This Chevy Bolt Has 470,000 Miles. Here’s How Much A New Battery Was

At the end of the day, it was probably cheaper than replacing the engine in a combustion car.

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV battery replacement

Photo by: Out Of Spec Renew

Iulian Dnistran

By: Iulian Dnistran

Oct 19, at 5:12am ET

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A 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV needed a new battery pack after covering nearly half a million miles.
The replacement battery was sourced from a used car, but it had very low mileage.
At the right shop, the entire procedure takes less than a day and costs less than you’d expect.

The original Chevrolet Bolt EV was a fan favorite from the very start, but it suffered from an infamous battery recall that put a dent in General Motors’ reputation. Still, the OG Bolt has its fair share of devoted owners who wouldn’t trade it in for anything else, even after covering a ridiculous number of miles.

Take this 2019 example that came into Out of Spec Renew’s shop for major surgery. It has a whopping 471,000 miles on the odometer, and the owner is not giving up on it, despite needing a new high-voltage battery. The car had its battery replaced under GM’s recall back in 2022, when the odometer read roughly 138,000 miles, so the pack that gave up survived for over 330,000 miles.

A few cell imbalances in two modules prevented the car from going into Drive. The replacement pack was sourced from a used car and has an estimated 15,000 miles under its belt, so if it performs like the faulty battery that’s coming out, it should lead to plenty more miles on the road for the aging Bolt EV.

Replacing a heavy high-voltage battery can be daunting, but in the right hands, it’s actually really simple—and much cleaner than replacing a gas engine. After disconnecting the 12-volt battery, the high-voltage disconnect plug was pulled out, ensuring safe operation of the high-voltage cables and connectors.

Then, the car went up on the lift, where roughly a dozen bolts, a few electrical connections, and a pair of coolant hoses were removed. The old pack came out, the replacement battery went in, and the cooling system was purged to remove any air pockets.

Judging from the video, it almost seems like programming the replacement battery took more time than the actual battery replacement, but in the end of it all, roughly four and a half hours of work were put into the procedure.

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When it comes to costs, the replacement pack was about $1,800, but that’s what the shop paid for it. For the average Joe, a good replacement pack should cost around $2,500 to $3,000, with an additional $800 to $1,000 for labor.

Considering the previous battery lasted over 300,000 miles, it’s really not bad. By comparison, an engine replacement on a gas car can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000, depending on what engine is going in and how much labor costs.

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