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Now GM has confirmed that it's stepping up by offering a significant range boost for those earlier Bolt EVs.

5202 Views 27 Replies 16 Participants Last post by KnarfOH, Sep 12, 2021

KnarfOH

Discussion Starter · Aug 31, 2021

Owners of 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV models have had to contend with a reduced driving range for many months, as GM attempted to find a remedy for a battery related fire issue that culminated with a plan to replace all battery modules.

Now GM has confirmed that it's stepping up by offering a significant range boost for those earlier Bolt EVs.

GM Chevy Bolt EV battery fix could bring many owners more range than they originally had

1 - 20 of 28 Posts

Martin D

· #2 · Aug 31, 2021

This article, although timely by date, is providing news from 2 weeks ago 🤔

Reactions: 5

KnarfOH

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 31, 2021

Martin D said:
This article, although timely by date, is providing news from 2 weeks ago 🤔

I have seen articles speculating on the route GM would take to solve the battery problem similar to this but this is the first time I have seen an article including reported documentation from GM this will happen in the manner described in the article from yesterday.

One of the quotes from the article (which correlates to your comment this may be old information) says "Under a recall announced August 20 and posted in full by NHTSA last week, GM noted: “Defective battery modules will be replaced by GM, free of charge.” But it hadn’t said, exactly, which cells it would use as replacements.

Just an informational post for those who might find it informative.

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MichBolt

· #4 · Aug 31, 2021

For anyone who might come across this thread and would like a summary of what we know, I encourage you to read the stickied timeline thread in the Recall forum. We'll try to keep that updated with a summary of information and events as they occur.

Reactions: 5

nelsonxm

· #5 · Aug 31, 2021

I don't really care about any carrot on a stick perks GM may offer to try and placate us owners of the ticking time bombs. if they can't resolve the battery issue in a timely manner, i may consider suing. I feel stuck since i don't want to buy another ICE car, i don't currently like the other EV's out there and i can't afford the one's i do like.

Reactions: 1

boltage

· #6 · Aug 31, 2021

Around August 18, 2021, customers with recalled 2017-2019 Bolts started receiving recall-related letters that said that all modules would be replaced by new ones, giving an 8% increase in capacity/range.

The new modules are probably less expensive to produce than the old ones (less cobalt?), and compatible with the other existing hardware and software (at least the most recent updated software) in the car.

Reactions: 1

Toyotiac

· #7 · Aug 31, 2021 (Edited)

boltage said:
Around August 18, 2021, customers with recalled 2017-2019 Bolts started receiving recall-related letters that said that all modules would be replaced by new ones, giving an 8% increase in capacity/range.

The new modules are probably less expensive to produce than the old ones (less cobalt?), and compatible with the other existing hardware and software (at least the most recent updated software) in the car.

Per yesterday’s comment from GM, until LG can produce a verifiably defect free product, this all goes nowhere. It looks like a lot of wait and see.

Reactions: 4

Martin D

· #8 · Aug 31, 2021

boltage said:
Around August 18, 2021, customers with recalled 2017-2019 Bolts started receiving recall-related letters that said that all modules would be replaced by new ones, giving an 8% increase in capacity/range.

The new modules are probably less expensive to produce than the old ones (less cobalt?), and compatible with the other existing hardware and software (at least the most recent updated software) in the car.

Agree. I believe this thread’s info to be old info, because it came out before the 2020-22 Bolts were added. I don’t think GM has returned faith in the USA battery packs since they specifically said they don’t yesterday.

For anyone not paying attention, GM doesn’t know anything more than we do.

Reactions: 1

RichardC

· #9 · Aug 31, 2021

So what. GM is giving nothing away. Are we suppose to believe that out of the goodness of their heart they would spend several million dollars to restart obsolete production procedures just to keep like for like?

The Other Tom

· #10 · Aug 31, 2021

nelsonxm said:
I don't really care about any carrot on a stick perks GM may offer to try and placate us owners of the ticking time bombs.

It's not a carrot on a stick. They don't make the old batteries anymore, so if they are going to replace them, they'll use the new, "longer" range batteries.

Reactions: 1

E-nigma

· #11 · Aug 31, 2021

nelsonxm said:
I don't really care about any carrot on a stick perks GM may offer to try and placate us owners of the ticking time bombs. if they can't resolve the battery issue in a timely manner, i may consider suing. I feel stuck since i don't want to buy another ICE car, i don't currently like the other EV's out there and i can't afford the one's i do like.

So you are saying you are going to sue them for trying to take the time to properly repair the only car that you both like and can afford?

Reactions: 1

Slate2020

· #12 · Aug 31, 2021

E-nigma said:
So you are saying you are going to sue them for trying to take the time to properly repair the only car that you both like and can afford?

