2019 Chevy Bolt EV Owner Observes Improved Range With Battery Replacement
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A Chevy Bolt EV owner that received a replacement battery pack in his vehicle as part of a GM recall saw a jump in the vehicle’s predicted driving range.
The Chevy Bolt EV owner posted a photo (above) of his vehicle’s digital dash display in a Bolt EV owner’s group on Facebook this week, noting the predicted range on the vehicle had jumped up to 310 miles after he received a replacement battery as part of GM’s battery fire recall repair campaign. The owner said the display typically showed about 220 miles of predicted range, but after he received a replacement battery module, this figure climbed to 263 miles for the first time ever.
The replacement 65 kWh battery packs being installed in 2017 to 2019 Chevy Bolt EV models use newer battery chemistry that provides an eight percent boost in range over the early 60 kWh batteries used in these vehicles. This improved battery chemistry that was first implemented on the Bolt for the 2020 model year, along with the fact the battery is brand new, are likely behind the large increase in predicted range. As a reminder, the 2020 to 2022 model-year Chevy Bolt EV has an EPA-estimated range of 259 miles. The 2017 to 2019 model-year Bolt EV had an EPA-estimated range of 238 miles with the older 60 kWh battery.
Chevrolet Bolt EV lithium ion battery
In addition, the new battery packs being installed in Chevy Bolt EV vehicles will come with a new 8-year/100,000-mile limited parts warranty, protecting owners from future manufacturing defects.
The battery fire recall affects all Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV models produced between 2017 and 2022 model years – believed to be around 140,000 units. Battery fires in these vehicles have been traced back to a manufacturing defect within the battery modules, which are produced by GM’s battery partner, LG Chem (now called LG Energy Solution). New replacement battery models have been improved to prevent future fires, with GM closely monitoring LG’s production processes.
Limited production of the Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV returned on November 1st after it was paused due to the recall, but will go back offline starting on November 15th.
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Of course the new batteries have more kWh, imagine a recall making your car better than new… and new 8 year battery warranty. Not a bad deal…
Hi Donavan, That is a good deal, but we are paying for it because of the inconvenient rules GM is asking the Bolt owners to do, like park your car outside the garage, don’t charge it at night while unattended, only charge it during the day when you can attend to it. Don’t let the charge go below 20% and don’t charge it above 90% to reduce the risk of fire. By the way that equates to a range reduction from 238 miles down to 167 miles on our 2017 Bolt EV. All this you have to do while you wait for the battery replacement. We use our car during the day. The only time we don’t use it is at night while we are sleeping. So charging during the day was not an option for us. Also, we are not going to let it sit out at night exposed to the weather and possible theft or vandals. So, because of all these reasons, keeping our Bolt was not an option for us. So we at first ordered a Bolt EUV to replace the Bolt EV in a one for one trade GM offered us. But then all the Bolts were recalled and they had to cancel our order of the Bolt EUV. So, we did the buy-back option and now have ordered a 310 mile range 2022 Mustang Mach-E (they increased the range from 300 to 310 for the 2022 model). GM may win our business back if they can come out with a great reasonably priced (under $53,000) compact SUV that gets 340+ miles of range. In the meantime we will be driving a Mustang Mach-E Premium with extended range (310 miles) battery single motor in about 4 months. Who knows, maybe we’ll like the Mustang Mach-E so much we’ll forget about buying a GM EV. One never knows, we try to have an open mind.
Your in a better place. Stop complaining. Some people are never satisfied.
We have no idea when a replacement is coming, 6 months? a year? in the meantime we’ve been living with a half-assed version of the car we paid (generously) for.
stop being a jerk. Recognize that this affected people’s lives and their ability to commute.
This is no longer true when you get a new battery! I can now charge mine to 100%, and I do get the extended range mentioned above. So I have the same range you do on your Mustang, without paying any more money! I basically have a new car for free.
I can’t wait to get my new battery!
I can’t wait to get my new battery! And you have better range than the Mutang.
I get 340 miles and more in nice weather in one of our two ’19 Premiers, the other 290+. This in all suburban driving and KwH yields in the high fives. Winter: Using minimal heat, mid-high threes. We can wait for the new batteries, but AWD is on the list for next time. Lots of product coming no promise of better range until we test drive under similar conditions. So far, all other new cars are at least 900# heavier. That costs range. We’ll see, as most batteries also bigger.
I never changed my charging habits or updated the software. Just scheduled the battery changeout. Sort of figured the problems were from a certain set of cars and mine was not in them. So this is absolutely a great deal. After 60k problem free miles I am getting a brand new larger capacity battery. This car has been the smartest/luckiest purchase I have ever made.
