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

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.

2023 Kia EV6 GT | Jalopnik Reviews

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.

That should have been the last of the Bolt’s problems, but it wasn’t. Now, GM is offering Bolt owners $1,400 to install monitoring software that will cap their batteries at 80 percent capacity, according to the Verge.

A replaced battery of a $1,400 gift card, you decide! Photo: Chevrolet

In order to walk away with a $1,400 Visa voucher, Bolt owners must head to a Chevy dealer and install a “final remedy” software update on their Bolt before the end of the year. Once installed, the software will monitor the battery for anomalies and cap its capacity at 80 percent power for 6,200 miles, the Verge reports:

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.