Li-Ion, Fires, and Flares, Oh My: The Journey for a Replacement Bolt Battery
Hi! I’m Victor, a ReJouligan specializing in Product Strategy and Marketing. I drive a used Chevy Bolt, and I’m an EV enthusiast (ask me about my all-electric cross-country trip from DC to SF). I love how EVs combine performance with cost savings and sustainability, but the road hasn’t always been easy (pun intended).
Since November 2020, my Chevy Bolt has been subject to a recall due to fire risk (read: thermal runaway). The process was confusing (which probably speaks to the nascent nature of the industry), but in the end, my car is better than ever.
Read on to hear more about my experience!
First, a little background.
I purchased my 2018 Chevy Bolt LT in April 2021, a couple of months before my wife and I moved to Los Angeles. We had an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) car, but we quickly realized driving an EV would be a great choice in a state with 1) the highest gasoline prices; and 2) the strongest EV infrastructure in the US. We figured we’d save about $150 monthly on fuel (not to mention the benefit of zero emissions)!
Buying a used EV was interesting because we quickly realized dealers had no idea how to sell an EV or talk about its features. When I asked if a dealership could run a battery check for my Bolt, they only tested the 12V battery; they had no idea how to tell if the lithium-ion battery was healthy or how degraded it was. 🤦♂️
(Since I started working at ReJoule, I’ve learned that that capability doesn’t even exist yet. That’s why ReJoule is building a cutting-edge product to help service centers measure EV batteries’ State of Health without disassembly!)
Wait, you mentioned a recall. What’s that about?
Before I start, you should know that EV battery fires are incredibly rare occurrences, and the Bolt is not representative of the industry. And if you are concerned at all about fires or the health of your battery, you can always contact us at ReJoule!
Long story short – from March 2019 to August 2021, there were 19 confirmed Chevy Bolt fires.
In November 2020, after a handful of fires, GM recalled model years 2017-2019 (just under 69,000 cars) and gave strict safety instructions to owners that restricted when and how much they could charge; these instructions effectively limited the car to 60% of its total range, making them impossible for many owners to follow. In May 2021, GM released a software update that it claimed would fix the issue.
Unfortunately… It did not.
More cars caught on fire, and in July 2021, GM recalled every Bolt ever produced (2017-2022 – roughly 141,000 vehicles) and promised full battery module replacements and refreshed warranties. Ever since then, dealerships have been slowly replacing batteries (guess who’s footing the $1.9B bill? LG Chem). It's hard to tell how cars are being prioritized, but owners can only schedule a replacement when GM tells you so. For those waiting, there was a new software update that can purportedly diagnose battery issues.
Every week, I would check the My Chevy owners portal for my recall number. Thanks to Reddit (GM actually didn't notify me until the replacement had already been completed), I knew that my car was ready for a battery replacement if the recall number changed in a certain way. This went on for a few months.
Look at all those battery packs in crates, so full of… potential. I counted at least 8 of them!
Fast forward to January 2022.
It was time for my battery replacement! Here’s how it went down:
The day my recall number changed, I called the Chevy EV Concierge, who promptly called my local dealership to schedule an appointment. The dealer didn’t pick up, so I was on my own. The concierge line was very friendly and knowledgeable though.
I called the dealer myself later in the day and got an appointment for 3 weeks later.
I actually tried another nearby dealer to see if they had an earlier appointment, and rather than scheduling an appointment right away, they said they’d call after a battery pack was available. 4 weeks later, still no call back.
A few days later, I called again to try for an earlier appointment (I know, very impatient… But I really wanted this journey to end) and got rescheduled for 2 weeks sooner than anticipated – my battery had arrived early!
I dropped off my car, got a loaner, and 3 days later, my Bolt was ready to go – with even higher capacity, to boot. Thankfully, this process was pain-free!
You can check the battery pack size by looking at the undercarriage, near the B pillar (see picture).
Notice the new capacity of 64 kWh – more than my previous battery’s capacity of 60 kWh (before considering degradation).
It’s been about 2 weeks since the battery replacement, and I’m seeing awesome range numbers that I’ve never seen before. I even have a new 8 year/100,000 mile warranty for the battery and electrical components.
It’s been an irritating, confusing, and slow process, but I have to credit GM (and LG Chem) for getting it right. I feel very safe and confident in my Bolt now.
So what are the takeaways?
It’d been difficult to achieve range estimates like this in the winter with my old battery.
First and foremost, EVs are awesome! Don’t let this post scare you; Bolt aside, battery fires are exceedingly rare. When they occur, the media is all over it, but realize that you never hear much about ICE fires, even though they happen frequently.
That being said, the potential for a battery fire is frightening, and it’s an obstacle to mass EV adoption. When new technologies start to take hold, it’s easy for people to latch onto boogeymen that hinder adoption, and as an industry, we need to make sure consumers are educated about both the rewards and risks of EVs. More standardization regarding battery health metrics could be critical.
GM is banking on its all-electric future. It’s committed to 30 new global EVs by 2025, and I think the company knows that, if it doesn’t contain and fix the Bolt recall fiasco, the results could be… explosive.
In conclusion: My thoughts on GM
I truly believe GM’s dealership network could be a huge advantage in the race to mass EV adoption. The training and infrastructure have a long way to go, but I can’t imagine anyone would turn down the ability to talk to a local expert who actually knows you and your car. Dealerships are also often well located enough to be charging hubs.
GM should invest heavily in training its local salespeople and technicians because at the end of the day, it’s the dealership – not a marketing campaign or media report – handing everyday drivers the keys to their first EV. I want to hear from people who know EVs are the future, not some gimmick they need to mention and dismiss before trying to sell me on the latest compact ICE SUV.
I do want to commend GM for including home L2 charger installation as part of their latest new Bolt EV/EUV purchases (before the second recall stopped sales, that is). That’s a huge step for EV adoption and a major benefit to the industry as a whole, well beyond the initial transaction of purchasing the Bolt. Once someone has a capable L2 setup in their home, they can drive and charge any EV with confidence.
There you have it. I hope that was helpful! What are your thoughts on the Chevy Bolt? How does it impact the industry as a whole?