As a Bolt owner with a new battery I really appreciate seeing the repair process! Just a little more complicated than putting new AAAs in the TV remote :)
And what was the cost of the new battery, and how old is the car itself? In the time it took them to take the old battery out on that 4 poster lift, I could have filled a lot of remotes with AAA batteries. ...lol
@brianmorris8045 the batteries was replaced by GM in these no cost , they also got a better battery better chemistry FYI the battery should out last the car
As a owner of two Chevy bolts that was really nice to watch. Doesn't look that hard just looks time-consuming. I wish you would have shown how he programmed it to learn the car that would have been really nice I think in time you might not have to take it to a dealer to get this done. I always thought after my battery goes bad maybe I can buy one at a junkyard that's still good but got in an accident and replace it with that. Thank you very much for the video
totally! Iw as expecting to see a bit the battery relearn procedure . for DIYers this is absoultely important to know if in the future this Bolts are possible to extend their life by getting a new battery and doing it yourself in your garage,
re: "I think in time you might not have to take it to a dealer to get this done." because: $1 Billion Dollar recall. because: High Voltage (400V). what this means is this is not D.I.Y. - nor should it ever be - as such you will always have to go into the dealer to get this done. yeah, there's a reason why Code requires cabinets and enclosures to clearly be labeled regarding HAZARDS of ELECTROCUTION THREAT. mind you this has been the case for decades across societies the WORLD OVER so it's strange how we suddenly think these same issues have "magically" now gone away (hint: they haven't).
I am a Gen X gear head and have rebuilt cars, motorcycles and work in the heavy industrial transportation industry. Recently bought a 2015 volt to replace an old everyday car and the EV cars are amazing and the Enginering is unreal. The youth today have some cool 💩 coming down the road👍
Love the video ❤, this proves working with high voltage is easy once you, the technician, follow fundamental repair guidelines, techniques and procedures.
Chevy Bolt batteries had manufacturing issue that caused a risk of fire, GM recalled all 2017 and 2018 + some of later model years and replaced the batteries. The warranty on them is 8 years at a minimum for most manufacturers, Hyundai offers 10.
As we say, Don't try this at home. Quite a process to replace the battery if you have the right tools to do so. Great job of installing the EV battery. Can they fix these bad batteries and recycle them, or are they too damaged or too much to repair on them?? First could a electric car home owner even be able to purchase a battery??? I don't think this would come from Amazon Prime. Thanks for the video.
Of course they can fix the batteries and reuse them. If they're too damaged they'll try to recycle them and recover the raw materials. They're too valuable to just dispose off.
Small note. Unless the brake components are defective, you'll never need brake maintenance. My 2013 Nissan Leaf had 80K miles when I sold it and 60% of its brake pads left.
@@drewfeld836 old one isn’t discarded, burnt, or exhausted through the tailpipe. It is instead reused and recycled since all the materials is still contained inside the battery pack.
@@kylinblue Are they though? I thought they haven't figured out to efficiently recycle them yet, but there are start-ups that are trying to solve that problem.
@@drewfeld836 That's really old news. Just one of the many startups I've heard of: a guy started a solar energy company w/recycled EV batteries. He'd get the discarded EV batteries & use them to power every appliance in a tiny home community. He learned how to recycle the individual cells too.
@@drewfeld836 since a battery pack is made of hundreds of smaller battery cells, when a pack goes bad it's not because they're all the cells are bad. It can be just one or a couple, so often what will happen is the aftermarket folks will either scavenge the good ones, or the pack itself will be rebuilt, replacing any bad ones, and sold as refurbished
I find many things are "easy" when someone else is paying the bill. Replacing a battery module should be easy and really the ease of doing isnt really a topic. Thhe cost of doing it vs the cost of the vehicle is usually a hotter topic. Good to know in this instance the cost should mainly parts.
Dec / 2023 just did a quick google search for replacement cost of Chevy Bolt main battery , $17,000 to $18,000 US , factory warranty 8 years or 100,000 miles whichever comes first . Who is going to buy a 10 year old EV ? The Bolt has one of the cheapest battery packs , some that have been in the news lately are in the 50 to 60 thousand Canadian dollar range 💸
Hello, I have a 2012 Leaf that I installed a 2019 62kwh battery in from a wrecked car. Do you sell the harness and module to connect it? If not do you know who does?
Lithium batteries don’t have electrolyte but they do often have a cooling and/or heating circuit with antifreeze like in the GM Bolt. I don’t know why you wouldn’t just cap the coolant lines when shipping the core back to the manufacturer to avoid spillage.
