It would probably take more than just replacing the pack to increase DC charging speeds. The socket, wiring, DC-DC inverter (maybe not considering it already provides 150kW to the motor), BMS, etc would probably all need to be replaced. Now, you are talking about a significant rebuild.

They said Ultium is highly adaptable to different models, and allows them to compress development cycles down to ~2 years. If they are already in development for Ultium based Bolts, it might be possible to accelerate that effort and offer existing Bolt owners an incentive to trade up. They could also swap MI made BEV2 packs in at the expense of halting new Bolt EV sales to free up capacity for swaps and continue offering EUV in the interim.

 

It would probably take more than just replacing the pack to increase DC charging speeds. The socket, wiring, DC-DC inverter (maybe not considering it already provides 150kW to the motor), BMS, etc would probably all need to be replaced. Now, you are talking about a significant rebuild.

Umm I was also assuming the wiring, invertors etc would probably need to be replaced, but that would be awesome if they can go ahead and use what's already installed. Plug and play and simply update software to match the new Batteries -capabilities


The idea besides doing right for the Consumer is it would give GM an inexpensive fleet of test vehicles for the new Battery... because they want to make 100% certain this time before they enter a new battery in the Market

 

Battery capacity is measured in kWh, not "KW".

 

You know I did that just for you 😄

 

1. Announce you are replacing ALL Chevy Bolt batteries with the new Ultium Battery...

Yeah, like that's possible..... NOT.

 

If you believe in Santa.

 

1. Announce you are replacing ALL Chevy Bolt batteries with the new Ultium Battery (that would naturally increase range and Charge speeds) for those driver willing to be testing for GM, to collect driven miles, charging speeds , range , range degradation etc...

The first problem with this solution is that the Ultium batteries do not exist yet, at least in anything beyond prototype stage. There is no factory currently cranking out these batteries. Secondly, as ARob mentioned, a new charge socket, cabling, and probably HPDM relay, would be required to handle triple the current coming into the HPDM.

 

March to June ..Ultium Battery Production Starts


Ultium is getting the word out, going to various communities, giving an introduction to the business. But it is hiring now, on all levels of the business – 200 people by the end of the year and up to 1,100 positions being filled between March and June of next year when the work begins to build millions of battery cells.

“There’s very little manual labor in our process. So all of that manual activity is performed by process equipment or automation. So, as a production employee in our environment, you’re managing that automation,” Gallagher said.



I figure by the time GM admits they were wrong and would actually start replacing Batteries wouldnt be until then anyways lol


Yeah I know... would be great though.. If it wasnt for the slow Charging (and of course the fires) I'd really like to keep driving the Bolt. The Ultium battery would get me to stay.


I am like others debating which way to go when GM finally settles this fire issue.. Buy out or the 60/66 kWh battery.


For me needing either more range or faster charging ... probably take the buy out ..unless of course I thought I could get more out of it with new battery.

Either way ..FOR ME I need faster charging or more range

 

They could just replace the batteries with the ones they use in current Bolts, which would be a 10% pack capacity increase.

 

Yes. This would be the obvious thing to do, and reduce the waste of resources that scrapping out the cars would entail.

 

Not a chance. They'd buyback before doing a major overhaul of 3-5 year old cars. Every new EV counts against the fleet mpg whereas modifying the old ones doesn't. I'd drag my feet taking a buyback till I could use the proceeds on a lyriq if I wanted ultium.

 

3-5 year old cars.. yep good point.


Lyriq looks amazing ! the Huge screen will be a hit ..

but for my needs even the VW ID 4 would work and be reasonably priced .. the range is essentially the same as the Bolt but the Charging rates is 2 1/2 times Faster ..so driving UBer ..that's important for me.


I'm going to try and make it through one more winter with the Bolt unless GM comes up with a decent solution before then..

Aryria , VW ID 4 , Ioniq 5 ..those are still on my list

 

Taking back my '19 and swapping me into a fully loaded EUV is fine with me. It's too bad some owners can't do the same because their state's lemon laws suck.

 

GM can't even figure out how to do OTA software updates. And you want them to retrofit Ultium batteries? Good one!

Mike

 

They can but Beans count people are pointing to the ICE 🪣 of parts to be used on EV because it is cheaper and sourced from suppliers that are giving big discounts . And ICE 🪣 of parts was never designed with that in mind.

 

FYI the high cobalt content of gen 1 Bolt EV batteries makes them last a long long time.
I am afraid that people just look at the kWh rating of the battery and don't understand they have been trying to replace Cobalt with Aluminum and this is not a 1:1 replacement.

