Driving the Chevy Volt: My Bolt EV Battery Died

[@nancymathisen9707]

The title sounds like the new replacement battery failed.

[@Gary_Sherman]

Almost seemed like clickbait lol

[@newscoulomb3705]

@@Gary_Sherman Almost...

[@DS-mz7dy]

That little bit about "how do gas drivers do it with pumps down" was funny! Especially when you showed how easy the charging session was :)

[@newscoulomb3705]

Thanks! It's crazy because I honestly didn't even plan around the pumps being down. People try to make charging seem so difficult when it really isn't any harder than pumping gas (and it's often much easier).

[@user70331]

@@newscoulomb3705 hopefully infrastructure keeps up with demand. When driving near tesla chargers there's always a line of them.

[@bmw803]

@News Coulomb Charging as easy as gas??? Sorry bro, but NO WAY!!!! Unless you have a Tesla. Got my 2023 Bolt EUV in November and the only easy charging is at home. DCFC is a mess. Apps, searching by ID, tap here, there, etc. With gas, you tap your credit card, select grade and the pump starts right away.

[@newscoulomb3705]

@@user70331 That's true, but there are still at least two to three times as many Teslas per Supercharger stall as there are CCS EVs versus CCS stall. And Tesla owners are wealthier on the whole, meaning they have more freedom of mobility (time and money). A good percentage of the non-Tesla EV owning population primarily charge at home or work, so they are not nearly as reliant on public charging.

[@evtrekker1317]

Volt perfectly explained. We still have our '13 but it's lifetime MPG is currently at 97 as we live and work in the same city. We only use the generator when we're out of town or when it's cold enough. Also, they are discontinuing 2G service, so no more, full OnStar for the Gen 1 Volt as of Jan 2023.

[@newscoulomb3705]

Thanks! When editing, I was worried that I should have mentioned the Gen 2 a little more. It was a significant upgrade to the Gen 1, and some of the things I mentioned wouldn't really apply.

[@Chordonblue]

Fun to see my old Volt's screens again. I traded in my 2014 Volt for a 2020 Bolt in 2021. That 1st gen interface though... Whew! I think GM made a bet: How many buttons can we cram in the front vertical panel? 😀 It's no wonder that later versions put almost everything on the screen. Loved my Volt, but was much happier with the Bolt - mainly because the older I get, the harder it is to get into an aerodynamically designed car so low to the ground. My lifetime mileage was around 45 when I traded it in. I bought it used and at that time it was closer to 90. What was great about buying it used (back in 2016), was that you could tell there was almost NO miles on the engine. Back when I bought it, dealerships didn't know what to do with the things, how to sell them, points of ownership, level of chargers, etc. And of course, the battery wasn't even charged for the test drive. Just amazing! I had to get something written that if the battery wouldn't charge fully, I could return it. Fortunately, that wasn't the case and I had NO issues with it.

[@randyschiffer3265]

I don't see the problem. I live in Texas and if we get 3 years on a battery (ICE) we consider that good. 6 years is amazing in my opinion.

[@boomerbits2297]

We had a gen 2 Volt. The display was much like our Bolt. Also, in the summer we got close to 70 miles on the battery. In 20,000 miles we put about $100 worth of gas in it. A great car but we like the Bolt better!

[@newscoulomb3705]

Yes, the Gen 2 was definitely an improvement. It came just a year too late for my Volt replacement, though.

[@bmw803]

But, the Gen1 volt was much better built. Gen 2 used a chain to spin the shafts, while Gen1 had gears. Also, Gen1 feels like a tank. Very stable and good quality interior.

[@Chordonblue]

I'll also add that I hate it when people harsh on the Volt. Was it over-engineered? Probably. The thing is, yes, Toyota had a parallel hybrid for years, and yes, GM probably should've done this sooner, yadayaya. HOWEVER, GM's Volt was a serial hybrid - essentially an electric car that carried around a generator and all the weight that comes with that. I notice that the Bolt came out years before Toyota's first EV, the bZ4x was just released last year - and did so with issues. I would argue that GM's way of doing a hybrid led DIRECTLY to being able to produce an EV in 2017 with a usable interface (unlike VWs hot mess), and with a practical range (unlike Nissan's Leaf). You can argue about the Bolt's battery, but that was LG Chem's issue - not GM's, and GM is doing good by their customers. On another note: My stepson has a Hyundai Ionic 5 and THAT, my friends, is one amazing vehicle... At double the cost. 🙄

[@jayhoughton558]

It seems extremely common for those 12v batteries to die completely after only about 4 years or so. So much so that I plan to replace mine at the 4 year mark regardless. I don’t get why they seem to die so suddenly.

