GM Warns Some Chevrolet Bolt Owners Of Faulty Batteries
All-electric car Chevrolet Bolt owners might experience a battery failure that could completely disable their units. General Motors has warned about a hundred Bolt owners about a possible faulty battery that could give them a false range reading and loss of propulsion.
According to Reuters, some early models of the Chevrolet Bolt might halt abruptly due to batteries giving an incorrect remaining range when the charge is already low. The problem affects less than 1 percent of over 10,000 Bolts sold since December of last year, the company said. GM will arrange for service of the affected units, which according to Roadshow‘s report, would require a replacement of the entire battery pack.
Chris Bonelli, a communications coordinator at GM, clarified that that not all Bolt owners will experience the problem. The issue is limited to early production Chevrolet Bolt, and the company can identify which packs are likely to have faulty batteries through the data from OnStar. Bonelli added that it is also possible to just repair some battery packs instead of full replacement, depending on the results of the inspection. The company will reach out to the owners of the Chevrolet Bolt who are possibly affected by the issue. They will not pay anything for any repair or replacement of parts.
Your Chevrolet Bolt may have a battery problem – Roadshow https://t.co/JAK6MZNPgn #charlesmilander pic.twitter.com/VHq28uwihR
— Charles Milander (@charlesmilander) August 26, 2017
The Chevrolet Bolt has a starting price of $35,000 with a promised range of 236 miles, the first electric car in the United States to offer over 200 miles of range per charge. Since it hit the market last December, sales of the Chevrolet Bolt have been good. In September, the company will roll out the electric car to more dealers in the country.
GM's Bolt EV ready to take on Tesla
The Chevrolet Bolt EV, with a 238 mile range and a moderate price, could th https://t.co/icsDJiR48T
— @traveltasticpreneur (@Nano_coin) August 17, 2017
The Chevrolet Bolt comes second only to Tesla’s electric cars in terms of range, but in a battery range test conducted by Consumer Reports, the Bolt beat Tesla’s Model S 75D. As reported by Fortune, a 2016 Tesla Model S ran out of charge at 235 miles while its estimated range is 259 miles. The Chevy Bolt, meanwhile, exceeded its estimated 238 miles and hit 250 miles before it ran out of charge. Nonetheless, the Model S remains at the No. 1 spot in Consumer Reports’ ranking of all-electric vehicles while the Chevrolet Bolt comes in at second place.
[Featured Image by Alex Wong/Getty Images]
