Toronto, Ontario — An Ontario man was recently told that his three-year-old electric vehicle would require a new battery for $33,000…but the issue was instead solved at no charge by a simple software update.
As originally reported by CTV News, Charles Jakl of East Garafraxa near Orangeville, Ont., was told that his 2018 Chevrolet Volt Hybrid, first purchased for $20,000, would require a $33,000 battery change after the vehicle suddenly died with just over 161,000 kilometres on the odometer.
After speaking with CTV News Toronto, the news outlet contacted General Motors on Jakl’s behalf and a spokesperson at the time indicated that the company was working with Jakl to resolve the issue.
Jakl then contacted CTV News Toronto to say that GM looked at his vehicle and found out that the issue related to the battery could be more easily fixed with a software update. The vehicle is now back on the road.
David Giles, electric vehicle specialist and co-founder of Powered EV Consulting told EV Repair magazine that “to safely and effectively repair an EV, technicians must undergo specialized training.” While this includes “understanding high-voltage systems, battery management and electric drivetrain components, technicians need to be familiar with software updates and electronics unique to EVs,” or else problems like this could easily emerge.
Chris Muir, automotive professor at Centennial College further told CTV News that for a repairer, “if you miss a bulletin for a vehicle software update, then there is a chance you could spend a customer’s money unwisely on parts that didn’t need to be replaced.”
To learn more about how to safely and effectively repair an electric vehicle, look out for EV Repair Magazine’s upcoming issue.
