New battery packs are already being made in Michigan
A software diagnostic tool will be installed in the next 60 days that could allow unaffected cars to keep their original batteries
Until the fixes have been made, GM still asks owners to comply with its temporary guidelines
Chevrolet Bolt owners can breathe a sigh of relief because to end of their troubles might be near.
Indeed, General Motors and LG chem found a solution to fix the problems that could create a risk of fires in the battery packs of the Chevrolet Bolt.
The first battery replacements should occur in October, and LG could increase its production capacity in order to speed up recalls and to allow General Motors to resume production of the Bolt and Bolt EUV which was halted in August.
To meet this deadline, production of the new battery packs has already began in two factories in Michigan.
In addition, GM will provide a software diagnosis tool to Bolt owners in the next 60 days. With this tool, the battery’s performance and safety can be evaluated.
Owners of vehicles that will receive a new battery pack will be able to use their car normally, as well as charge it to 100% again, while owners of cars that will only receive the software won’t be able to charge past 80% for some time.
The goal of this software is to determine if a car’ battery is safe. If it is deemed fit for use, the car could keep its original battery and the owners could go back to driving and charging their vehicles as they did before the recall, thus reducing waste and allowing faster replacements for cars that have faulty battery packs.
Before one of those two solutions has been implemented, Bolt owners are still asked to follow the charging guidelines that were determined by GM in order to minimise risks of injuries and damages.