[@newscoulomb3705]

Yes, I was surprised to because it died out of the blue. Just turned the car on one morning and the screen filled with errors. Also, I wasn't expecting to see it at 3.6 V. I don't think I've ever seen a 12 V battery that low.

[@paulgipe6684]

@@newscoulomb3705 yeah eric, i got the 3 V reading when my battery died after having the car for two weeks. chevy charged it up and it lasted the length of the 3-year lease. but 3 V is low.

[@newscoulomb3705]

@@paulgipe6684 Oh, interesting. I guess next time I'll put it on the battery tender. I didn't even think of trying to recover it given its age.

[@paulgipe6684]

@@newscoulomb3705 you did the right thing. it was time. seven years is as much as you can expect. made for an interesting episode going over the volt's tech. ;)

[@georgepelton5645]

Eric, I enjoyed this video. Your coverage of the gas pumps down was pretty funny. It was great to see a road trip in the Volt, the operating modes and screens, etc. Reminds me of the enjoyment I got from my 2011 and 2014 Volts. I drove in town most of the time, using less than one tank of gas per year prior to an annual road trip. Now I just have Teslas, and love going on multiple road trips every year.

[@Knightairman1]

The Volt tho is perfect for someone who doesn't know if electric will work for them or not. I miss the 14 my son totaled. I learned a lot with it. That vehicle sold me on going electric.

[@newscoulomb3705]

It definitely works for the right use case (short daily drives and occasional long trips), but that is starting to be more narrow. If it had 100 miles of battery range, I think it would suit my needs perfectly. At 30 to 40 miles of real-world range, it has the same fuel economy as a mild hybrid.

[@iksworele]

For a minute there I thought the HV battery pack died in your BEV... I called off the panic alarm a minute ago.

[@thelondonbroiler]

The 12 volt battery in my 2015 Spark EV died two years ago, and I ended up replacing it with a lead acid, with no detectable completely issues. Ironically, it's the same battery as my Toyota Corolla. I keep a float charger on both vehicles now, as they are driven VERY infrequently.

[@paulgipe6684]

You had me until I saw the accessory battery. I knew then exactly where you were going with this. Shame about all those gas pumps being down. ;)

[@mycull]

That was a great lead up! You had me going... Well played Mr. News Coulomb!

[@Thoughmuchistaken]

I bought a 2014 Volt in 2018 with 20 000 miles on it. The previous owner probably should've bought a Prius as it's lifetime MPG average when I got it was around 55. Since I've had it, it's gone up to around 115. So for my driving it's reasonably efficient, though winter is always frustrating as the range drops just low enough to make my winter average closer to 65 MPG. And for 12v batteries, I replaced the one in my 2007 Honda Fit after 10 years of service.

[@mosfet500]

Thanks Eric, well done as usual. My big complaint with hybrids is the fact that none of the pollution stops, not the tankers, oil; spills, wars to protect oil interests, etc. You have to fill the car and, by law, stations must be manned adding more wasted time and the pollution they create. Hybrids are transitional vehicles, ten years ago they had a place but now with the new batteries EV's are so much better, and as you showed, more convenient there's really no reason to drive hybrids. According to the DOE EV batteries now cost 10% of what they did in 2008.

[@newscoulomb3705]

Yes, I agree with you on everything you said, but one major issue is still production capacity. We simply don't make enough batteries to completely transition to BEVs at this point. Ironically, we probably have enough production facilities coming online, but the bottleneck is now in lithium mining. There are 300 million personal vehicles licensed for road use in the United States alone, and we only mine enough lithium to build 6 to 8 million 75 kWh EVs a year. PHEVs could, in theory, increase that production number to 40 million or more, but as you said, we're not actually ending the current fossil-fuel supply chains. To me, it's time to start exploring other options, ranging from alternative battery chemistries (e.g., sodium ion), to alternative fuel PHEVs (e.g., HFC range extenders), to moving away from personal car ownership and focusing more on public transportation and car sharing.

