General Motors Hips Early EV Adopters to Potential Battery Failure in the Bolt

General Motors has informed a small number of owners of its Chevrolet Bolt EV about a battery issue that could cause a sudden loss of propulsion. Some of the early Bolt models may incorrectly report the estimated remaining range at lower states of charge due to potentially faulty cells, resulting in the car stopping abruptly.

The automaker says less than 1 percent of Bolts sold to date are likely to face the problem, and GM is currently arranging repairs for the affected cars. Ideally, the faulty cells are the result of an isolated manufacturing defect and not the result of some widespread wonky battery chemistry.

In an interview with PluginCars, ‎Kevin Kelly, senior manager for advanced technology communications at General Motors, explained the solution would be to replace the entire battery pack, even if only one cell turned out to be faulty.

“We noticed an anomaly via data from OnStar and that led us to investigate the issue,” explained Kelly.

GM stated that the voltage problem is caused by one or more of the cells malfunctioning and thereby providing a false reading of remaining range on the dashboard. Drivers could then mistakenly believe the Bolt’s spoiled battery pack has sufficient charge to complete a journey — only to find themselves stranded before reaching their destination.

PluginCars’ Brad Berman was also one of the claimed few affected by the voltage issue. His Bolt indicated a 100-mile range before issuing a warning chime, shuddering, and coming to a complete stop while on the road. At this point, the vehicle indicated 9 miles of possible range but wouldn’t allow itself to be placed in any gear except neutral or park.

Berman was also clear that the “behavior of the vehicle was not like driving an EV with a depleted battery.” Typically, EVs that have nearly exhausted their power enter into a limp mode that reduces power for the sake of maximizing a now-limited range. Instead, the Bolt issued a short alert and abruptly stopped in the middle of the road — forcing the driver to push it to safety.

He stated it took the service center roughly two days to diagnose the problem. This was due to a limited supply of EV specialists and other Bolts already queued for servicing at the local dealership. As a result of the que, it took nearly two weeks to replace the battery pack. Berman also said he was surprised to learn GM considered his vehicle an early production model, as he had leased it roughly six months after deliveries began in North America.

[Image: General Motors]