I drive them at work. My old 2016 Bolt would charge to 165 miles, no matter how long it was on the charger after 25,000 miles. I just received a 2022 model with 625 miles on it and it says 265 miles of range on a fresh charge. The difference is the old one was charged daily overnight, never letting it deplete and always topping it up. I only had the old one for the last 4 1/2 months, I wasn't its first user. the new one, I'm planning on charging it only when it needs it. I'm hoping this will help it with battery degradation.
The packing case needs re designing to make the whole job simpler and quicker, you guys would have a far better grasp of what's needed to speed up the process than anyone else.
To lower the fire risks associated with the Chevy Volt the replacement battery is a quartet of series 31 lead acid cells mounted in an 80-pound magnesium block containing a 25 pound thermite core. This upgrade has been shown to be less likely to suffer a thermal incident and causes less overall damage in the case of a fire than the stock lithium battery.
The automakers design EVs to not only as planned obsolescence, but also to prevent right to repair by either a one person repair shop or a DYI. IF car makers had any moral compass, EVs would be designed with a battery set that you could pull out from the side with a disconnecting receptacle/plug combinations so that in case of accident or fire or water immersion it could be unplugged readily accessible. This idea comes to mind with when I had the job of servicing industrial electric carts for facilities maintenance at a railroad service & inspection facility, I had the pleasure of pulling out that battery bank like a cordless drill onto a cart by myself. These where heavy standard lead/acid batteries connected in series. Hence, a fire dept response would be much easier. Pull that battery out before the car is destroyed . As an electrician of 51 years, I, ve been taught over the years ( mandatory every three years to renew my electricians license) that there are definitions in the National Electrical code about things to disconnect sources of power being designed accessible and readily accessible. Hence even in my old ICE Vehicle, I have welding cable disconnects on the battery, and the battery terminations are not standard automotive type terminations. They are terminations utilizing hydent terminals (COMONNLY USED IN THE ELECTRICAL CONSTRUCTION TRADE IN 480 VOLT SWITCH GEAR) with stainless steel 3/8-16 threaded marine type batteries. The automotive grade connections are designed to attract the towing vultures. I was in an accident in which a car rear ended me and the first thing the emergency responders did to the car that hit me was to disconnect that car 12 volt battery. You EV mechanics need to think outside the box and consult electricians who work on high voltage/high amperage connections. You should also boycott the likes of GM AND OTHER EV AUTO MAKERS. instead a lot of you become complacent to what they design and sell to the consumer. BTW IN ADDITION TO THSE TERMINATIONS I USE A pure copper based nuclear grade never size. Are those bolts you are using to install the new batteries stainless steel.? Also if those EV batteries where designed for easy pull out , then instead of waiting around for charging an Ev like on a long trip, you could just go to like a gas station, and do a battery swap or painless trade in minutes. SIMPLE? owning a vehicle is no longer a money pit, it is now a credit card debit pit, forcing working class people into economic slavery. Hence, look at all the chips on board a typical vehicle, more chips , more of certain batteries, more need for more cobalt mining. A mining that is done by exploited child labor in the African country of the Congo. BTW. With an easy design battery change out, you would then have the flexibility of the type of battery like in winter, you could use a nickle metal hydrade battery, and summer go to the standard lithium ion battery. Hence, winterizing your Ev !!!!!!! Miss Paula Walach-member IBEW and former industrial electrician. Ps , what about an E-STOPS for emergency responders. I,ve wired many of them over the years. I take bad issue that ICE vehicles never had e -stops or even carbon monoxide detectors.
Designing an EV where an individual owner or mechanic could change the battery out himself/herself doesn't fit with the new world order. An easy swap out battery system would mean less workers needed and would enhance the financial well being of the individual owner, we can't have that.
@@Uriah625 in my 51 years and still working in the trade as a licensed electrician, it's about easy accessibility whether done by a DYI or a competent trained mechanic. That mechanic would be much happier with the battery to slide out like a cordless drill. Accessibility is very much stipulated in the National Electrical code . I,ve scene the way 75 volt batteries are very readily changed out in 125 ton diesel locomotives. ITS done by one person using a lift cart. The dimensions of such a 75 volt battery is about one cubic yard. The starter is 75 volts that is needed to crank over a 16 cylinder diesel engine. Hence, what about the first responders to an accident with no way to even unplug that poorly designed battery pack underneath that stupid EV....? Besides you missed the point that a morally designed EV would have the battery changed out to a winter type battery of nickle metal hydrade that charges better in cold weather. Hence, more revenue for the towing vultures for EVs using planed obsolescence type batteries installations. Is that what you want to burden the EV Owner ? The average working person already has enough debt to contend with. With rising rents, food prices, and the rising cost of getting to and from work, especially in rural areas lacking good rail public transit.
