— Chevy Bolt battery life in cold weather is the focus of a class action lawsuit filed in Canada by a Bolt owner who claims the cars lose a third of their range in cold weather.
The lawsuit alleges the cold Canadian climate is no place the for 2017-2019 Bolt electric vehicles advertised as having a range of 383 km (238 miles) on a full charge.
According to the General Motors class action, the automaker concealed from Canadian consumers the impact the cold has on battery range, leaving the plaintiff and other Bolt owners afraid of driving their cars in the winter.
The GM Canada Chevrolet Bolt lawsuit references multiple U.S. actions, including a Bolt battery fire investigation opened in October 2020 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The investigation was launched following “fire damage [that] appeared to be concentrated in the EV battery compartment area with penetration into the passenger compartment from under the rear seat."
In November 2020, U.S. and Canadian owners of 2017-2019 Chevy Bolts were told to park their cars outside and away from structures that could burn.
However, the GM Canada lawsuit alleges the recall wasn't intended to correct the real problem but to only prevent the batteries from being fully charged. The Chevy Bolt owner who sued says dealerships were told to install software that the batteries to be charged to 90% of their capacity.
The Chevy Bolt battery life in cold weather is made even worse because GM won't allow customers to fully charge the batteries.
The plaintiff claims he wouldn't have purchased the electric vehicle if he would have known the advertised travel range was impossible. And the plaintiff argues all 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt owners and lessees feel the same way.
According to the plaintiff, the battery value of the Bolt EV contributes to 23% of the vehicle's value, making the battery worth about $11,000.
The plaintiff also says he can no longer drive to Quebec City without the serious risk of breaking down due to the deceased Bolt battery life in the winter months.
The GM Canada Chevrolet Bolt class action lawsuit was filed in the Province of Quebec, District of Montreal: Francois Décary-Gilardeau, vs. General Motors of Canada, et al.
The plaintiff is represented by James Reza Nazem.