[@mosfet500]

@@newscoulomb3705 Yes, absolutely good ideas but that's the beauty of EV's and renewables, they are technologically rich and it's technology that will, not only kill fossil fuel which is technologically stagnant, but offer new EV future options. Right now I'm running our house on LFP batteries that will last 20 to 30 years, you couldn't get them five years ago, now they're $1500 a piece for over 5kWh of energy output. I can't imagine what we'll see in five and ten years. I equate EV's to the same transition Ford's car brought, back then they were trying to figure out how to get the gas to run all those cars coming out.

[@chrisw443]

Not gonna lie, when you said it was your 12 volt battery, and it wasn’t made to last last 5 or 6 years, i about died of laughter! 😂. Shit that 12 volt deserves a badge of honor! I drive and love my volt, i live in town and rarely drive out of town during my regular driving so Its pretty much an EV in my life. Also volts can be had for 11 or 12 grand. Bolts are like 20k used and new.

[@vevenaneathna]

volts are half that now. got one for 6k, switched from an old 02 civic. I do a lot of driving to different hospitals, all of which have free charging. I have been saving 600$/mo on gas just based on my trip counter. the thing will have paid for itself in a few more months, not to mention the tax credit, i was able to sell a lot more stocks last year tax free.

[@pattysiebold8009]

I'm the original owner of my 2015 volt that died also at an intersection. The dealership kept it for 5 months trying to find a replacement battery harness. Finally Chevy bought it back under the lemon law. I'll be getting a Bolt. I just hope Chevy doesn't have a "parts" problem if it needs repair.

[@newscoulomb3705]

That sucks. I think the supply chains have definitely improved, though I have to wonder whether your dealership was to blame there. They can't install used parts, but you can certainly buy them and have them installed by a non-dealership mechanic.

[@sniper887]

My Bolt EV’s 12 volt battery crapped out at 5 years. Had to order it on Rock Auto since no parts stores carried the correct one

[@newscoulomb3705]

Yeah, that's why I just went to the dealership. Easy and quick.

[@slydog7131]

Did the 12V battery die while you were driving, or when you tried to start the car? If it died when starting the car, could you have just used a battery booster to start the car and then be able to travel to the shop? I always carry a battery booster with me.

[@newscoulomb3705]

It died when I turned the car on at home. I also have the Volt as a backup, so it wasn't an issue.

[@johnanderson9735]

We have a 2012 Prius Plug-in and twice now the 12v battery has died. For the 3rd one I use a battery maintainer to charge it at least once a week. I’m pretty sure the 1st two batteries died because the car wasn’t used to much and we hardly ever charged it.

[@newscoulomb3705]

It really depends on how the DC-DC converter is set up for these cars. GM specifically tells owners to keep the car plugged in if it will be left off for long periods of time.

[@zyzzyva303]

I finally replaced my 12v battery on my 2004 Prius in 2019. I'm pretty sure that the one in there was the original. Prius reliability has been exceptional for me. Now driving the 2013 Volt.

[@tjam4229]

The same thing happened to the 12V battery in my 2017 Bolt 2 months ago. I had a few weird messages on the infotainment screen, that indicated something was wrong with the "Battery Charging"...Little did I know it was the 12V battery that was being detected, not the main high voltage battery. Then, out of the blue, it wouldn't turn on. It's Crazy that you could be stranded by a 12V battery on an electric vehicle with a fully-charged high-voltage battery. Luckily the Bolt was parked in may garage. I borrowed my girlfriend's Volt, went to the dealer and picked up a new battery for my Bolt, for about $360, and the Bolt was back in business. If I had more time, I think I could've brought the battery back to life. To test my theory, I put the old battery on a charger that was designed to analyze the battery and "recondition" the battery (desulfate or whatever was needed). After a day on the charger, the battery tested normal again. I'm sure the "life" fo the battery wasn't brought back to "like-new", but I'm guessing it would allow more time before being 'forced' to replace

[@newscoulomb3705]

That's interesting. I think the reason mine just died and didn't limp along for awhile is because the battery conditioning kicked on and drained it to dead. I'm surprised you had to pay so much for replacement battery, though. My dealership charged me more than $100 less than that, after tax.

