GM to Address Bolt Cars' Battery Defect Using Onstar System
August 25 2017 - 12:52PM
Dow Jones News
By John D. Stoll
General Motors Co. is taking an unconventional approach to
repairing battery failures in a portion of its new Chevrolet Bolt
electric cars: It is using the Onstar telematics service to
remotely identify the problem and notify only owners who are
potentially affected.
The Bolt is advertised as getting 238 miles of driving range on
a single charge. In certain vehicles, the information system
indicated far more juice remaining in the battery than it actually
had, resulting in unexpected power loss.
Chris Bonelli, a General Motors spokesman, said most Chevy Bolt
owners allow GM to perform remote diagnostic tests through the
company's OnStar system, making it easier for the auto maker to
locate and contact customers who have a defective vehicle and need
a battery repair or replacement.
GM is banking on the $37,500 Bolt to help it catch up to Tesla
Motors Inc. in the small but growing U.S. electric-vehicle market.
Mr. Bonelli said more than 10,000 Bolts have been sold since the
car went on sale in January. Less than 1% of buyers have
experienced an unexpected loss of power while operating, he
said.
At this early stage, any problems with the Bolt, even minor
ones, could be seen as a setback because of both Tesla's sizable
lead in sales of pure electric vehicles and wide skepticism about
the range and costs associated with electric cars in general.
Repairs of manufacturing glitches typically are conducted via
customer service notifications or full recalls, which can require
extensive communication campaigns. Tesla has been credited with
changing that model by using remote wireless updates to fix certain
problems or perform upgrades remotely.
GM has been using OnStar for decades as a subscription-based
service for its owners and has added diagnostic tools to the
program over the years. Bolt customers who opted out of the OnStar
diagnostic service won't be notified of potential problems, the
spokesman said. The affected Bolt vehicles were likely built early
in the production-launch process.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
August 25, 2017 12:37 ET (16:37 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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