Replacing car batteries are a fact of life. It can be a real pain, depending on the type of car you’ve got, but these days batteries seem to last a good long time. So how long is long enough when your car runs exclusively on batteries?
Apparently GM thinks 8 years or 100,000 miles should be enough to allay the fears of early adopters for the Chevy Volt; they’ll be providing that warranty to all Volt buyers for their batteries—even Canadians will get the same warranty when the Volt goes on sale there in 2012. It’s a bold move that should help set a standard for other would-be EV makers.
The Chevy Volt may or may not be the salvation of General Motors. That said, GM has invested a LOT of resources into ensuring the Volt has a successful launch. They are planning to produce just 30,000 Volts in the first year, with production gradually ramping up if the car meets with commercial success. GM has conducted over 1 million miles of testing on the Volt, including crush tests, water submersion, cold, heat, and rough road testing. And they are confident enough to offer quite the warranty on the battery.
It is no secret that the battery is one of the most expensive parts of an electric vehicle. While the Volt isn’t a pure electric vehicle, it is probably one of the best known upcoming hybrids on the market. Its success or failure could mean a lot to other upcoming alternative fuel vehicles.
So does an 8-year/100,000 mile battery warranty make you feel better or worse about the Volt? Or does it not matter at all?
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That’s about what I would expect it to have.
That’s about what I would expect it to have.
That’s about what I would expect it to have.
Unless gas prices rise 30-50% over the next few years, I doubt you see many Volt owners pony up the thousands (how much exactly?) required to replace a battery when it does die, sometime after 100k. This will lead to a really bad resell value for a Volt and a lot of Volt’s chassis will see an early death because replacing the battery just won’t be worth it. I think they should have gone to 150 or 200k to match a typical chassis life.
Unless gas prices rise 30-50% over the next few years, I doubt you see many Volt owners pony up the thousands (how much exactly?) required to replace a battery when it does die, sometime after 100k. This will lead to a really bad resell value for a Volt and a lot of Volt’s chassis will see an early death because replacing the battery just won’t be worth it. I think they should have gone to 150 or 200k to match a typical chassis life.
Unless gas prices rise 30-50% over the next few years, I doubt you see many Volt owners pony up the thousands (how much exactly?) required to replace a battery when it does die, sometime after 100k. This will lead to a really bad resell value for a Volt and a lot of Volt’s chassis will see an early death because replacing the battery just won’t be worth it. I think they should have gone to 150 or 200k to match a typical chassis life.
It was originally going to be a 10 year warranty. GM just cheated everyone 2 years. Also, the production numbers are pathetic. They have utterly set up the Volt for failure and rest assured, it will fail and be irrelevant in GM’s lineup.
It was originally going to be a 10 year warranty. GM just cheated everyone 2 years. Also, the production numbers are pathetic. They have utterly set up the Volt for failure and rest assured, it will fail and be irrelevant in GM’s lineup.
It was originally going to be a 10 year warranty. GM just cheated everyone 2 years. Also, the production numbers are pathetic. They have utterly set up the Volt for failure and rest assured, it will fail and be irrelevant in GM’s lineup.
Make that assumption only by seeing no strides in improved battery technology in the next 8 years. I will take my chances on batteries any day over engines, transmissions,cooling systems and the good faith of the oil companies or our good friends in the middle east. Wise up America! I am using 30 to 60 year old batteries on my solar panels that I salvaged 16 years ago!!!!!You have been sipping too much petro coolaid.
Make that assumption only by seeing no strides in improved battery technology in the next 8 years. I will take my chances on batteries any day over engines, transmissions,cooling systems and the good faith of the oil companies or our good friends in the middle east. Wise up America! I am using 30 to 60 year old batteries on my solar panels that I salvaged 16 years ago!!!!!You have been sipping too much petro coolaid.
My warranty for my BMW was 4 years, but after 11 years it runs great. Warranties give you a perspective of quality, but rarely describe the actual lifespan.
That said, I’m more interested in their prediction of how much capacity they expect at the end of the warranty?
I’m also interested to see how easy it is to change the battery, as there’s a good chance a high performance battery replacement industry will develop.
