GM’s Software Fix For Bolts and EUVs Might Have A Problem – CleanTechnica

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Recently, 107 owners of Chevy Bolt and Bolt EUV vehicles got some bad news: yet another battery-related recall. While the numbers of vehicles are small, it could mean that GM’s fix that ended the battery replacement campaign isn’t holding up as hoped.

Some Background

Before I get into the most recent news, let’s review what’s already happened with Bolt vehicles.

In short, defective battery cells from LG Chem started causing fires a few years ago. Once a few fires happened and the cause was determined, a limited recall happened. Then, the recall expanded to include all Bolt and Bolt EUV vehicles. This was the point at which I bought my Bolt EUV, and it got a fresh pack at the dealer before I bought it (which is great, because it sat for a good while).

Upon analyzing recalled battery cells, GM realized that it really was just a small percentage of Bolts that had the defective cells. So, the company stopped replacing battery packs (something that angered people who were promised a new pack) and instead started installing a software monitoring program that would look out for signs of damaged battery cells.

What really stunk about this was that the software fix temporarily nerfs the cars. For thousands of miles, owners have to put up with limited range until the software gives the go ahead and unlocks the battery’s full potential again. Ouch!

Lawsuits are ongoing, and for multiple reasons. People who had cars nerfed waiting for a battery, people who didn’t get a battery, and people who had cars nerfed after not getting a new battery all suffered something and expect compensation.

A Few Cars Weren’t Fixed By The Software

The news now is that 107 Bolts are subject to a new recall because (per the NHTSA) “the installation of advanced diagnostic software may have failed. As such, the high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.”

For these lucky few, the remedy is to set the maximum charge level to 90%, charge more frequently to get needed range, don’t go below 70 miles of remaining range, and keep the car parked outside as much as possible.

GM told Detroit Free Press that none of the 107 vehicles are known to have caught fire, but GM knows that the vehicles aren’t acting like they should. The only thing owners of the affected cars will need to do is head to the dealer for yet another installation of a software update, which GM says will be safe when installed correctly.

Could This Be A Wider Problem?

Unfortunately, there’s no way to know if this is a wider problem. GM says it’s not, and that the vehicles just weren’t updated properly. But, I’m imagining that many Bolt owners are now going to be skeptical because the original recall was originally thought to only be for a small subset of the vehicles before expanding to cover all Bolts and then being replaced with a displeasing software update.

Skepticism and feelings of BOHICA aside, there is no evidence at this point that we’re in for a wider recall again. This is probably just an isolated incident of a software update at one or two dealers getting bungled somehow. What’s going to suck for these drivers is starting the test period again, and having their car nerfed, again. But, for the rest of us, it’s probably not going to be an issue again.

Why This Matters A Lot For GM

In some ways, the Chevy Bolt and EUV is a has-been vehicle for GM. Production ended almost a year ago. The last new ones have all been sold, with the exception of the rare straggler of course. In theory, GM doesn’t need to impress us as Bolt owners because they’ve moved on to other products that need better reputations.

On the other hand, the Bolt and Bolt EUV were GM’s best-selling EVs ever. The company sold so many of them, and so many more are on the used market now that when someone talks about Chevrolet EVs, the Bolt Brothers will come to mind. It’s a bit like the banks of England in Mary Poppins. While stands the Bolt, GM’s EV program stands. When the Bolt falls, GM’s EV program falls.

After canceling the vehicle, GM figured out that a mistake had been made. The budget-friendly EV was the heart of what Chevrolet was offering. It was the only thing they had over Tesla. Ultium vehicles weren’t doing too hot, and the company has since decided it’s done with Ultium branding. Throwing the highly-recognized Bolt branding away ended up being a big mistake

So, GM decided that the Bolt needed to come back. In the near future, it’s going to be produced in Kansas again, but with a LiFePO4 (LFP) battery, faster charging, and at the same low price. More recently, the company announced that the new Bolt (based on the EUV) would soon be joined by a whole family of Bolts, making the vehicle the centerpiece of the EV effort again.

With the Bolt taking its place as the top EV in GM’s financial planning again, the fate of today’s Bolt owner is more important than ever. If the company doesn’t maintain the reputation of the vehicle, the Bolt will go the way of the Ultium, and GM won’t have anything else to fall back on.

Either Way, The Fire Risk Is Over

All of this having been said, I’d have to conclude that this story isn’t bad for GM. 107 cars with a botched software update is nothing compared to around 140,000 Bolts sold. None of them caught fire. None of them have had angry owners on social media (that we know of as of this writing). The vehicles will be fine, even if it’s a pain for a few people.

The more important thing is that the fires aren’t coming back. The software update seems to be detecting any remaining faulty cells, and the cars that got new packs aren’t going up in flames. So, barring something weird happening or a big lie from GM, this is probably not a big deal.

Featured image by GM.