A class action lawsuit in Quebec may be certified alleging poor performance in winter of the Chevrolet Bolt, says Blacklock's Reporter..The allegations target the car once hailed by auto writers as Canada’s 2017 Green Car of the Year..A Montréal Bolt driver in documents filed with Québec Superior Court complained he bought a used 2017 model on claims by General Motors it could run up to 383 km between charges..“The range of the Bolt electric vehicle does not even reach 300 km” in winter, the plaintiff claimed..Recharging time was also “drastically increased in winter” with limited availability of fast charging stations in Canada, the plaintiff wrote Superior Court..The court took notice of claims General Motors was “aware of this situation as early as 2017 but knowingly omitted to mention it to the plaintiff and other members of the class.”.The lawsuit has not yet been certified. Bolt buyers claim a $38,000 refund plus punitive damages..The Canadian Automobile Association acknowledges electric vehicles’ range may be cut by as much as half on the coldest winter days..General Motors last August 23 suspended Bolt production and recalled cars manufactured in the 2017 to 2022 model years due to a lithium battery fire hazard..Some 142,000 Bolts were recalled. Production at a Bolt plant in Lake Orion, Michigan resumed April 4..All models of electric vehicles currently account for just 5% of new car sales in Canada despite $5,000 federal rebates..One federal agency, Defence Research and Development Canada, in 2019 complained electric technology was too costly and unreliable in winter..“The purchase of hybrid vehicles would be difficult to justify on cost alone,” said the agency report. .“It is not clear the fuel savings would compensate for the increased up-front costs over the lifespan of the vehicle.”
A class action lawsuit in Quebec may be certified alleging poor performance in winter of the Chevrolet Bolt, says Blacklock's Reporter..The allegations target the car once hailed by auto writers as Canada’s 2017 Green Car of the Year..A Montréal Bolt driver in documents filed with Québec Superior Court complained he bought a used 2017 model on claims by General Motors it could run up to 383 km between charges..“The range of the Bolt electric vehicle does not even reach 300 km” in winter, the plaintiff claimed..Recharging time was also “drastically increased in winter” with limited availability of fast charging stations in Canada, the plaintiff wrote Superior Court..The court took notice of claims General Motors was “aware of this situation as early as 2017 but knowingly omitted to mention it to the plaintiff and other members of the class.”.The lawsuit has not yet been certified. Bolt buyers claim a $38,000 refund plus punitive damages..The Canadian Automobile Association acknowledges electric vehicles’ range may be cut by as much as half on the coldest winter days..General Motors last August 23 suspended Bolt production and recalled cars manufactured in the 2017 to 2022 model years due to a lithium battery fire hazard..Some 142,000 Bolts were recalled. Production at a Bolt plant in Lake Orion, Michigan resumed April 4..All models of electric vehicles currently account for just 5% of new car sales in Canada despite $5,000 federal rebates..One federal agency, Defence Research and Development Canada, in 2019 complained electric technology was too costly and unreliable in winter..“The purchase of hybrid vehicles would be difficult to justify on cost alone,” said the agency report. .“It is not clear the fuel savings would compensate for the increased up-front costs over the lifespan of the vehicle.”