Of course he has the right to sue and so do you. After GM released a specific statement outlining 2 major build flaws in the battery made by LG, why would anyone want to keep this car? Sure I enjoy the benefits of no gas. I love it. But GM doesn't even know how to fix the problem. I'm curious what a reasonable amount of time is when it comes to the seriousness of this recall. They will take as much time as is needed because it is that serious. 6 months , 2 years? This recall will never happen.
Probably every Bolt will be bought back or swapped and then melted. The cost to remedy this recall is too much for GM.

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yippee

· #13 · Sep 1, 2021

Steppin' up, they are not. They're talking up the fact that everybody is gonna get whatever they happen to be making, that will fit.
The truth is that the cars have a statiscally, relevant tendency to spontaneously combust.
The only reason why previous models will get an upgrade is because they haven't figured out a way to throttle the new batteries (when they're available) down to the the specs that all the cars were originally sold with.
But if they do figure it out, they would definitely put in a big battery and not give access to the additional kWh.
That would definitely be the gm that we all know and love.

E-nigma

· #14 · Sep 1, 2021

Slate2020 said:
Of course he has the right to sue and so do you.

Yes yes yes, and a criminal can sue if he gets hurt burglarizing your home, and sadly sometimes win.. But you are supposed to have to show actual damages, caused by the defendant, to win a lawsuit.

We love our Bolt. We love the way it drives, we love the convenience and $ savings on electricity, charging at home every night, versus gas. We love the price we paid. We have no problem using the battery between 30-90%, as we average about 85 miles/day. We are not going to let the 1 in 10000 chance of a fire drive us crazy.

If it takes two years to get this figured out, so what, I was planning to keep our Bolt longer than that anyway. If two years from now GM offers me:
1. A new battery and restarts the 8year 100k mile warranty -OR-
2. A decent buyout, which could be used as a good trade in on a new Ultium based vehicle or money toward buying another brand BEV with 2 year newer specs and tech
How are either of those so terrible? They both sound better than where I expected to be in 2 1/2 years(maybe still upside down) when we bought it!

I am sure we are not the only ones who are in this situation.

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Reactions: 2

EV Fan

· #15 · Sep 1, 2021

Slate2020 said:
I'm curious what a reasonable amount of time is when it comes to the seriousness of this recall. They will take as much time as is needed because it is that serious. 6 months , 2 years?

This seems to be the million dollar question right now. Until GM can verify that the batteries LG is producing are free from defects, they can't even begin to guess at a timeline.

yippee said:
But if they do figure it out, they would definitely put in a big battery and not give access to the additional kWh.
That would definitely be the gm that we all know and love.

Spoken like somebody who has been jaded to the point they cannot even fathom others just doing what is right. GM could easily throttle access to battery capacity via software. They have chosen not to do that.

MisterJJ

· #16 · Sep 1, 2021

E-nigma said:
How are either of those so terrible?

They aren't. But as you pointed out, there is a third possibility of the Bolt burning itself and other property and possibly people. Some aren't okay with that additionally possibility, slight though it may be.

E-nigma

· #17 · Sep 1, 2021

MisterJJ said:
They aren't. But as you pointed out, there is a third possibility of the Bolt burning itself and other property and possibly people. Some aren't okay with that additionally possibility, slight though it may be.

I agree, some just simply get overcome by worry, and just want to be rid of the car. But the idea of suing because someone else had a fire? I feel like a lawsuit is what you do to get to the options GM is already offering. How do any of us owners gain anything more from a lawsuit? I do see how the lawyers will gain.

NickSP

· #18 · Sep 1, 2021

E-nigma said:
I agree, some just simply get overcome by worry, and just want to be rid of the car. But the idea of suing because someone else had a fire? I feel like a lawsuit is what you do to get to the options GM is already offering. How do any of us owners gain anything more from a lawsuit? I do see how the lawyers will gain.

Lawyers will gain if there's money involved. There's ambulance chasers out there that'll create scenarios of "emotional distress" where their clients would be scared to step inside a EV, forever.
Also they could argue if GM is acting fast enough to mitigate these circumstances.
Let's say it's been 8 months and GM is still not replacing your battery or have not offered to buy back your Bolt? You could use the Emotional Distress argument. To drive a car under stress that could catch fire. Either way it's a tough call.

MisterJJ

· #19 · Sep 1, 2021

E-nigma said:
But the idea of suing because someone else had a fire?

I could see suing for loss of value or loss of use, but I think it would make more sense to pursue a buyback first. I'm expecting (hoping) that GM realizes this and will be approving all buyback requests.

I think I would consider suing if my buyback request gets denied.

Reactions: 1

Slate2020

· #20 · Sep 1, 2021

I’m scheduled for a phone discussion tomorrow with a GM repurchase agent. I’m open to a repurchase or a swap.

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