 

It’s nice to dream isn’t it. Lol

 

1. Announce you are replacing ALL Chevy Bolt batteries with the new Ultium Battery (that would naturally increase range and Charge speeds) for those driver willing to be testing for GM, to collect driven miles, charging speeds , range , range degradation etc...


2. Drivers that do not want this data collected will have the Option of Buy Back or 66 kW Battery

3. 2023 Bolt will be discontinued...

4. 2024 the Bolt will reappear , new design, updated interior/exterior perfected and optimized Ultium battery and charging based on the 2017/19 Test bed of Bolt Ultium drivers

And this

 

1. Announce you are replacing ALL Chevy Bolt batteries with the new Ultium Battery (that would naturally increase range and Charge speeds) for those driver willing to be testing for GM, to collect driven miles, charging speeds , range , range degradation etc...


2. Drivers that do not want this data collected will have the Option of Buy Back or 66 kW Battery

3. 2023 Bolt will be discontinued...

4. 2024 the Bolt will reappear , new design, updated interior/exterior perfected and optimized Ultium battery and charging based on the 2017/19 Test bed of Bolt Ultium drivers

How do you start the buy back? Go to your local chevy dealer? This latest fire happened during charging to a car that had the latest update.

 

I called the special bolt number and she is getting my dealer to call me
I had the latest software installed but she told me to charge outside (level 2 cord will not reach) or avoid charging while I am asleep! Btw, the upgrade gave me more range and the screen shows it is going to 100% and i cannot lower it to 90. So i have to unplug it before i go to bed.

 

yeap, exactly.

 

call the concierge 1-833-EVCHEVY

 

1.the new Ultium Battery (that would naturally increase range and Charge speeds)

Ultium battery and charging based on the 2017/19 Test bed of Bolt Ultium drivers

Ultium is just marketing gimmicky for the same LGchem cells we have now. Same South Korean batteries, some minor tweaks to how the BMS cables are now wireless (not proven to be better)

the extra range is from just have a lot more. You are kidding yourself if you think that can just swap

 

Ultium is just marketing gimmicky for the same LGchem cells we have now. Same South Korean batteries, some minor tweaks to how the BMS cables are now wireless (not proven to be better)

the extra range is

from just have a lot more. You are kidding yourself if you think that can just swap

Ummm WRONG.. the Ultium design is completely different

 

July 14, 2021 | Washington, DC

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is urging owners of select Model Year 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt vehicles to park their cars outside and away from homes due to the risk of fire.

Owners of these vehicles should park their vehicles outside away from homes and other structures immediately after charging and should not leave their vehicles charging overnight, according to General Motors.
The vehicles that should be parked outside are those that were originally recalled in November 2020 for the potential of an unattended fire in the high-voltage battery pack underneath the backseat’s bottom cushion. The affected vehicles’ cell packs have the potential to smoke and ignite internally, which could spread to the rest of the vehicle and cause a structure fire if parked inside a garage or near a house.

This recall affected 50,932 MY 2017-19 Chevrolet Bolt vehicles.
Vehicles should be parked outside regardless of whether the interim or final recall remedies have been completed. NHTSA is aware of two recent Chevrolet Bolt EV fires in vehicles that received the recall remedy.
NHTSA opened an investigation (PE 20-016) in October 2020, continues to evaluate the information received, and is looking into these latest fires.

Vehicle owners can visit NHTSA.gov/recalls and enter their 17-digit vehicle identification number to see if their vehicle is affected under this recall. If it is, vehicle owners should call their nearest Chevrolet dealership immediately to schedule a free repair. For more information on this recall, visit www.chevy.com/boltevrecall.

This is confusing: The way these alerts read is:
A. Vehicle must be monitored while charging. (What is one supposed to do if, while watching their Bolt charge, smoke or flames begin emanating? Unplug, jump in a burning vehicle, attempt to turn it on, put it in neutral, then push the now engulfed vehicle to a desolate area?)
B. Vehicle must be parked outside, away from all structures or anything else that may be damaged by a spontaneous fire. (good thing I live in a cul-de-sac!)

 

glad am not in Chevy management. They must be sweating. looks like they are gonna have to bite the bullet and swap out lost of batteries. All you need is a bolt to catch fire in a dry area and start a forest fire and the public will own chevy after that.

 

oh my GOD that sound so convenient.

 

does GM say when the bolt fires will stop and how they are going to fix it? Until they do nothing else really matters, does it?

 

I dont know what GM says .. But I'm pretty sure when the firetrucks leave the scene the Fires out then 😄




That aside.. freelosophy..it's just a waiting game now.


Right now park outside after you charge at home (just moved mine out of the garage)


It may be a week a month ..3 months before GM announces their next step...



