The seemingly never-ending battery saga with Chevrolet Bolt models is continuing and the car manufacturer now hopes to appease certain owners with a $1,400 Visa gift card after it had originally promised to replace their battery packs.
Following a spate of fires, GM recalled all Chevy Bolts and said that it would replace their batteries free of charge. However, they reversed their decision in June and told 2020-2022 Bolt owners that they would no longer be receiving a battery replacement. Instead, they could gain access to advanced diagnostics software that can detect any anomalies in the battery.
Read: Chevy Bolt EV That Missed Battery Recall Spontaneously Combusts On Mass. Driveway
As if this change wasn’t enough to upset affected Bolt owners, GM revealed that the software will cap the battery pack of all impacted models to 80% for approximately 6,200 miles (10,000 km). If the software does not detect any abnormalities over this period, then the battery’s 80% cap will be lifted and owners will be able to charge it to 100%. Owners were obviously upset at this, particularly given that GM is requiring those 6,200 miles to be driven before March 31, 2025, for owners to qualify for a battery replacement if necessary.
In a bid to get Bolt owners to accept having their battery packs capped at 80%, GM is offering each of them a $1,400 Visa eRewards card that can be used for online purchases. This payment serves as an early payout from a class action settlement related to the battery recall.
To receive it, owners must have the diagnostics software installed before December 31, 2023, and sign a legal release. GM notes that should the class action settlement entitle owners to more than $1,400, it will pay the difference to those who take up the deal.
“GM is announcing a compensation program for 2020-22 Bolt EV/EUV owners upon installation of the final advanced diagnostic software as part of the original battery recall,” a GM spokesperson explained. “Owners are eligible to receive a $1,400 Visa eReward card upon installation. This applies to Bolt EV/EUV owners in the US only. We’re grateful to our customers for their patience and understanding.”