@@Uriah625 we have too much of a car culture in both the USA and Canada. Car mechanics especially car gurus that come on you tube have become embolden to this what I call "hazardous waste culture"." REV UP YOUR ENGINES" IS WHAT SCOTTY KILMER WOULD SAY, OR WHAT I WOULD SAY REV UP MORE HAZARDOUS WASTE. OR LISA CHRISTIENSEN OF CAR TALK CJAD 800 AM RADIO THAT CUT ME OFF HER SATURDAY MORNING CAR TALK SHOW BECAUSE I MENTION STAINLESS STEEL COMPONANTS. Hazardous not necessarily related to batteries, but also the paint, the body parts, tire wear. Etc The lack of stainless steel and other environmental friendly components that would reduce climate change. Did you ever done a statistic on the life span of a car mechanic?. Or body shop tech? Please note that it is the same video that poses that so called new world order or what I call a TRUMP STYLE NEW WORLD ORDER THAT ENSLAVES WORKING CLASS PEOPLE, BROWN & COLORED PEOPLE AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE BECOME MARGANILIZED LIKE LGBTQ PEOPLE. Remember it takes energy to destroy or recycle a car that is no longer feasible to repair, thus contributing to climate change.
What happens to the battery cells that are no longer useable? I saw a few videos where China has old EV batteries filling up warehouses. No one really talks about this.
@@peterszczesiak6025 I get that they are going to re use the cells that are good but what happens to the cells that are bad?? Everyone talks about recycling electronics but you never get to see how. As far as I cant tell this whole electronics recycling is a farce and that it ends up being incinerated.
100% they are recycled, GM has stated as much in their various news releases regarding Bolt battery replacements. They’re quite valuable for the materials and multiple companies are now recycling them. Nobody is talking about it because it’s a falsehood being told by oil companies, who want to keep you driving your gas car that lines *their* pockets with money. Don’t know if batteries are being recycled in China, but they have entrepreneurs too, so I would be extremely surprised that there’s not at least one company there also recycling. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-s2xrarUWVRQ.html
Those packs are filled with small batteries, should be multiple packs that swap out and are easier to work with plus if only one series goes out just replace one pack. Also, you could choose how many packs you need, No need for hundreds of lbs. of extra weight if you are going driving short trips.
Why does a 2018 EV need a new battery already? How long will they still make these in the future now that Chevy bolts are not going to be made anymore?
Chev Bolt and Hyundai Kona had bad batteries provided by LG, and replaced all 2017 and 2018 (+ some of cars in later model years) under warranty (no charge to owners) due to risk of fire. Warranty is 8 years on Bolt, same for most manufacturers but Hyundai offers 10. Chevy recently announced they’ll be producing more new Bolts in 2025 using their standard battery tech called Ultium, same type of batteries used in Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq and other new GM EV models.
Ok. I just saw a video of a bolt on fire outside someone’s house. The owner said GM sent a notice that they are not replacing batteries any more because of a new “software” fix. I thought they tried a software fix before the battery replacement plan. I guess they’re just cheating out now and stuffing their customers who were still waiting on batteries.
@@mongo64071 that’s possible, when mine was replaced I didn’t closely follow the information any longer. However, if GM is saying that a software update is sufficient they’d better have their facts straight. Software can’t fix improperly folded anodes and dendrite formation, although maybe if it is sufficiently sensitive it can prevent the thermal runaway. I’m very doubtful, and given that they already replaced quite a lot of batteries if one lit itself up and the owner could prove their vehicle had one with that defect, GM would be incredibly exposed from a liability standpoint. However, we’ve seen that movie before with the Ford Pinto, the only thing that factors in is guessing how much a jury might award a plaintiff when a company has clearly been negligent has thankfully gone much more to the plaintiffs favour in recent years.
Hey great no mention of battery cost or labor rate .I’m sure GM and the dealer approved of your video.What the heck so you gotta replace the battery every 4 years you save on gas.Sounds like a great idea to me!
This was due to a recall on all 2017-2019 Chevy Bolts. The cost was $0 for the owner, even if they were out of the 8year/100k mile warranty. Cause was due to bad manufacturing on LG Chem's part.