You dont have to wait on them though .. check your States lemon Laws , Call GM for a Buyback

 

1. Announce you are replacing ALL Chevy Bolt batteries with the new Ultium Battery (that would naturally increase range and Charge speeds) for those driver willing to be testing for GM, to collect driven miles, charging speeds , range , range degradation etc...


2. Drivers that do not want this data collected will have the Option of Buy Back or 66 kW Battery

3. 2023 Bolt will be discontinued...

4. 2024 the Bolt will reappear , new design, updated interior/exterior perfected and optimized Ultium battery and charging based on the 2017/19 Test bed of Bolt Ultium drivers

I would gladly sign up to test new batteries for gm in my Bolt.

 

I already got my 2017 sold back to GM and Got a 2019 (exactly the same blue premier) that didn't have the recall batteries. Got a great deal on both, thanks GM. Thought I was out of the woods, but now am back in with the rest of the gang.

 

I think the question should just be asked on Facebook.
Let those experts figure it out. They'll all tell you what you need to know.

 

I didn't end up doing the buyback on my 2017 because the offer was so low and there were no new Bolts to buy, and I literally got the buyback offer the very same day the final recall remedy was issued, so I kept the car.

Well now what?

It'd be content with them swapping in a battery from a 2021 or whatever, reprogram the ECU, and Bob's your uncle. Or just trade me for the same Bolt trim of a model year that doesn't catch fire please.

I was satisfied with my vehicle after the recall, but now what?? Now it's gonna catch fire again.

I understand the absolute chance of it going up in smoke here is fairly low, but if it catches the adjacent buildings on fire, well.. that's cataphoric.

Fix it right.

 

Here's a good question - do the 2021 batteries fit in a 2017, physically? Would it literally be as simple as swap and reprogram for the extra 6 kWh? Is it the same BMS and protocol?
Or would that not even be required? Does the larger pack just drain more slowly and the guess-o-meter ends up guessing higher after a few days?

It's not as if they can't reprogram that power train module when they want to, as we've all seen.

Why do we exhaust every crappy bandaid option before we finally do the right thing?

 

Here's a good question - do the 2021 batteries fit in a 2017, physically? Would it literally be as simple as swap and reprogram for the extra 6 kWh? Is it the same BMS and protocol?
Or would that not even be required? Does the larger pack just drain more slowly and the guess-o-meter ends up guessing higher after a few days?

It's not as if they can't reprogram that power train module when they want to, as we've all seen.

Why do we exhaust every crappy bandaid option before we finally do the right thing?

$$$$$$$

 

What can GM do now going forward?

1. Narrow the population of at-risk cars to be repaired by OBD-II inspection and software monitoring. Already done, did not work 100% reliably. Probably no one will trust it if tried again, even in the unlikely event that they do find something that works 100% reliably.
2. Narrow the population of at-risk cars to be repaired by physical inspection. Unlikely, since (a) it may not be possible to do non-destructively, (b) even if possible to do non-destructively, will be very labor intensive (lots of scheduling issues at dealers), and (c) doing any such procedure risks some inspections not being done properly, or some cars not being put back together properly, resulting in various problems.
3. Replace batteries in all at-risk cars. That would mean needing a short term spike in battery production (with attendant risk of defects) as well as logistical issues getting the new batteries into customer cars (scheduling visits to dealers, etc.). Probably would take considerable time with anxious customers waiting and complaining about why it is taking so long (how is Hyundai doing with Kona battery replacements?).
4. Offer buy-back on generous terms for all at-risk cars.
5. Offer trade-up swap for another GM vehicle on generous terms for all at-risk cars.
6. Anything else anyone can think of?

For #4 and #5, the bought-back cars would presumably end up in big storage lots. Any worth reselling could have their batteries replaced and resold, but there would be less time pressure and easier logistics to do so.

If GM is concerned about brand image / goodwill, it seems like the most sensible route would be to offer #5, #4, #3 at customer's choice, with the offer terms making each option's attractiveness in that order for most customers (they probably would not want more than a few customers choosing #3, and would rather have customers choose #5 over #4 otherwise). But will they do that?

 

In a sense, GM is already doing 4 and 5. There are multiple threads addressing buybacks, and it appears that even some customers who were declined for buybacks after the completion of the recall are going to be getting out of their vehicles. Formalizing this process would go a long way, though. It seems like 3 is an inevitability at this point. It is more a question of when than if. The real problem is timing. With the current chip shortage, getting customers into new Bolts is not always viable, and as you pointed out, the replacement of batteries en masse requires having enough batteries available to swap out. That will take time. Maybe a lot of time. It is a bad spot to be in regardless of whether you are GM or a Bolt owner.