GM offers ,400 to '20-'22 Chevy Bolt owners who don't get battery replacement

GM offers $1,400 to ’20-’22 Chevy Bolt owners who don’t get battery replacement

Published

2 years ago

October 24, 2023

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As the latest step in the saga of recalled Chevy Bolts, GM is offering owners of ’20-’22 Bolts early payment of $1,400 of an anticipated class action settlement in exchange for installing a piece of diagnostics software that the company says will detect whether batteries require a full replacement.

The Chevy Bolt recall process has been quite long and complicated. In short, some Chevy Bolts were found to have a battery defect from supplier LG, which forced GM to recall all Bolts, take the model out of production for several months, and eventually promise battery replacements to all affected owners.

In June, GM announced that it would stop replacing 2020-2022 Chevy Bolt Batteries and would instead verify the integrity of the battery with software over a period of 6,200 miles in which Bolt owners were only allowed to charge their batteries to 80% or ~207 of the original EPA’s 259-mile range.

A spokesperson in response at the time gave us the following statement:

GM will provide owners of certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUVs covered under a previously announced recall a new advanced diagnostics software. The software will continually monitor the battery to detect any potential anomalies and, if none are detected after approximately 6,200 miles (10,000 km) of use, the battery will automatically return to 100% state of charge without a return trip to the dealer.

If an anomaly is detected, the software will alert the owner via a message on the driver information center and the owner should then contact their dealer to schedule a battery or module replacement.

The software is free and will need to be installed by their dealer via a brief service appointment.

Owners of certain 2020-2022 model year Bolt EV and EUVs, can start to schedule installation at their Chevy EV dealer June 13, 2023.

GENERAL MOTORS, June 2023

GM replaced most batteries on ’17-’19 Bolts but then ended up offering software diagnostics instead of battery replacements to many ’20-’22 model year Bolts. GM says that the software will detect which batteries actually require a fix, but the software requires 6,214 miles/10,000 km worth of driving to detect these problems, during which time charging must be limited to 80%.

This left many customers aggrieved at being promised a new battery and not receiving it, and further, at needing to wait some number of months with restricted charging before receiving a solution. Or, in the case of low-mileage customers, that 6,214 miles might even take years – which brings up a conflict with GM’s insistence that the diagnostic period be finished by March 31, 2025, in order to qualify owners for an extended warranty for a replaced battery pack.

Now, GM is trying to sweeten the pot to get customers to install the “software final remedy” by offering early/upfront payment of an anticipated $1,400 class action settlement. The payment comes in the form of a Visa eRewards card that can be used for online purchases.

GM made the announcement last night via spokesperson:

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. 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.

GM Spokesperson

But you can only get this early payment if you install the “software final remedy” before December 31, 2023, and sign a legal release associated with taking the payment. If you don’t, you’ll have to wait for the class action to be sorted out. The compensation program only applies to owners involved in recall N212345944.

If the class action settlement ends up being more than $1,400, GM says that the difference will still be paid out to owners who take advantage of this early compensation offer.

Owners who are part of the recall can expect to get letters soon with information and a unique PIN to enter into GM’s compensation program website at chevy.com/boltcompensation. More details can be found on GM’s Bolt Compensation Program FAQ.

Electrek’s Take

This whole recall situation has been quite disappointing, as it seems like GM has fumbled the ball several times. When GM originally proposed the software solution, our publisher, Seth Weintraub, who is a Bolt owner himself, suggested a few ways off the top of his head that GM could have done a better job:

•Told ’20-’22 owners about the change so they don’t have to hear about it on Facebook (or Electrek!)

•Explained the reason for the change: Something like, “Only 1% of battery modules could be defective and our software will root these out.”

•Offered to make the battery warranty the same time duration as getting a new battery with a “GM Verified” on battery so it doesn’t hurt the resale value.

•Give those with diagnostics free Onstar and lifetime premium app features for their trouble. Maybe some more EVGO miles, tire rotations, $500 off Equinox, etc. too?

•Thank them for their patience and tell/show them that they are valued.

That said, the recall also probably had a lot to do with the Bolt getting a $6,000 price cut and becoming a screaming deal that we also named Electrek’s Vehicle of the Year because of its incredible value.

Though the Bolt is currently slated to go out of production at the end of this year, but after GM pushed back its plans to convert its Orion plant to SIlverado EV production by a year, we think that GM should just keep making the Bolt until a Boltium is available.