I’ve had my new battery for three weeks and I’ve charged it twice. My “guessometer” has shown over 300 miles after each charge. In looking at miles traveled and miles on the “guessometer” it looks like those are legitimate miles. Of course conditions are ideal: moderate temperatures and I drive without AC or heater. I’m using 1-2% of power for non-drive so the power is all going to the wheels. Still, this shocking as my original battery never showed more than 245 on the “guessometer.”
Same old ugly Bolt, to bad they didn’t have a fix for that.
The same can be said, you have bad taste, too bad it can’t be changed.
The same can be said for you. It’s unfortunate it can’t be changed.
The same can be said for you. It’s unfortunate it can’t be changed.
What’s unfortunate about people you don’t know and will never meet?
My replacement battery is on order. I’m told it should be in shortly. The extra range will be nice as will the improved charging profile. I’ve driven 18K miles and have yet to charge the car at home. Total out of pocket cost in two years and 18K miles is zero.
So who’s pocket are you taking it out of? Taxpayers? Neighbors? Or the janitors at work?
I just drive downhill all the time. 52,000 miles on my ‘17 Bolt and I’ve never had to charge the battery. I just push it back up the hill after work so it’s ready for tomorrow morning.
I have a chevy spark ev and my range went from 85 to about 126 after the battery was replaced under warranty. I’ve had it almost 3 years now…I like it had to see if I could live with an EV and I can.
This is excellent news for those who are interested in buying a used Chevy Bolt. You get more range for a lesser cost, since the only parts that wear down are the tires and the wiper blades .
Uhhhhhmmmmm and the batteries evidently…. and VF drives, and bearings and pumps and shocks and tie rods. Only 2% of vehicles make 200k miles, most of those bits not the motor or transmission that fails, it’s the shocks, the AC and the rust that get the car put out to pasture when it’s discovered the repair is worth more than the vehicle and it gets unloaded and sold to users who view them as expendable, and abuse them or roll them over. EV’s haven’t figured out how to fix those issues, or the driver who constantly charges it to only 20% and drives it on empty, straining the batteries, or keeping VF drives from plblowing, possibly shorting the motor or batteries. They’re only more reliable because every little problem is chocked up to “well they haven’t fixed all the bugs yet” I wonder if that would have worked with the Ford pinto 🙄
Yes, eventually those things will wear out, but in the meantime, no oil changes, no new brakes, etc. Since I use single-pedal driving, I hardly ever touch my brakes. And the other item that people neglect beside brakes, the radiator? I don’t appear to have one! So, the only maintenance I’ve had to do on mine is wiper blades and tire rotations. Basically, it’s maintenance-free for a pretty long time…
The battery is liquid cooled so those pumps may need maintenance or replacement eventually. I can hear all those components come on when I plug in and if it’s hot it’ll cycle every couple hours, otherwise yeh very little maintenance and I also use 1 pedal 95% of the time.
What about the people who had their bolt burn to a crisp.
They lost their a**.
Please provide proof of life loss, Tesla crashes OTOH….
Thank God I do not think anybody died.
I will bet my left nut that people have lost their homes or garages.
I have read of people now having to drive a $500 beater because after the insurance paid out they still have years to pay on their note.
I think there were 12 and every single one does matter. Tesla had similar battery combustion issues. I think the solution is about the most responsible one that could be offered to 190,000 Bolt owners
The Bolt has lost most of it’s resale value. EV’s are a poor purchase as opposed to an ice vehicle.
Dear Daniel, That is true right now for the Bolt EV, but it is not true for other EVs such as Teslas, Mustang Mach-E, Taycan, etc. Also, once the battery is replaced in the Bolt EV and EUVs, it’s possible their resale value may increase.
Most EVs hold value pretty well when you go shopping for 1 especially for the higher end EVs, hell I want a taycan base model bad and they’ve held value and then some hoping within the next 2 years I can get 1 for a decent price used model S are expensive as well EVs are here to stay. I can’t wait to see how it looks 5 years from now…I’m excited.
Very happy with our Tesla. A good, not perfect vehicle. Resale strong, we have a 2022 on order. Next cycle might look at other EV brands but probably not gm until we see several years of reaction of their consumers.
HEY RAYMOND, WHAT ABOUT BRAKES, WHEEL BEARINGS, SHOCKS, OTHER SUSPENSION PARTS, LIGHTS, INTERIOR PARTS ETC.
