Some Chevy Bolts have battery problem that's every EV driver's worst nightmare
General Motors isn't calling it a recall, but Chevy Bolt electric vehicle owners are being notified about a battery problem that is affecting some of its cars on the road in what can only be described as an EV nightmare.
For a "small percentage" of the 30,000 Bolt vehicles in use, the battery is not properly energized and the car doesn't warn that your range and charge is super low. The notice from earlier this month says in certain 2017 Bolt vehicles the battery issue "may result in a loss propulsion." That's not good for your commute.
Here's a Bolt owner's notice about the issue after they input their VIN number into this GM website.
A GM spokesperson called the notification a "customer satisfaction campaign." All 2017 Bolt owners need to bring in their vehicles to a service center for a software recalibration, even if their vehicle isn't experiencing the low battery problem.
The updated warning system will give drivers more miles to get to a safe space if the battery suddenly drops and unexpectedly loses range.
The OnStar diagnostic system used in some Bolts is monitoring batteries and notifying owners through that system if they need to come in and have their battery replaced -- free of charge. The diagnostic system pinpoints symptoms that could eventually lead to the battery problem.
Chevy is contacting potentially affected cars through other communication modes, like a letter in the mail.
It's time for a service visit for about 30,000 cars.
Topics Electric Vehicles
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