As for this new offer, I’m not sure what to make of it. It does primarily seem like a way to get people to install the software update so that this whole thing can finally be over with, or at least, so the finish line can be within sight for GM and they can plan how many batteries they’ll need and when.

But after years of poor communication over this issue from GM, many customers may rightly be distrustful of GM’s proposed remedies. Some will probably be hesitant to take this deal, thinking that they are signing away some rights, or some capabilities of their vehicle for an extended period of time, for a one-time payout.

All we can do is tell customers to do their best to read through the FAQ and through the “Release of Specified Claims” (available by entering your PIN into the Compensation Program website) before signing anything.

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Environment

Yangwang U9 Xtreme cracks 300 mph to become fastest production car EVER [video]

Published

6 hours ago

September 21, 2025

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Yangwang U9 Xtreme cracks 300 mph to become fastest production car EVER [video]

The world’s fastest car is electric: Yangwang U9 Xtreme hits 308.4mph

Move over, Bugatti! The new Chinese Yangwang U9 Xtreme electric hypercar just blasted its way to a staggering, 308.4 mph top speed on a German test track, seizing the “world’s fastest car” crown and busting the last traces of the myth that electric cars are slow.

Just weeks after BYD announced that the nearly 3,000 hp, all-electric Yangwang U9 Track Edition model set a new global speed record for electric vehicles after hitting a ridiculous 472.41 km/h (~293 mph), the Yangwang crew returned to Germany’s Automotive Testing Papenburg GmbH (ATP) test track with the U9 Xtreme with its sights set on a new goal. They didn’t want the world’s fastest EV title – they wanted the world’s fastest production car title. Period.

The BYD Yangwang crew got that record, rocketing all the way to 496.22 km/h – that’s 308.4 mph to you and me!

“This record was only possible because the U9 Xtreme simply has incredible performance,” explains German GT racing driver Marc Basseng, who piloted the Chinese EV on its record-setting run. “Technically, something like this is not possible with a combustion engine. Thanks to the electric motor, the car is quiet, there are no load changes, and that allows me to focus even more on the track.”

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The Yangwang U9 features the world’s first mass-produced 1,200V ultra-high-voltage vehicle platform. Developed by BYD, the car is powered by the company’s latest li-ion phosphate batteries in BYD’s now-familiar “blade” configuration.

The U9 Xtreme’s record-setting run dethrones the previous Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, which managed 304.8 mph back in 2019. The Bugatti now has to settle for the lesser “world’s fastest combustion-powered production car” title, which is objectively lame.

Definitely NOT lame

The company says it’s selling “no more than 30” of the Xtreme U9 EVs, presumably to customers with incredibly long driveways. The Xtreme version features smaller, 20″ wheels (instead of 21s), and gets wider, 325 mm tires (up from 275 mm) to match the rears. The fronts also ride on a narrower track.

You can watch Marc Messang put the 3,000 hp Yangwang U9 Xtreme electric hypercar to the test in the video, below, then let us know what you think of China’s first-ever world record-setting vehicle in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

Fastest production car EVER

[embedded content]

SOURCE: CarNewsChina.

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Environment

10,000 buyers snapped up 776 hp electric AUDI wagon – in its first 30 minutes!

Published

8 hours ago

September 20, 2025

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10,000 buyers snapped up 776 hp electric AUDI wagon – in its first 30 minutes!

With dual electric motors pumping out 776 hp, over 400 miles of all-electric range, and a relatively low MSRP, the new AUDI E5 Flagship Quattro electric wagon is electrifying the Chinese wagon market – scoring over 10,000 orders in its first thirty minutes on sale!

First launched last fall, the new Audi-backed AUDI sub-brand kept the sexy wagon aesthetic but ditched the Germans’ interlocking rings and Auto Union heritage in favor of a simple, all-caps AUDI logo on the E concept wagon. Now seen in production trim, the production AUDI E5 Sportback is surprisingly true to the original concept – except in the horsepower department, that is.

But, while a production car having lower horsepower figures than the concept car that preceded it is pretty typical, the production AUDI E5 is different: it actually offers more peak power than the 765 hp concept!