The resale value on the majority of used EV’s will be horrible over time For obvious reasons, nobody is going to want to buy a used 5 year old EV when a battery replacement is right around the corner. Range will decrease over time as the battery ages, just like any other rechargeable device. The insane cost for batteries in these EV’s will be outrageously expensive for the majority of Americans to absorb.
An EV might be nice to have if you don’t commute far, and own a house where you can plug it in every night. The only advantage I see where an EV comes in handy is for strictly homeowners, not people that live in Manhattan or some super dense city with zero ability to plug in your EV that will need to charge for hours. So for apartment and condo dwellers it’s not realistic to own one.
The time WILL come, once EV’s start to gain more popularity especially in the coastal states like CA, and more and more people start plugging in, electricity rates will eventually increase permanently. Utility rates in CA is already very expensive (one of the most expensive in the nation) considering our mild weather, that those rates will be variable just like gas prices. Depending on supply and demand, the summer months will be brutal for homeowners in CA that own EV’s in the next 5 years if EV ownership rises.
The bottom line is that they’re positives and negatives to both an ICE powered vehicle and an EV. On one hand you have to decide if long term ownership is right for you for an EV because buying a used one that’s over 5-10 years old will be worthless as the battery will have degraded immensely, compared to an old 10 year old ICE powered car/truck that can run for hundreds of thousands of miles without the worry of spending $5,000-$15,000 on a very expensive lithium ion battery pack.
Again if you live close by to everything and own a home, an EV can be a perfect solution for you. Less wear and tear on the vehicle and the battery will constantly be fully charged thus reducing its battery aging.
ICE wins out on longevity for now at least, consistent range ( no worries of battery aging that lowers range), 5 minute wait time to fill up your gas tank, will probably start and drive fine after 50 years from now. I’ve started many vintage rides from the 50’s-70’s that have sat for decades with original engines and these cars are still running great today.
I’m keeping my old ICE rides forever, that means moving out CA for a better quality of life, more freedom, sanity and lower cost of living, I’m all for it and plan on leaving in the summer of 2022. Thank God!!
The “big guy” and his cohorts will tax the crap out of gasoline and give it to people who want 150 large EVs
Not sure who the “big guy” is but I can tell you this … in Wisconsin we get penalized for owning an EV when it comes time to register the vehicle every year (an extra $100) per year ignoring the fact that my electric bill goes up $75 per month. So I certainly won’t shed a treat for babies who whine about gas prices.
I’m sure a lot of states will find some way to make the money back since less gas will be bought.
Why does your bill go up 75$ a month??
You know who the “big guy” is.unless you never change the channel from the communist news network.
I live in WI. also and tag fees are dirt cheap at $85 and $100 or $106 for a truck.
I pay $500 a year in state gas tax, so the average taxpayer is subsidizing your share of road building, plus $360 a month for overpriced “big guy”fuel
Ignorant comments. You’ve no idea what communist means.
Love our Tesla and trading for another after just under 3 years. Charge for free at work. Resale is very strong. Great vehicle but not perfect. Our ICE vehicles, a Honda Pilot and a new RAM 1500 are very good vehicles but the most driven is the Tesla. So glad we passed on the Bolt and bought the Tesla.
I have a 2019 Bolt that is having the battery replace as I’m typing this. I use my car for lyft and instacart and other gig jobs. I have put over a 100 thousand mile on my car this year alone with no issues. Chevy offered a rental replacement and also is covering the cost of fuel while my car is being repaired. Although the rental is a nice car I miss my EV. I never pay for charging since I have a charger installed in the garage at my apartment building. When I bought my EV I paid 16k for it and was recently offered 23 which I turned down. With the new battery I will get another year out of it before I sell it and will never buy a gas car again. The fires did concern me and Chevy’s lack of response put me off of buying another gm product. But EV’s are the future and more fun to drive than any gas car I have ever driven. The old battery had no degradation after 100 k which honestly surprised me I was expecting it to start falling off around 70 but it never did. Yes battery’s are expensive to replace now but as more ev’s are produced that cost will come down in the future.
I have two 2017 Bolts that just had the batteries replaced and the mileage on a full charge is 155 for each.
The Chevrolet dealership said they would look at it for $100 per car….WTF?!
Owning a these Bolts have cost me time, money and extreme frustration!!
I will never waste another dime on a Chevy product again!
Sadly, many Bolt customers will never own another gm EV. It remains to be seen if gm can build a competitive, quality EV. Hoping they can.
I think you are a liar. Or you consistently drive uphill with low tire pressure and a parking brake which is not entirely released.