General Motors received another SUFS report over a front drive unit fire. For some reason or another, the largest automaker of the Detroit Big Three didn't open an investigation into these fires until December 22.
The investigation determined that drive units manufacturing during a specific build window may feature out-of-specification hardware. As it happens, the drive pinion may cut its way through the outboard side of the front drive unit's case, thus causing an oil leak. Oil and hot components don't really mix, hence the reported underhood fires.
Ultimately, the Safety Field Action Decision Authority decided to recall potentially affected vehicles due to the high risk of underhood fires. Referred to as X80, the front drive unit bears part number 24041528 in the American automaker's parts system. GM didn't mention whether this drive unit is made by General Motors or a supplier.
Photo: General Motors
An estimated 66 vehicles were assembled with suspect drive units, namely 2022 model year electric vans assembled between November 2021 and May 2022. All of them are owned by a fleet customer, and – get this – all of them will be replaced. The vehicles, that is, not the drive units. Replacement vehicles will be fitted with front drive units produced outside of the suspect window.
Dealers have already been informed about this blunder, whereas the fleet customer will be notified on February 15. The X80 drive unit is also found in the GMC Hummer EV pickup truck and sport utility vehicle, with General Motors promising up to 255 kilowatts or 342 mechanical horsepower.
Codenamed BV1, which stands for battery-electric van one, BrightDrop's first vehicle was revealed in January 2021 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. At the moment of reporting, the Detroit-based automaker lists two versions of the Zevo.
400 means 153 inches of wheelbase and 239 inches in overall length, whereas the 600 rocks 183 and 290 inches. Cargo volume obviously favors the 600 (615 cubic feet versus 412), but in terms of payload, the 400 is better (1,800 pounds versus 1,460). Both are good for 250 miles (a little over 400 kilometers) on a full charge of the 165-kWh battery pack.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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