That’s right, kids! the range-topping Flagship Quattro version of the new AUDI E5 Sportback offers buyers 776 horsepower (that’s 11 more than the concept), and gets 402 miles (CLTC) of range from its 100 kWh battery. And, while that version is a monster, even the base-level Pioneer version at just 235,900 yuan ($33,000, as I type this) offers a 76 kWh battery pack sending power to a 295 hp rear-mounted electric motor and over 600 km of range (~385 miles).

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It’s a solid achievement in value and tech, and the Audi people seem pretty proud of themselves. “The AUDI E5 Sportback is our first model based on the Advanced Digitized Platform, and it delivers on our brand promise: the best of both worlds,” says Fermín Soneira, CEO of the Audi and SAIC Cooperation Project. “Audi’s DNA and engineering excellence is blended with China’s digital ecosystem and innovations, specifically tailored for our tech-savvy customers.”

And it’s pretty.

AUDI E5 Sportback

The wagon’s exterior, while not necessarily shouting “Audi” in the conventional, Western sense, is still proportioned well enough to carry the four rings (or, looked at another way, a VW logo). But, while it’s a great-looking wagon on the outside, it’s on the inside that the all-new E5 AUDI Sportback really sets itself apart.

The interior of the AUDI E5 Sportback is noticeably different from any Audi model, being much more inline with similar entry-luxe EVs sold in China. The E5 dash also sports a 59″-inch” wide screen that stretches across the entire dash, digital side mirrors, Alcantara seating surfaces, and wireless phone chargers.

All that tech is powered by the QUALCOMM Snapdragon 8295 automotive chipset with 5-nanometer precision and the ability to perform 30 billion operations per second, and the Chinese-market AUDI OS offers what its makers call, “an intuitive experience designed to make the vehicle occupants’ lives easier.”

You can take a look at the new E5 Sportback’s interior, below, then let us know whether or not you think an ~~Audi~~ AUDI like this (and its purple mood lighting) would be a hot seller Stateside in the comments.

E5 Sportback interior

SOURCE | IMAGES: AUDI.

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Environment

Forget Tesla hype — Einride begins public L4 autonomous electric semi operations

Published

12 hours ago

September 20, 2025

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Forget Tesla hype — Einride begins public L4 autonomous electric semi operations

Einride operates first ever fully autonomous heavy-duty truck on a public road in Belgium at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges

While Tesla has struggled to deliver on the hype of its self-driving promises, Einride has been quietly developing a Level 4 self-driving electric truck. Now, that quiet effort is paying off. For the first time, the company is operating a fully autonomous, heavy-duty EV on public roads in Europe.

The Einride Level 4 autonomous HDEV is being operated under a relatively new Belgian regulatory framework, and showcases how Einride (and Europe) might hope to take the lead in advancing autonomous freight technology. Now in service at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, one of the most complex logistics centers in the world, Einride believes its autonomous trucks can move goods with more efficiency and lower emissions than human-driven, diesel-powered rivals.

“Antwerp is more than a logistical hub,” explains Johan Klaps, an alderman at the port of Antwerp. “(Antwerp) is also a place where the mobility of tomorrow is tested and concretized. Autonomous and sustainable applications such as Einride’s proves that innovation is a driver for competitiveness and economic growth.”

Einride autonomous HDEV

The Einride truck itself is an impressive piece of engineering, fitted with a robust 320 kWh li-ion battery pack that promises more than 650 km (405 miles) of all-electric range, thanks to a combination of slippery aerodynamics, energy-efficient electric drive motors, and (of course) the energy-smart driving tactics employed by its impressive self-driving software.

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Einride says its autonomous driving system (backed by a remote operator, Waymo-style, to help deal with edge cases) processes over 5 million data points per second, using radar and LiDAR to feed AI that generates real-time driving instructions for seamless navigation and freight delivery. And, thanks to its purpose-built, cab-less design and 82,000 lb. GVWR, each electric truck can operate with fewer than one remote operator per vehicle, paving the way for far more cost-efficient and expansive logistics operations without the need for many more operators.

“What we are seeing today in Antwerp perfectly aligns with European ambitions,” says Andrea De Candido, Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) DG RTD – European Commission. “(We’re) developing innovative technologies that are efficient, safe, sustainable and scalable. Through pioneering projects like this, we strengthen Europe’s position in future-oriented automated mobility solutions.”

With driver shortages still hitting the industry and electric semi fleets already running across Europe, the Middle East, and even here in the US, it’s only a matter of time before Einride rolls out its autonomous trucks in more markets.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Einride; via LinkedIn.

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