[@caddyzig]

I love your gas station review. Hilarious! I loved my 2014 Volt and my 2016 ELR has been perfect for my commute. Living in town, about 10 miles away from work, I’ve been able to drive nearly 100% EV in both cars. My trick for avoiding “forced” gas usage when it gets old is to keep a very small amount of gas in the tank. (I keep two gallons, just in case I have to make an emergency trip when my battery hasn’t been recharged.) I strategically try to use the fuel up on a road trip, too. Someday, whenever Cadillac offers an EV sedan, I’ll definitely get a pure EV, but the ELR is great. (It even pioneered Regen on Demand!)

[@michelellison9687]

The title makes it sound like the traction battery went south and not the 12 volt.

[@Chrisb8s]

I loved my volt. It was fun playing the electric game. I was so crazy. Charging it at free chargers. It would take forever. I would use the mountain mode on road trips before I got into a town. The truth was a Hyundai sonata was probably ore gas efficient on long trips. Around town it was awesome. My longest ev day was over 125 miles on electricity. I drove for work. Then charged up. Drove to a concert chargers for free and drove home on electricity. Then 3 years later. Sold it for what I paid for it

[@W4rH4wkXX]

Ha that title scared the 💩out of me!!!! i swapped my 12v out in June for my 2017 bolt. I was going on a ~500 trip and I didn't want to chance it (I've been scared by bad 12v batteries in the past). I ended up ordering mine off of rockauto. Zero issues and it was the OEM replacement battery too. 💪

[@tkmedia3866]

Chevron Dunnigan had changed to CPE250!

[@newscoulomb3705]

Awesome! I'll have to go check it out soon.

[@ouch1011]

My 2019 Bolt’s battery got discharged completely just a couple months after I bought it (new). The battery wasn’t bad, something drained it. Jump started it and it never happened again. GM had a service bulletin out for a little while asking dealers that had any Bolts come in with discharged 12V batteries to contact the tech line, but I never heard what came of that.

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

You..... Richard! Edit: no joke, the only shell recharge bge charger near me that is absolutely reliable, a tritium charger. It fully works with my spark EV.

[@stevenjohnson9753]

I’ve been watching my 2017 12 volt battery and it’s degrading and more so with the colder weather. I’m thinking if it was parked for a week it would be kicking codes like yourself. So I’m going to go ahead and replace it just because I don’t want to be stuck on a trip that’s coming up. Amazon has that exact OEM battery for what you paid. Thanks 👍

[@Longsnowsm]

For a lot of people the second gen Volt would work very well with a range of 50 miles. The first gen Volt was a good proof of concept but the range was too short unless you drive very short distances in a city/town setting. I would consider getting a second gen Volt. The Volt was a good car for GM. The gas tank is pressurized on the Volt so the gas lasts for a very long time. I would treat the Volt like lawn and garden equipment and make sure I have ethanol free gas for them so that the gas lasts even longer since it is used infrequently. Chevy did their homework and the Volt concept worked very well and they made sure to take care of the charge level in the battery so that degradation has been minimal. Well done GM. Sorry to hear about your 12v battery biting the dust. You got along much longer than my 12v EV batteries ever lasted. If I don't keep mine on a battery tender I was eating a 12v battery every couple of years.

[@brianshrode72]

Hang on, the description says Chevy Bolt batteries usually last 3 years? I got my 2017 used in 2021 with 46k miles on it which in the last year and a half I have doubled to 93k, and it doesn't show any signs of dying any time soon. I have about 5% battery degradation by my estimates, maybe 8% tops. Am I confusing terms? When you say "battery," are you referring to the battery pack, the fuel source? Or do EV's, in addition to the battery pack, also have a normal car battery in there too? Is that what died?

[@newscoulomb3705]

Yes, as I showed in the video, the12 V battery died after 6 and a half years. Also, yes, EVs have both a "traction" battery that powers the vehicle and a 12 V battery that powers the vehicle's systems.