That depends extremely heavily on the use case. I’ll give my Nissan LEAF as an example; because I do a fair bit of off-road driving, the lower control arm bushings tend to wear out a lot faster than if I stuck to smooth paved roads. But that’s much less to do with the EV drivetrain and more to do with the use case, as evidenced by the fact that the company-owned ICE F150 has the exact same problem. So it really boils down to “are you consistently overloading your vehicle, or doing stuff it was never intended to do? If so, expect those components to wear out quickly; if not, they’ll last for quite a long time.”
At least an internal combustion engine is cheaper and it usually lasts longer than five years,unlike this expensive 20000 Dollar Chevy bolt battery pack that's getting replaced after less than 5years.
Some car makers have made evs where the battery is swapped (instead of charging) in minutes if this was included on on all evs ,I drive through battery swap ...
Failed at 4 years old, how much did that cost, what fuel cost would a gasoline car have used, remember the battery had cost for charging it over the 4 years. Who in their right mind would buy one of these cars?
How much would this cost? Done professionally with any Bolt up to 2024? I read there is a possibility (motor trends I think) that you can get a used battery as well. They exist. At least in this size…or design. I saw a used price of 11K I believe.. But in an 8 year warranty you’d be luck to get a replacement battery. VinFast offers a 10 year/200 000 km warranty on everything in Canada. That would likely cover a new battery. And the VinFast has only battery coolant as opposed to many EVs having brake fluid as well, and even brake pads in some. (Which is dumb unless in contributes to a safer and more efficient ride). Having no maintenance is awesome.. From what I read the basics are tire rotation, windshield washer fluid top up, and software updates. Any fluids.. be nice if every EV came with a solar panal to prevent battery loss and wear in extreme temperatures. Any battery maintenance tips? Like besides the 80/20 rule.. some EVs came with optional block heaters, And most come with free portable chargers that require only a wall outlet. Would a Motomaster Canadian tire portable outlet unit work to charge your vehicle in an emergency. ..?
The GM shops can (John Bear did my 2018 Chevy Bolt battery replacement), and I’d wager my usual shop (T&J Auto) could do it, but don’t have the training for working on EVs just yet. So as far as independent repair shops, probably not many but I haven’t researched it, T&J still does the other typical mechanical work for me, on my gas vehicles too.
TOO FRIGHTENED TO MENTION THE OVERALL PRICE BECAUSE ITS AN EV SECRET which will put people off from purchasing an EV. Who would be mad enough to purchase a used EV that over half of the battery life has expired ???
@@whocares264When warranty ends, you pay. I get 200k and 20+ years on my Honda and Toyota ICE with only oil and fluid changes. I rarely buy them used under warranty
The replacement cost of an EV battery not including labor is around $20,000. So at $70 a week for fuel to fill up my ICE it's going to take around 6 years to get to that amount. Not only that but if the repair to my ICE cost that much I'd scrap it and buy a brand new one for another $5000 on top of that figure.
its partially true, since if you consider only fuel, then yes, it may take about 6 years, but dont forget all the other maintenance during that period, like changing oil and other parts of vihicle, especially brakes (remember EV doesnt use brakes as much, almost never replace them), so with all that said, you will spend way more money owning ICE vs EV. also, you dont have to get a brand new EV battery for replacement, you can easily get second-hand refurbished battery from vihicles after non-totaloss accidents for much cheaper price where vihicle is dead but battery is intact - some sell those and batteries are totally fine. also, some batteries do live way longer than 6 years, they just degrade. if a new battery can give you 250-300 miles, then 6y/o one can give you 150-200 miles, its still perfectly usable for city or short-medium commutes, and most people are totally OK with that, so you can keep your car for 10+ years without any problem.. also, consider this, new LFP batteries are rated for at least 3000+ recharge cycles, so if you take 300 Miles X 3000 cycles, thats almost 1 million miles!! even if its only HALF of thats, still, it will take you way more than 10 years to get to point where mileage if your car is half million miles.. its TOTALLY worth it to get an EV today, especially today, and if you are so affraid of replacing the battery, got some chinese EV, some give you 150K miles warranty on their batteries, BYD Atto3 for example..
@@benjaminshtark5977It's true, you may spend more owning an IC over a 6 year period. But that's where the detail comes in. That amount of money you spend is over a long period of time not a huge amount of money up front. When you buy IC to begin with generally the cost of the car is much less. Sure as long as the EV warranty covers the problem with the battery or anything else you may well be in front but if it doesn't you're out of pocket a lot more. So if you buy a second hand battery do you get another 8 year warranty just like a new one and what is the cost of a second hand battery? Replacement batteries are not easy to get either. I am quite happy to spend more over a long period of time knowing that if something were to occur the amount of money I'm going to have to pay at any given time isn't going to be a huge amount. Nor will I have to spend money on a charger to install at my home or to upgrade my electric system to handle the charger. If anything, I would prefer a hybrid over an EV even though hybrids are costly to replace batteries, somewhere in the vicinity of $5000.00.
