Chevrolet BOLT EV Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13556250) - 2020 - CRC - 2/11/20
Seats and Restraints 57
“Child Restraints”in the Index for
additional information about the
importance of proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as
seat covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. See Adding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 057
for more information about
modifications that can affect how
the system operates.
The ON indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop,
or other electronic device is put on
an unoccupied seat. If this is not
desired, remove the object from
the seat.
{Warning
Stowing articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see
Publication Ordering Information
0 321.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the 12‐
volt battery is disconnected, an
airbag can still inflate during
improper service. You can be
injured if you are close to an
airbag when it inflates. Avoid
yellow connectors. They are
probably part of the airbag
system. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make
sure the person performing work
for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end, or side sheet
metal may keep the airbag system
from working properly.
The operation of the airbag system
can also be affected by changing,
including improperly repairing or
replacing, any parts of the following:
Chevrolet BOLT EV Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13556250) - 2020 - CRC - 2/11/20
102 Instruments and Controls
If a short distance must be driven
with the light on, be sure to turn off
all accessories, such as the radio.
Service Vehicle Soon
Light
This light comes on if a condition
exists that may require the vehicle
to be taken in for service.
If the light comes on, take the
vehicle to your dealer for service as
soon as possible.
Brake System Warning
Light
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the vehicle is turned on. If it
does not come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if
there is a problem.
If the light comes on and stays on at
start up, there is a brake problem.
Have the brake system inspected
right away.
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The brake pedal might be harder to
push, or the brake pedal may go
closer to the floor. It could take
longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service.
See Towing the Vehicle 0287.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
Electric Parking Brake
Light
MetricEnglish
This light comes on when the
parking brake is applied. If the light
flashes and stays on after the
Chevrolet BOLT EV Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13556250) - 2020 - CRC - 2/11/20
170 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better EnergyEfficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 176
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 176
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 178
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 182
Power Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Starting and Stopping the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Electric Vehicle Operating
Modes
Driver Selected Operating
Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Electric Drive Unit
Electric Drive Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
One-Pedal Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 192
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 193
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . 194
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 199
Assistance Systems forParking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 200 Assistance Systems for
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Automatic Emergency
Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 209
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 211
Charging
When to Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Plug-In Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Delayed Charging Override . . . 217
Charging Status Feedback . . . 218
Charge Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Utility Interruption of Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Electrical Requirements for Battery Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Chevrolet BOLT EV Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13556250) - 2020 - CRC - 2/11/20
178 Driving and Operating
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
To save energy, run the vehicle for
only short periods as needed to
warm the vehicle and then shut the
vehicle off and partially close the
window. Moving about to keep warm
also helps.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
The Traction Control System (TCS)
must be turned off by pressing the
TCS/ESC button. Traction control is
not completely off, but will only
engage if the maneuver can cause
damage to the electric drive unit.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
underhood compartment fire or
other damage. Spin the wheels as
little as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off TCS. Shift
back and forth between R (Reverse)
and a low forward gear, spinning the
wheels as little as possible. To
prevent electric drive unit wear, wait
until the wheels stop spinning
before shifting gears. Release the
accelerator pedal while shifting, and
press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the electric drive unit is
in gear. Slowly spinning the wheels
in the forward and reverse
directions causes a rocking motion that could free the vehicle. If that
does not get the vehicle out after a
few tries, it might need to be towed
out. See
Towing the Vehicle 0287.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle may
show how much weight it may
properly carry: the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.
{Warning
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
(Continued)
Chevrolet BOLT EV Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13556250) - 2020 - CRC - 2/11/20
180 Driving and Operating
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of
cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX" amount equals
1400 lbs. and there will be
five 150 lb passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) =
650 lbs.)
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred toyour vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how
this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.”
This vehicle is neither designed
nor intended to tow a trailer.
Example 1
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 1 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 68 kg (150 lbs)
× 2 = 136 kg (300 lbs).
3.Available Occupant and
Cargo Weight = 317 kg
(700 lbs).
Example 2
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 2 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 68 kg (150 lbs)
× 5 = 340 kg (750 lbs).
3.Available Cargo Weight
= 113 kg (250 lbs).
Chevrolet BOLT EV Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13556250) - 2020 - CRC - 2/11/20
212 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
If LKA only detects lane markings
on one side of the road, it will
only assist or provide an LDW
alert when approaching the lane
on the side where it has detected
a lane marking. Even with LKA
and LDW, you must steer the
vehicle. Always keep your
attention on the road and
maintain proper vehicle position
within the lane, or vehicle
damage, injury, or death could
occur. Always keep the
windshield, headlamps, and
camera sensors clean and in
good repair. Do not use LKA in
bad weather conditions or on
roads with unclear lane markings,
such as construction zones.
{Warning
Using LKA while towing a trailer
or on slippery roads could cause
loss of control of the vehicle and
a crash. Turn the system off.
How the System Works
LKA uses a camera sensor installed
on the windshield ahead of the
rearview mirror to detect lane
markings. It may provide brief
steering assist if it detects an
unintended lane departure. It may
further provide an audible alert or
the driver seat may pulse indicating
that a lane marking has been
crossed.
To turn LKA on and off, press
A
on the steering wheel. If equipped,
the indicator light on the button
comes on when LKA is on and turns
off when LKA is disabled.When on,
Ais white, if equipped,
indicating that the system is not
ready to assist.
Ais green if LKA
is ready to assist. LKA may assist
by gently turning the steering wheel
if the vehicle approaches a detected
lane marking.
Ais amber when
assisting. It may also provide a
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
alert by flashing
Aamber if the
vehicle crosses a detected lane
marking. Additionally, there may be
three beeps, or the driver seat may
pulse three times, on the right or
left, depending on the lane
departure direction.
Take Steering
The LKA system does not
continuously steer the vehicle.
If LKA does not detect active driver
steering, an alert and chime may be
provided. Steer the vehicle to
dismiss. LKA may become
temporarily unavailable after
repeated take steering alerts.
Chevrolet BOLT EV Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13556250) - 2020 - CRC - 2/11/20
230 Driving and Operating
Trailer Towing
General Towing
Information
{Warning
Never tow a trailer with your
vehicle. It was not designed or
intended to tow a trailer.
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is
used for vehicle service and
Emission Inspection/Maintenance
testing. SeeService Vehicle Soon
Light 0102. A device connected
to the DLC —such as an
aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device —
may interfere with vehicle
systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash.
Such devices may also access
information stored in the vehicle’s
systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check
with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
When adding electrical equipment, it
should only be connected using the
accessory power outlets. The
maximum power that can be
supplied by one accessory power
outlet or spread across all three is
200 watts or 15 amps. Exceeding
200 watts or 15 amps may cause
erratic vehicle operation.
Chevrolet BOLT EV Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13556250) - 2020 - CRC - 2/11/20
Vehicle Care 233
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
{Warning
Most motor vehicles, including
this one, as well as many of its
service parts and fluids, contain
and/or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and
systems, many fluids, and some
component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these
chemicals. For more information
go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See Battery - North America 0242
and Jump Starting - North America
0 284 and the back cover.