[@nancymathisen9707]

I have a 2017 Bolt too, with almost 40,000 miles on it. Can the 12 volt battery be checked for degradation at any auto parts store?

[@newscoulomb3705]

I think there are 12 V battery health testers you can use, but I don't have that much experience with using them. I've just replaced batteries when the time came, but I have multiple cars, which might not be an option for some people.

[@hellsop]

The only measurement that battery testing can identify a battery close to failing for an EV (or PHEV like the Volt) is an internal resistance test. More that an ohm or two read with that is older, more than a dozen and it desperately needs replacing. A new AGM should read substantially less than 1 ohm, maybe as little as a few hundred milliohms.

[@newscoulomb3705]

@@hellsop Some multimeters have IR readings, right? I know mine doesn't, but I've been considering getting a Fluke for cell testing.

[@thayne559]

Costco or sams club should have one.

[@newscoulomb3705]

For something like this, I prefer to go through the dealership. Also, I don't have a Costco or Sam's Club membership.

[@kevinhickman50]

The title is quite misleading

[@Dwebber919]

Welcome to my world. Just last week I had to replace my 12 V Battery, In my i3. I have found you can get 5 or maybe 6 years out of a 12 V battery. and yes they do lite up like a christmas tree. You are so lucky. I can't remove my battery ( mechanical Challenged ) so $170. for tow. $380. Battery and labor. I would like to ask? No one knows how to put a i3 into N when it is dead. Did you run into this with your Bolt?. PS I love your videos

[@glenzaczkowski8438]

168 for original replacement now over 200!

[@tjam4229]

I just paid Chevy Dealer in Scottsdale AZ $360 for mine!!

[@tommckinney1489]

I don't understand "modules" Apparently ChargePoint L2 stations have small modules, so they boot up quickly. Apparently Tesla superchargers also have small modules so they boot up quickly as well. But CCS chargers have large modules and it takes some time to boot up? Why don't they use small modules?

[@newscoulomb3705]

I think it's just different engineering and design principles. I think Tesla uses the smaller modules for economies of scale. Their first Superchargers were literally the same onboard chargers that they were using in their cars strung together in parallel. For higher power chargers, I can definitely see the appeal of reducing complexity by increasing the size and decreasing the number of modules. But from an end user perspective, faster activation is always better

[@kens97sto171]

Love the little bit of sarcasm on the Gas pumps.. It's crazy that many were down at one station. Honestly Pilot gas and truck stops are pretty crappy for the most part. Loves.. or Buc-ee's, are the best. I would have been in and out of any local gas station in less than 5 min. Why go in and pay cash and then get change???? Swipe or tap to pay with your card at the pump, fill it up, hang up the pump, drive away with 500 miles of range. Seems pretty easy to me. Cost of gas vs DC Fast charging on a road trip is not much different.. The home charging is the BIG savings... and less maintenance. Love your videos... You had me at the beginning with the failed battery.. thought it was the main traction battery. Weird issues happening when the 12V goes bad.. are common on most Hybrids also.

[@newscoulomb3705]

Thanks! The reason to pay by cash rather than credit card at the gas pump is there is a large discount when paying with cash. That same fill up would have cost the full $40 if paying by credit card. Maybe that's only a California thing?

[@kens97sto171]

@@newscoulomb3705 It's not just a California thing. Maybe the difference in price between cash and credit is wider though. It's the same here in West Texas. But the difference in price isn't enough that I actually care. And I buy a hell of a lot of fuel. So the convenience factor outweighs the money. I'm buying a tank of gas 10-12 gallons every other day. I drive for a living, 200+ miles per day on days I work. And I don't like carrying around cash for anything else. I tend to prefer stations that have tap to pay at the gas pump also. That eliminates the risk of somebody having put a skimmer inside the credit card reader. All you have to do is put the credit card up to the little symbol and it activates. No it need for a pin entry or zip code at the stations I prefer. We are currently kinda high price wise.. $3.46 per gallon .

[@flyordieinafire]

If you had used a boost pack to get the Bolt EV going on the bad battery could you have driven the Bolt EV to the battery swap? While driving it would have charged or tried to charge the 12V. Probably just safer to take the Volt for the trip.

