[Bolticus]

Hello,
I understand that after getting the new battery (after recall repair), an older Bolt would, in theory, be able to charge faster on a L3 charger (lower internal resistance in the newer chemistry battery). But my understanding is also that GM does not intend to change anything as far as the charging software is concerned (The 2017 Bolt unfortunately will not be getting an ability to limit the charge to say 60%.... why GM doesn't offer that upgrade for a cost is beyond me).

My question is, is it the Bolt's software that is telling the charger how fast to go (In which case, the newer battery will have no affect on charging speed), or does the software sense battery voltages and allow the newer batteries to charge a little faster on DCFC? TIA.

 

[Sean Nelson]

There are hardware limitations in terms of the cabling in the car and the size of the onboard charger (for L1/L2 charging). In theory the car's hardware could allow higher power DCFC charging for longer before throttling down (subject to temperature limitations), but it couldn't handle any higher power at the low end of the charging range.

 

[ARob]

I suspect it is too early to tell. The early battery swaps are being done before SW updates promised in mid-November. While the updates are intended to diagnose problems, and theoretically the new cells should be problem free, I would suspect the SW update will be applied to all Bolts, even those with new cells.

I am not aware of HW changes that enabled Target Charge Level (vs Hilltop Reserve), and GM could choose to offer a single branch of code for the BMS update, and Infotainment system to level the user interface, DCFC charging curve (which changed in 2020 model year with the new cells), and other settings. The infotainment update could be done OTA, but the BMS requires certified techs to install. It would take both to be updated.

We may learn more in a couple of weeks?

 

[boltage]

One other question is, what if a car is now brought in for battery replacement, but is a 2017-2019 car that has not had the April/May software installed? Does the April/May software get installed while the car is there?

 

[ARob]

One other question is, what if a car is now brought in for battery replacement, but is a 2017-2019 car that has not had the April/May software installed? Does the April/May software get installed while the car is there?

Doubtful. I had the update applied in early June, but it still doesn't appear on my records.

The November update will replace the May update for unrepaired Bolts. Like when GM said the May update would eventually be done for all model years, I suspect the November update will be applied to the entire fleet, including those with new packs.

 

[Bolticus]

I suspect it is too early to tell. The early battery swaps are being done before SW updates promised in mid-November. While the updates are intended to diagnose problems, and theoretically the new cells should be problem free, I would suspect the SW update will be applied to all Bolts, even those with new cells.

I am not aware of HW changes that enabled Target Charge Level (vs Hilltop Reserve), and GM could choose to offer a single branch of code for the BMS update, and Infotainment system to level the user interface, DCFC charging curve (which changed in 2020 model year with the new cells), and other settings. The infotainment update could be done OTA, but the BMS requires certified techs to install. It would take both to be updated.

We may learn more in a couple of weeks?

Thank you Rob. It would be so nice for GM to at least get older Bolts with the new battery packs the new DCFC charging curve. I would pay for the Target Charge Level (as I suspect a number of Bolt owners would) and it just blows me away that it isn't even an option. This is where GM could learn a lot from Tesla. Hopefully they get better at software (and upgrades).

 

[Marspilgrim]

I think it's an unknown at this point until the v2.0 software is installed and tested. Should be more of a gentle curve than big step downs but the math is all different compared to our reality a year ago.