2017 Bolt: First Design Battery vs Second Design Battery

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odioc

Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2020
Messages
7
I purchased my 2017 Bolt in August of 2019. It now has 50K miles and I drive about 6K miles per year. I do not know the maintenance history, if any. Now I am trying to figure out if I have a "first design battery" or a "second design battery". According to my VIN # it appears I have a first design battery -- if it had not been replaced before I purchased the car. I have a VIN# before the VIN Breakpoint (1G1FX6S06H4163254) where they started using the second design battery.

I ask this because I understand that the first design battery had an inherent problem: Bolt 2017 reports greater range than I actually have and may run out of battery power while driving. Does anyone have any background on this? (For background see WeberAuto at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssU2mjiNi_Q

Go to: 2:40 to 5:16 minutes
 
I didn't watch the video but I'm not aware of any battery changes GM made from 2017-2019 (2020 has a slightly increased kWh). Your indicated range is a calculation based on your previous driving habits (mi/kWh, tire pressure, temperature, etc) and rarely reflects an exact number. I watch my mi/kWh number on the energy efficiency screen (an average over 5 mile increments) and battery %. You can then calculate how much range you have left. Want more range? Drive slower, don't use cabin heat or A/C, and use a higher tire pressure. FWIW, I always drive in "L".
Edit: You can probably call your dealer, give him your VIN, and he can tell you the service history.
 
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