[@bmw803]

VOLT is definitely a better choice. No need to worry with the MESS called DCFC. 80% of trips are on EV and the long trips on gas. Gas stations are EVERYWHERE and no need to fuck around with apps and hoping a charger will work.

[@boomerbits2297]

Come on Eric. Pumps are not down like that nearly as often as EA fails only if the station is out of gas do you usually see the pumps taped off. Also, most folks dont pay with cash any more than you would use cash for charging the Bolt. When I had ICE vehicles, I never paid cash for gas

[@ryanl6316]

how long is the Li-ion volt battery expected to last?

[@posatronic9262]

I got my Warranty battery replaced last year. Then about 2 months later i was out of town and was fast charging and it tripped the uneven voltage sensor. I stopped into a chevy dealerships and got it replaced in 5 days(7 with week end) I sent messager to a ton of places and no one responded. So i guess no one cared the replacement batteries are bad too. This one is good so for. we will see

[@vevenaneathna]

when its cold out in the volt you really want to run the motor early and heat up the battery and cabin coolant early with heat from the engine, and run the cabin on fan only. then use the electric for all in town driving and any downhill on the highway. im guessing you wasted about 2-3 kwh (30%) on heating the cabin and battery coolant by not preconditioning and not switching to gas until later on in the trip. if you do that youll get much better winter/cold weather performance compared to all electric. when you figure the cost of fast charging now is something like $.50/kwh, that works out to be about 5-6$/gallon equivilant in gas prices. the volt is way cheaper right now for long range trips. its like $2.50/gal right now, less than half the price of DC fast charging. no lines or unreliable chargers either

[@dennislyon5412]

Such a light load on the 12v battery in an EV. Would think that 7 years lifespan for the 12v in the Bolt would be easy, especially considering your light winter. 6.5+ years is almost there. Sedans as EVs make a ton of sense (Model 3, Ioniq). All of that efficiency in the sedan form factor means the HV battery doesn’t need to weigh 1000 lbs. Love the “gas pumps down” comment! Perhaps maintenance/service will get worse with less use going forward?

[@glenzaczkowski8438]

I have a 17 boltev my main battery

[@glenzaczkowski8438]

Was replaced in January I replaced my under the hood battery in the summer because it only made sense that they both should be new together and I'm glad I did now

[@newscoulomb3705]

Yeah, I'm not sure what was going on, but I think you're right about gas pump maintenance into the future. People have been gaslighting me in the comments of some of my videos, claiming that gas pumps are 100% reliable and never go down. I have been driving gas cars for over 20 years before I got my Bolt EV, and I've encountered all sorts of issues with gas pumps/stations. The difference I will acknowledge is that without the redundancy of multiple fueling stations, reliability is still a bigger issue for EV charging.

[@PtakLight]

Yeah those AGM batteries only get up to eight years if you're lucky. So are you getting ready to sell that volt,?

[@newscoulomb3705]

At some point, I'll get rid of the Volt, but I don't have any immediate plans. There aren't really any EVs out that I would want to replace it with at this point (based on pricing and features).

[@usa-ev]

Did you try jump-starting your Bolt?

[@usa-ev]

Funny! Good job!

[@sp1nrx]

That warning about taking your eyes off the road comes up often. Is there a way to turn it off? Lawyers are killing all common sense with these CMA pop-ups.....

[@tomstdenis]

comparing the UI .... you're in a 1st gen Volt from 2012 comparing it to a 2017+ Bolt EV ... the 2nd gen Volt's had a better (though still limited functionality) UI.

[@usa-ev]

When my Fiat 500e 12V battery died I replaced it with a small motorcycle battery. Not 100% successful. Could handle daily use, but when sitting for days during winter (even plugged in) the battery would go flat. Bummer that it wouldn't monitor and boost the 12V when needed once every 3 days. In summer it was fine.

[@atw9913]

You video description makes it sound like the traction battery died and not the 12v battery.

