General Motors has released a software update for the 2017 and 2018 model year Chevy Bolt EV that will lift range and charging restrictions on the vehicle and allow owners to park within 50 feet of another vehicle.
GM released a similar update for the Chevy Bolt EV in November, however that software update was for the 2019 model year vehicles only. This latest one applies the same changes to the vehicle, but for the 2017 and 2018 model year Bolt EV. According to The Detroit Free Press, owners of 2020 and later Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV models are expected to receive a similar version of this software update sometime in the next 30 days.
This software update sets the car’s maximum charging state to 80 percent of its original capacity and will allow users to drain the battery below 70 miles of range. This reduces the risk of fire in the battery module, as the majority of reported Chevy Bolt EV fires occurred when the battery was either extremely low or fully charged. This change will also allow owners to park their vehicles indoors, in covered parking garages and within 50 feet of another vehicle – which GM had previously advised against doing due to fire risks.
As GM Authority reported previously, the battery fires reported in Chevy Bolt EV vehicles have been traced back to a rare situation in which a torn anode tab and folded separator are present within the same battery cell. This latest version of the battery software will help GM determine which vehicles will need a full battery module replacement under the recall campaign, which was extended in August to include all 140,000 units of the 2017-2022 Bolt EV and 2022 Bolt EUV.
GM is also reminding owners to get the battery module replacement recall performed on their vehicle once they are notified by their dealership.
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Comments
I have said this before, and will say it again. I am a devoted Chevy Owner of many years. But until GM has a “Solid Track Record” on Batteries… I will never buy one. My 2007 Chevy HHR is running Great, Looks Great… But if I am forced to buy something sooner than planned, it will be a Tesla right now… or another Chevy Gasoline Vehicle.
Hi Keith:
I have had one Tesla – and it was the most expensive to maintain vehicle I have ever owned…….. The new ones perhaps are slightly better, but don’t seem to be any cheaper to maintain, unless you live in a place where there is no Snow.
Meanwhile, my current 3 cars are all GM EVs…. I’m personally not worried about their batteries – but for those who are, GM certainly appears to be committed to manufacturing flawless batteries in the near future.
GM has moved from replacing all battery packs to replacing only some. Now I really want a buy-back!
“This latest version of the battery software will help GM determine which vehicles will need a full battery module replacement under the recall campaign, which was extended in August to include all 140,000 units of the 2017-2022 Bolt EV and 2022 Bolt EUV.”
You just knew they would try to wiggle out of the recall somehow. Another reason not to buy this junk.
On the plus side re. Chevy Bolt batteries … we live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Finally getting normal very cold weather here. I charged my Bolt battery to 90% maximum before we left on a 6-day holiday. Came back to a battery which I charged back to the 90% level in 15 minutes. In other words, it had lost very little charge with overnight temperatures of -10ºC (14ºF). We’re now seeing overnight temperatures of -25ºC (-13ºF). I’m losing some range of course during a driving day but I’m very pleased with an EV that gets me around the city in the winter. Not a perfect vehicle but better than paying $1.49/L ($5.65/Gallon).
So it’s sort of like owning a gasoline car with a very small tank that only leaks a little gas after a week or so.
Also “sort of like owning” a hydrogen-powered vehicle that leaks a bit of gas from the tank over a week or so. Or a horse-drawn carriage which has an animal that defecates and needs more oats at some point. Or a solar-powered vehicle which has a battery slowly losing power. I think you’re on to something here.
This article is not accurate as the software update described is not ready for 2017-2018. I found out the hard way. I scheduled an appointment for the update only to be told by the dealer, then GM’s EV call line that this update is about a month away.
So if you were unlucky enough to have bought one of these, you’re still not able to actually achieve the advertised range?
Basically, you just kind of got ripped off.
I looked at one of these in 2018 and decided it was just too expensive for what it was. I feel like I dodged a bullet.