Chevrolet Volt Owner Charged $30,000 For New Battery

As Ford kindly pointed out to us last month, electric car batteries can be incredibly expensive to fix or replace if they go wrong, which is why most manufacturers provide long-term battery warranties with their EVs and hybrids. However, Chevrolet is now the latest manufacturer to present a customer with a staggering bill for a replacement battery once the battery’s warranty has expired.

This unfortunate 2012 Chevrolet Volt owner found out about the staggering costs of battery replacements the hard way when they were quoted almost $27,000 (over £23,000) for a hybrid battery replacement by Roger Dean Chevrolet in Florida.

Yes, you read that correctly, nearly $27,000 just for the battery for a 2012 Chevrolet hybrid. Add on the charges for some expensive coolant, labour costs and tax, and the final bill reaches $29,842 (around £25,500). Ouch.

See also: Go On, Guess How Much A Used Ford Focus Electric’s Battery Costs

For that price, you could buy yourself a brand-new fully electric Chevrolet Bolt with a far larger battery than the 16kWh unit found in the Volt, plus a host of modern tech for the base price of $26,595. We’re not sure who is crunching the numbers over at Chevrolet, but these sums don’t seem to add up.

The dealership has defended the eye-watering bill, posting on Facebook to explain that the high cost is due to a replacement battery being difficult to source, given it is now a 12-year-old vehicle. Roger Dean Chevrolet was also keen to point out that “The dealership does not set battery prices.”

It’s not known whether a UK Chevrolet Volt or Vauxhall Ampera owner would be faced with a similarly sized bill. Many owners have reported battery degradation over time (as is accepted) but few have needed a replacement battery.

Whether this situation is a one-off remains to be seen, but it poses the question of whether manufacturers and dealerships view EVs and hybrids as more disposable than ICE-powered cars. After all, who would possibly pay so much for a replacement battery when you could buy a brand-new car for less?

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