Does the Bolt have a battery capacity history?

[WetEV]

Is there secure way of knowing remaining battery capacity including history that is easy to access?

Secure, meaning can't be reset by a used car dealer or anyone else. A history makes events like a new battery install transparent to the potential buyer of a car. Must be accessible without special tools or software at minimum.

If I want to buy or sell an electric car, I need to know what the best estimate of the battery capacity is. Sure, I know that all measurements are not exact, so having either a stated accuracy (56 kWh plus or minus 2 kWh) or a minimum estimate (54 kWh, maybe more, but not less) is acceptable. And this estimate should not be easily changed by any means.

If I'm buying a car, I need to know what I'm buying. If I'm selling a car, I'll get a better price if the buyer can trust what I'm selling. A large fraction of the value of a EV is the battery pack condition.

This is similar to the odometer. This needs to be not easy to tamper with.

 

[michael]

My Focus electric had an ETE (energy to empty) readout that could be displayed via OBD. In brand new cars this was in the very low 20s when the car was fully charged. When I turned mine in it had declined to about 17. However this was only an estimate. My measured battery capacity at that point was in the mid 15s

I have no idea how they developed the estimate...historical tracking of capacity? Just an estimate based on battery age and/or miles? Don't know. But it was at least an effort to recognize battery fade

I'd say best thing when buying a used EV is to run a test

 

[ChevyCustomerCare]

Is there secure way of knowing remaining battery capacity including history that is easy to access?

Secure, meaning can't be reset by a used car dealer or anyone else. A history makes events like a new battery install transparent to the potential buyer of a car. Must be accessible without special tools or software at minimum.

If I want to buy or sell an electric car, I need to know what the best estimate of the battery capacity is. Sure, I know that all measurements are not exact, so having either a stated accuracy (56 kWh plus or minus 2 kWh) or a minimum estimate (54 kWh, maybe more, but not less) is acceptable. And this estimate should not be easily changed by any means.

If I'm buying a car, I need to know what I'm buying. If I'm selling a car, I'll get a better price if the buyer can trust what I'm selling. A large fraction of the value of a EV is the battery pack condition.

This is similar to the odometer. This needs to be not easy to tamper with.

Hi WetEV,

Unfortunately, we have no current method for making battery capacity history available for easy access/review. If you have any concerns about your battery capacity, please know that our certified mechanics would be more than happy to run diagnostic testing on the battery and assist accordingly.

Please feel free to send me a private message if you have further questions in this regard.

Kindly,

Amber G.
Chevrolet Customer Care

 

[GetOffYourGas]

I like the Leaf's capacity display in concept. There are 12 bars which represent the battery capacity. A new battery has all 12. Mine currently has 11 showing.

The problem is that the implementation is deplorable.

The largest issue, as WetEV points out, is that a dealer can reset the bars. The BMS will eventually catch up, but it will take time. And by the time it does, the sale may have been made. I agree 100% that it needs to be like the odometer - difficult (and illegal!) to tamper with.

Another issue is that the bars are non-linear. I have 11 bars showing, but not 11/12th capacity (92%). Instead, I have about 80% remaining.

Also, the idea of some kind of history is interesting. There is no way to know whether my capacity bars have been tampered with, or my battery has been replaced. I would rank this last, though, in my priorities. If I know with high confidence the current condition of the battery, then its particular history is less important to me.

 

[WetEV]

If you have any concerns about your battery capacity, please know that our certified mechanics would be more than happy to run diagnostic testing on the battery and assist accordingly.

Thanks, Amber.

Would you please expand on what sort of battery capacity report I might get from a certified mechanic?
And what this battery capacity report might cost?