
Chevrolet Bolt EV Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10122739) - 2017 - CRC - 10/3/16
136 Instruments and Controls
OUT OF ENERGY, CHARGE
VEHICLE NOW !
This message displays when the
high voltage battery is out of energy.
The vehicle must be charged.
PROBLEM DETECTED WITH
CHARGING STATION
This message displays when there
is a problem with the high voltage
charging station.
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
This message displays when there
is a fault in the 12-volt battery
charging system. Take the vehicle to
your dealer for service.
SERVICE HIGH VOLTAGE
CHARGING SYSTEM
This message displays when there
is a problem with the high voltage
charging system. See your dealer
for service.
Brake System Messages
BRAKE FLUID LOW
This message displays when the
brake fluid level is low.
RELEASE PARKING BRAKE
This message displays if the Electric
Parking Brake is on while the
vehicle is in motion. Release it
before attempting to drive.
SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST
This message displays when there
is a problem with the brake boost
system. When this message
displays, the brake pedal may be
harder to push and the stopping
distance may be longer. See your
dealer for service.
SERVICE PARKING BRAKE
This message displays when there
is a problem with the Electric
Parking Brake. See your dealer for
service.
STEP ON BRAKE TO
RELEASE PARK BRAKE
This message displays when
attempting to release the Electric
Parking Brake without the brake
pedal applied.
Compass Messages
Dashes may be displayed if the
vehicle temporarily loses
communication with the Global
Positioning System (GPS).
Cruise Control Messages
CRUISE SET TO XXX
This message displays when the
cruise control is set and shows the
speed it was set to. SeeCruise
Control 0215.
Door Ajar Messages
DOOR(S) OPEN
A door open symbol will be
displayed on the DIC showing which
door is open.

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Driving and Operating 191
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 195
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 196
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 197
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 201
Power Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Starting and Stopping theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Electric Vehicle Operating
Modes
Driver Selected Operating Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Electric Drive Unit
Electric Drive Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 210
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 212
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . 212
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 218
Assistance Systems forParking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 219
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 227
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 229
Charging
When to Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Plug-In Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Delayed Charging Override . . . 235
Charging Status Feedback . . . 236
Charge Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Utility Interruption of Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Electrical Requirements for Battery Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Chevrolet Bolt EV Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 195
The vehicle may straighten out.
Be ready for a second skid if it
occurs.
. Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues —such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
. Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate. Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep-standing or flowing water.
{Warning
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.
Allow extra following distance.
. Pass with caution.
. Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
. Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
. Have good tires with proper
tread depth.
. Turn off cruise control.

Chevrolet Bolt EV Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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196 Driving and Operating
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain.
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
. Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
electric drive unit.
. Keep the vehicle in gear when
going down steep or long hills.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the vehicle turned off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down
the vehicle and could become too
hot. Hot brakes may not be able
to slow the vehicle enough to
maintain speed and control. You
could crash. Always have the
vehicle running and in gear when
going downhill. This will allow the
electric drive unit to assist in
slowing and maintaining speed. .
Drive at speeds to keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills.
Something could be in your lane
(e.g., stalled car, accident).
. Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick. .
Turn on TCS.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) improves vehicle stability
during hard stops, but the
brakes should be applied sooner
than when on dry pavement.
. Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise
clear roads in shaded areas.
The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear.
Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
. Turn off cruise control.
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 031. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.

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Driving and Operating 213
Regen on Demand®
Regen on Demand allows increased
deceleration by pressing and
holding the steering wheel paddle.
It works in D (Drive) and L (Low).
The accelerator pedal can be used
to manage deceleration while using
Regen on Demand.
Cruise control will turn off and the
brake lamps may come on when
this feature is activated.
If the vehicle is in D (Drive) and is
brought to a complete stop while the
Regen on Demand paddle is held,
the vehicle will not creep forward
when the paddle is released. Theaccelerator pedal must be pressed
to move the vehicle forward. See
“One-Pedal Driving”
underElectric
Drive Unit 0206.
If the vehicle is on a steep grade,
the brake pedal must be used to
hold the vehicle.
Hill Top Reserve
Hill Top Reserve enables
regenerative braking efficiency to be
maximized when driving from a
higher elevation immediately after
charging. When turned on, this
feature will stop the charge before
the battery is full, allowing space for
energy from regenerative braking.
This feature also integrates with the
Location Based Charging feature,
allowing the system to be
configured so it is enabled when at
home (On - Home Only) or
away (On - Away Only). See
“Location Based Charging” under
Programmable Charging 0124.
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability
Control
System Operation
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) and StabiliTrak®, an
electronic stability control system.
These systems help limit wheel slip
and assist the driver in maintaining
control, especially on slippery road
conditions.
TCS activates if it senses that any
of the drive wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, TCS applies the brakes to
the spinning wheels and reduces
propulsion system power to limit
wheel spin.
StabiliTrak activates when the
vehicle senses a difference between
the intended path and the direction
the vehicle is actually traveling.
StabiliTrak selectively applies
braking pressure to any one of the