My warranty for my BMW was 4 years, but after 11 years it runs great. Warranties give you a perspective of quality, but rarely describe the actual lifespan.
That said, I’m more interested in their prediction of how much capacity they expect at the end of the warranty?
I’m also interested to see how easy it is to change the battery, as there’s a good chance a high performance battery replacement industry will develop.
My warranty for my BMW was 4 years, but after 11 years it runs great. Warranties give you a perspective of quality, but rarely describe the actual lifespan.
That said, I’m more interested in their prediction of how much capacity they expect at the end of the warranty?
I’m also interested to see how easy it is to change the battery, as there’s a good chance a high performance battery replacement industry will develop.
I’m sure Chevrolet has a safety margin. Maybe 50%. If it give an 8 years warranty, that’s because Chevrolet thinks it can last 12 years.
I’m sure Chevrolet has a safety margin. Maybe 50%. If it give an 8 years warranty, that’s because Chevrolet thinks it can last 12 years.
I’m sure Chevrolet has a safety margin. Maybe 50%. If it give an 8 years warranty, that’s because Chevrolet thinks it can last 12 years.
The first couple replies to this article actually made me laugh. GM warranties the battery pack for 8 years and people think that this means the battery dies on day 1 of the 9th year. Not going to happen.
And then they think that a car with an electric motor that will last for 200,000 miles easily, and may last for 300,000, will get junked because the owner refuses to contemplate buying a battery that will probably cost less than $4,000 in 9 years and less in 12 when the pack will actually probably begin to show signs of age. Even then, the pack won’t be dead, but your AER will be less, maybe 30 miles instead of 40.
GM cheated everyone by offering an 8 year warranty? And Tesla is offering a 3 year warranty that is superior somehow?
I wish GM would commit to building more Volts and would build them for less than $37,500, but that is not as important as the fact that GM is building an EREV than will replace a normal ICE car, without all the limited range irritation of a BEV. That is crucial. BEV’s will suck for at least 10 years, their packs are too expensive and heavy, and they are too slow to recharge. In 2020 packs might be cheaper and lighter, but they won’t be as good as an EREV for at least 10 years.
The first couple replies to this article actually made me laugh. GM warranties the battery pack for 8 years and people think that this means the battery dies on day 1 of the 9th year. Not going to happen.
And then they think that a car with an electric motor that will last for 200,000 miles easily, and may last for 300,000, will get junked because the owner refuses to contemplate buying a battery that will probably cost less than $4,000 in 9 years and less in 12 when the pack will actually probably begin to show signs of age. Even then, the pack won’t be dead, but your AER will be less, maybe 30 miles instead of 40.
GM cheated everyone by offering an 8 year warranty? And Tesla is offering a 3 year warranty that is superior somehow?
I wish GM would commit to building more Volts and would build them for less than $37,500, but that is not as important as the fact that GM is building an EREV than will replace a normal ICE car, without all the limited range irritation of a BEV. That is crucial. BEV’s will suck for at least 10 years, their packs are too expensive and heavy, and they are too slow to recharge. In 2020 packs might be cheaper and lighter, but they won’t be as good as an EREV for at least 10 years.
The first couple replies to this article actually made me laugh. GM warranties the battery pack for 8 years and people think that this means the battery dies on day 1 of the 9th year. Not going to happen.
And then they think that a car with an electric motor that will last for 200,000 miles easily, and may last for 300,000, will get junked because the owner refuses to contemplate buying a battery that will probably cost less than $4,000 in 9 years and less in 12 when the pack will actually probably begin to show signs of age. Even then, the pack won’t be dead, but your AER will be less, maybe 30 miles instead of 40.
GM cheated everyone by offering an 8 year warranty? And Tesla is offering a 3 year warranty that is superior somehow?
I wish GM would commit to building more Volts and would build them for less than $37,500, but that is not as important as the fact that GM is building an EREV than will replace a normal ICE car, without all the limited range irritation of a BEV. That is crucial. BEV’s will suck for at least 10 years, their packs are too expensive and heavy, and they are too slow to recharge. In 2020 packs might be cheaper and lighter, but they won’t be as good as an EREV for at least 10 years.
replace the battery pack once at the end of 8 years and i would by the car in a hearts beat.