[@ToddSterling]

Tesla is opening their Supercharger network to non-Tesla EVs. An adapter system will be installed on each Supercharger unit called "Magic Block" will release a CCS adapter that is locked onto the end of the standard TESLA plug for us to plug into our Chevy Bolt EVs. We will actuate this magic block adapter release and initiate the Supercharger power through the TESLA app. I have notice an explosion of new Supercharger locations here in Texas since Giga Texas opened here in Austin last year.

[@newscoulomb3705]

I look forward to testing it out.

[@robertstillmaker5193]

You didn't have a 12 volt jump box with you?

[@newscoulomb3705]

I do, but it wasn't a big deal because the 12 V battery only left me stranded at home. When I saw the voltage was 3.6 V, there was no point trying to revive/recover the battery.

[@cutehumor]

12 volt battery died in the bolt lol

[@daveshep]

You freaked me out with title. Yeah, six years for a 12v battery is not bad at all. 😂

[@SteveBirkett]

Disaster! Look at those broken gas pumps, just proves you can't road trip with combustion. And how did you know which gas pump to choose? It really needs to get as simple as plugging in an EV before this fossil juice catches on... just not ready for prime time.

[@newscoulomb3705]

Definitely not ready for prime time. These gas stations need to get it together.

[@sdandersonjr5]

Why buy only the OEM battery?

[@newscoulomb3705]

It's special order everywhere else (I checked on that when I replaced the Volt's 12 V battery), and it's such a unique format and size that I wanted to ensure fitment.

[@flyordieinafire]

Title was a bit confusing. I was thinking your EV battery died and then you start talking about the volt so I was thinking the volt ev battery died. Took me a while to get that your Bolt EV 12v battery died. (would be a clearer title portion)

[@djy69]

Mine died at 4am, 26 miles north of Baker on a Sunday last March. Car turned a brick. Terrible experience

[@newscoulomb3705]

Wow, that sucks. I'm sorry to hear that. Did it die while you were driving? Or did you stop and try to restart?

[@djy69]

@@newscoulomb3705 power was out in Baker, instead of being patient on a level 2, I pushed ahead to a rest stop about 30 miles ahead with a DCFC.... I had about 45 miles of range left. The "Baker grade" ate my lunch... The battery pack ran out of juice about 6 miles short. The idiot alarms were going off while I fell asleep waiting for tow truck, that drained my 12v battery... It was old and wouldn't except a charge when I tried to jump it. I can't believe yours lasted 5+ years. Usually 3,4 yrs is normal usage.

[@voldar70]

Next time add the 12V in the title... Like in 'My Bolt EV 12V Battery Died'...

[@tjam4229]

That would be more accurate, but not bring as many views ;-)

[@unccred]

You can't get a battery at an AutoZone, Advance or O'Reily's?

[@newscoulomb3705]

Sometimes, but my local auto part stores don't keep this format in stock.

[@pashko90]

I would just go to Walmart and pickup some battery what just fit in a tray, under 100$. Never had a problem with it.

[@randydyck9353]

Get a 50 AH Lithium Battery

[@newscoulomb3705]

I've considered it, but that's quite pricy, too. The big issue I have with using lithium for the 12 V battery is that it needs to have its own thermal management system. Otherwise, the operational temperatures would be too limited, and it could get damaged by the car's DC-DC converter.

[@n8BDetroit]

Omg my battery complained for like a month last year that it was low. I’m nervous it’s gonna die this year. 😂

[@newscoulomb3705]

I'd keep an eye on it. I think the cold weather and battery conditioning are what finally killed this one.

[@tjam4229]

I don’t think GM is going to invest in sedans…Electric or otherwise

[@newscoulomb3705]

We'll see. Let's hope they at least test the waters with a Malibu EV. A mainstream, midsize EV sedan should be the perfect test for them to assess demand.

[@tjam4229]

@@newscoulomb3705 , I saw a VW Jetta wagon the other day, and thought "that would be a perfect Electric Vehicle for the SUV-crazed US population". (If they were open-minded enough). Small outside, yet spacious mini-station-wagon interior. And probably more suitable for being and EV; seeing that it has a fairly aerodynamic and practical shape. Kinda straddling the line between your suggestion of a sedan, and most people's craving for SUVs.

[@newscoulomb3705]

@@tjam4229 Yes, we have a lot of cars that sort of straddle that line between CUV and sedan (like the KIA EV6). I think VW is supposed to be bringing the ID Aero/ID.7 to the United States, and that would be another great option.

