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GM Will Pay You $1,400 To Cap Your Bolt’s Battery Instead Of Replacing It

1
Owen Bellwood
·2 min read
A photo of a pale blue Chevrolet Bolt EV.
A photo of a pale blue Chevrolet Bolt EV.


After the cap, the Bolt has 207 miles of range.

Chevrolet was forced to recall certain Bolt EVs back in 2021 after a spate of fires started in the electric car’s battery packs. After recalling and replacing thousands of cars’ batteries, the company then decided it had done enough, and would stop the program. Now, it’s offering Bolt customers $1,400 to let them study the fire-prone power packs.

Chevrolet first issued a recall on the Bolt EV back in 2020, when it said that up to 70,000 models from 2017-2019 may be at risk of catching fire. A few months later, the recall was expanded to pretty much every Bolt ever made at a cost of about $1 billion.

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However, it’s not without strings attached. According to the terms and conditions of the offer, owners have to agree to “forever waive” rights to sue or join a future class action lawsuit regarding battery issues “known or unknown.” Should the upcoming class action settlement amount exceed the $1,400 payout from GM, owners can get the difference on top of the initial agreement.

Once buyers have taken the payout, they’ll be able to drive their Bolt at 80 percent capacity for 6,200 miles. After that point, the cap will be lifted if no anomalies are detected on the car’s electric powertrain. If problems are found, the software will let you know that the power pack needs replacing.

However, hitting the 6,200 mile limit will be trickier in a Bolt with reduced range. According The Verge, the 80 percent cap brings the drivable range of the Bolt down from 259 miles to 207 miles.

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