UPDATE: General Motors has issued a more detailed statement on this particular matter. This statement is posted directly below:
GM aggregates public charging locations into mobile apps for each vehicle brand. GM does not certify individual charging stations nor verify charger operations on a real-time basis, but relies on combination of industry standards, independent safety certifications obtained by charging hardware manufacturers (i.e. UL), and our ongoing interoperability testing with charge station operators to ensure a positive customer experience. The advisor misspoke in this case, and our customer care team is in contact with the customer.
Chevrolet is recalling every 2017-2022 Bolt EV and 2022 Bolt EUV to replace their batteries due to an issue that has resulted in several fires. For one owner, that recall process might be causing additional headaches. The owner alleges that after getting the new pack, his 2021 Bolt EV no longer supports DC fast charging. This person has taken it back to the dealer at least twice, and the technicians claimed that the chargers he was using were actually the problem.
The owner then went onto the Chevy Bolt EV Owners Facebook group in hopes of finding a solution. Chevrolet also responded to him on Facebook. In part, the automaker’s social media team said:
"After discussing the situation, the dealership informed us that after diagnosing the vehicle, they determined that the vehicle works when using a GM Approved charger at both your home, and at a certified GM dealership. Please know, as this situation is only happening when attempting to use public chargers, GM is not responsible for charging concerns when using non-GM approved public charging stations."
This wasn't what the owner wanted to hear. He claimed to have tested the Bolt on three brands of chargers from five different locations. This included charge points at Electrify America and EVGo – a company that General Motors has a partnership with.
Before the battery recall, the owner reported using a DC fast charger every week for around two years. The alleged problem only started after the repair.
For folks unfamiliar with these systems, an EV doesn't use its onboard charger when using DC. The direct current goes straight to the battery. For Level 1 or 2 home charging, the electricity would flow through the onboard tech.
In the Facebook group discussion thread, he also alleges that the dealer does not have any DC fast chargers for testing his reported problem with the Bolt. Data from Plugshare indicates that there's only a Level 1 or 2 charger there, not a DC fast charger. Conceivably, this means one system could be functional, and the other could be broken.
At this time, it's not clear whether technicians there tried taking the vehicle to a DC fast-charging site for testing. InsideEVs has reached out to the dealer with these questions.
We also reached out to the owner but haven't yet heard back.
"We’re looking into this and will let you know what we discover," a Chevrolet spokesperson responded to Motor1.com.
Gallery: 2020 Chevy Bolt Test Drive