@@jamessmyth5949 you have a good point. its why EV second hand market is plumeting where batteries are almost or are out of warranty.. i think people still remember where cost of replacing battery for older nissan leaf cost more than actually buying a new car (same nissan laaf). but then again, leaf is bad example.. i think it will take another 10 years or more until this EV market matures and costs will go down.. on other hand, in some countries where prices for fuel is very high (unlike US), its financially much more feasible to get EV over ICE, since for those 150k miles you basicaly return cost of EV by not spending on gasoline.. i had a tesla model 3 (i live in israel), and in two years of ownership, i saved over 20k$ on fuel alone, i drove almost 70k miles in 2 years... so for me, its was 35% of cost of a car covered by fuel savings, and when i sold the car, i even made something like 5k$, so for me it was a great deal, i sold the car becouse of 2 reasons, 1. warranty was ending 2. started to work from home heavily - so no need to have expensive car and pay month payments + interest %. in the end it all depends on your needs... if you live in big city and drive 10k miles per years, getting a tesla or other expensive EV is probably not best choise, but for those that live in suburbs and drive alot and price of fuel is high AND they can charge at home (private house) - then EV makes more sense..
@@cfldrivenMy 2008 Honda van is 15 years old and running great. My repair and maintenance costs average only $125 per year. I guarentee your EV will need a $10k to $20k battery before 15 years. Lithium batts have a limit on number of charge cycles no matter how well cared for.
@@slotcarfan so far batteries that have been in service since 2014 have held up remarkably well, according to Tesla. I have a feeling you are going to be proven wrong. Also, unless you don't drive your car, there is no way a 15 year old car averages $125.00 a year.
Yeah I mean, who wants to replace anything on their car? Unfortunately if you own a car, EV or ICE, repairs will be needed at some point. On the bright side, EV tend to have much better warranties than ICE cars. Rivian has a 5 year 60,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, whereas the typical ICE has a 3 year 36,000 mile warranty. The battery and drivetrain on the Rivian is 8 years or 175,000 miles. Most ICE are 5 year or 60,000. Who do you think is more confident in their product? The manufacturer with an 8 year 175,000 mile warranty or the manufacturer with a 5 year 60,000 mile warranty?
@@poppyatcs4529 not really, I have had my Bolt since 2018. Drive it every day and just got a free battery at 60k via GM. It's like I just got a new car!
Yep- we love our ‘21 Bolt and look forward to the recall battery replacement when our turn comes. These cars are easy to charge in our part of Colorado and cheap to run…no regrets.
Why is everyone comparing this to an engine swap? Imagine if replacing your gas tank was this involved and cost 20k and needed to be done regularly no matter how well you take care of it
Imagine your electric engine not wearing out. Which they pretty much don't. And these swaps on Bolt's were covered under a recall so they didn't cost anything to the owner.
Actually the ECU controls many functions that keep the gas engine, tuned and properly running and usually has to be relearned upon disconnect of 12V battery.
No, the manufacturing process had a problem which caused the original batteries on mostly 2017 and some 2018 vehicles to potentially catch fire. GM and LG Chem (who manufactured the batteries) pumped out correctly made replacements which were replaced under warranty, which is what this video is likely showing. Most EVs have at least an 8 year warranty on the battery, Hyundai is 10. The manufacturing problem also affected same type of batteries put in Hyundai Kona EVs, and I think also some stationary home power type of batteries.
So out of 250+ comments it seems that over 50% have do with cost and longevity. As far as cost, replacement is expensive, yes 10-20k. With that, federal law states all manufacturers must honor an 8 year 100,000 mile warranty. So this is not a common repair. Don’t believe me, just search “EV battery replacement” on RU-vid and see how many results come back with owners complaining about battery replacement or doing an actual replacement. There is only one that I could find, and he was able to get it repaired for a fraction of the cost. Just think about that for a moment. If batteries needed replacement often, there would be loads of videos from actual owners showing their bill/estimate! Instead nearly every video is someone that does not own an EV speculating on the cost and longevity. That speaks for itself.
Yes but how much does it cost? Hyundai wants $60k to replace their batteries. And tesla wants $13k. If I accidentally hit a rock and it hits the casing, how much would that cost???