[@micantony1]

Well done Sir. 😂 Good stuff. It’s time to get rid of those unreliable fossil fuel pumps.

[@RyanWilliams222]

Is this News Coulomb clickbait? 🤔 (If you say, “My Chevy Bolt battery died,” how many people think you’re talking about the 12 V battery?)

[@newscoulomb3705]

True clickbait has to be both inaccurate and uninformative. This is technically neither. Sensational? Absolutely, but the people who are chomping at the bit to see an EV failure deserve to learn about the reality of EV ownership: It's just like owning a conventional car.

[@RyanWilliams222]

​@@newscoulomb3705 If you say so! (I love EVs, and it definitely tricked me!) Anyway, glad your Bolt is okay. 🙂

[@Lincolnator721]

​@@newscoulomb3705Nope, will never be like owning a conventional car since for EVs it's not recommended to go below 20% range and above 80% range. EVs have a long ways to go before being convenient and useful. So this means an "EV" with 238 miles of range has 40% in total less range than advertised (which should be a crime) making it only 143 miles of true allotted range, even less during peak of winter.

[@newscoulomb3705]

@@Lincolnator721 The only thing you said that is accurate is that owning an EV will never be like owning a conventional car. The closest you get is if you keep a gas fueling station on your property, but most people I know aren't farmers. In terms of the battery percentage, you misunderstood the concept. Battery wear increases significantly below 20% and above 80%, but we're talking the difference between a 1 million mile battery and a 2 million mile battery. Otherwise, that bottom and top 20% are both entirely usable. In fact, many automakers provide an additional buffer, so some EV owners have access to 110-120% of their rated range and battery capacity.

[@Lincolnator721]

​@@newscoulomb3705I had thought the fire risk from overcharging Chevy Bolts was resolved through a recall, but I still hear about Bolt owners limiting charges to 80% to avoid fires. I considered buying a Bolt but realized an interstate trip would be challenging. To visit my brothers, I'd need to find a fast charger and stop for nearly an hour of charging just to get home. I'd also have to coordinate rides between the charging station and my brothers' house. A gas fill-up is usually 10 minutes at maximum. At home, a full recharge from low would take even longer on a standard outlet. Plus, in an emergency, I might not have a full charge ready. Given those hassles, the modest 60 mpg from the cheaper Hyundai Ioniq hybrid seems a better option for now, despite slightly higher fuel costs than the Chevy Bolt. All-electric vehicles like the Bolt make sense someday, but more infrastructure and technology improvements are needed first to handle long trips and emergency driving. For today's budget and driving needs, a hybrid looks more practical.

[@Milhouse77BS]

What!

[@newscoulomb3705]

12 V battery. Not a huge deal, but interesting to see that the symptoms are a catastrophic system failure.

[@flyordieinafire]

Seems like humor. People just drive to another gas station haha they are everywhere. To be honest you aren't charging with cash so paying at the pump with credit would have been a bit faster.

[@agoogler1887]

Just go to local battery shop, u don’t have to go to the dealer,

[@mts982]

the ev car makers have to do get a grip on the 12V batteries dying.

[@newscoulomb3705]

GM has actually be very good with the 12 V management. I'm averaging over 5 year lifespans on my Bolt EV and Volt.

[@mts982]

@@newscoulomb3705 maybe then have to be proactive and have it changed out at maybe every 4 years.

[@Mike.T.]

So it's the 12 volt battery that died, not the big battery. Be careful, this title will be used by the EV haters.

[@40AcresandGuns]

This is the worst car ever made .don't buy this car. Noone even the dealers don't know how to fix this car

[@callistoscali4344]

Clickbait.

[@CLL-1]

This clickbait video was really hard to watch. Listening to you whine like a traumatized child about that Volt and having to buy a couple gallons of gas…good grief man! All this in the name of replacing a 12V battery that served you WAY past it’s prime. As a Volt owner I can say with confidence, it would really be good for you to have to ride a bicycle or a horse for a while.

[@newscoulomb3705]

Hah! Well, if that was your takeaway, you might want to work on your projection bias.