Chevrolet Bolt EV Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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214 Driving and Operating
vehicle wheel brakes to assist the
driver in keeping the vehicle on the
intended path.
If cruise control is being used and
TCS or StabiliTrak begins to limit
wheel spin, cruise control will
disengage. Cruise control may be
turned back on when road
conditions allow.
Both systems come on
automatically when the vehicle is
started and begins to move. The
systems may be heard or felt while
they are operating or while
performing diagnostic checks. This
is normal and does not mean there
is a problem with the vehicle.
It is recommended to leave both
systems on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn TCS off if the vehicle gets
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
See“Turning the Systems Off and
On” later in this section.
The indicator light for both systems
is in the instrument cluster. This
light will:
.
Flash when TCS is limiting
wheel spin.
. Flash when StabiliTrak is
activated.
. Turn on and stay on when either
system is not working.
If either system fails to turn on or to
activate, a message displays in the
Driver Information Center (DIC),
and
dcomes on and stays on to
indicate that the system is inactive
and is not assisting the driver in
maintaining control. The vehicle is
safe to drive, but driving should be
adjusted accordingly.
If
dcomes on and stays on:
1. Stop the vehicle. 2. Turn the vehicle off and wait
15 seconds.
3. Start the vehicle.
Drive the vehicle. If
dcomes on
and stays on, the vehicle may need
more time to diagnose the problem.
If the condition persists, see your
dealer.
Turning the Systems Off
and On

Chevrolet Bolt EV Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 215
Caution
Do not repeatedly brake or
accelerate heavily when TCS is
off. The vehicle driveline could be
damaged.
To turn off only TCS, press and
release
g. The traction off lighti
displays in the instrument cluster,
and the appropriate message is
displayed in the DIC. See Ride
Control System Messages 0140.
To turn TCS on again, press and
release
g. The traction off lighti
displayed in the instrument cluster
will turn off.
If TCS is limiting wheel spin when
g
is pressed, the system will not turn
off until the wheels stop spinning. To turn off both TCS and StabiliTrak,
press and hold
guntil the traction
off light
iand StabiliTrak OFF
light
gcome on and stay on in the
instrument cluster. The appropriate
messages are displayed in the DIC.
See Ride Control System Messages
0 140. StabiliTrak can only be
disabled below 56 km/h (35 mph).
To turn TCS and StabiliTrak on
again, press and release
g. The
traction off light
iand StabiliTrak
OFF light
gin the instrument cluster
turn off.
Adding accessories can affect the
vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications
0 250.
Cruise Control
The cruise control lets the vehicle
maintain a speed of about 40 km/h
(25 mph) or more without keeping
your foot on the accelerator. Cruise
control does not work at speeds
below 40 km/h (25 mph).
{Warning
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. Do not use
cruise control on winding roads or
in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.

Chevrolet Bolt EV Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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216 Driving and Operating
With the Traction Control System
(TCS) or Electronic Stability Control
(ESC), the system may begin to
limit wheel spin while you are using
cruise control. If this happens, the
cruise control will automatically
disengage. SeeTraction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0213.
If a collision alert occurs when
cruise control is activated, cruise
control is disengaged. See Forward
Collision Alert (FCA) System 0222.
When road conditions allow you to
safely use it again, cruise control
can be turned back on.
If the brakes or the Regen on
Demand paddle are applied, cruise
control disengages.
Cruise control will disengage if
either TCS or StabiliTrak is
turned off.
5: Press to turn the cruise control
system on and off. A white indicator
comes on in the instrument cluster
when cruise is turned on.
*: Press to disengage cruise
control without erasing the set
speed from memory.
+RES : If there is a set speed in
memory, press briefly to resume that
speed or press and hold to
accelerate. If cruise control is
already active, use to increase
vehicle speed. −SET :
Press briefly to set the
speed and activate cruise control.
If cruise control is already active,
use to decrease vehicle speed.
Setting Cruise Control
If
5is on when not in use, −SET or
+RES could get bumped and go into
cruise when not desired. Keep
5
off when cruise is not being used.
To set a speed:
1. Press
5to turn the cruise
system on.
2. Get up to the desired speed.
3. Press and release −SET. The
desired set speed briefly
appears in the instrument
cluster.
4. Remove foot from the accelerator pedal.
The cruise control indicator on the
instrument cluster turns green after
cruise control has been set to the
desired speed. See Instrument
Cluster 0111.