Hybrid Battery Test

Li-ion (LMO)

Chevrolet Volt 1st Generation (and Cadillac ELR) Voltec Lithium-ion Battery

The Chevrolet Volt 1st Generation (and Cadillac ELR) Voltec Lithium-ion Battery is the high voltage battery in the Chevrolet Volt (2011-2015), Cadillac ELR (2014, 2016).

At a Glance

  • Li-ion (LMO) chemistry
  • 355.2 volts nominal
  • active liquid cooling/heating cooled

Specifications

ChemistryLi-ion (LMO)
Cell formatpouch
Cell makerLG Chem
Nominal voltage355.2 V
Capacity45 Ah
Energy16.5 kWh
Coolingactive liquid cooling/heating (INL: 'Active, Liquid cooled/heated')
LocationT-shaped pack in center tunnel and under rear seats
Weight197 kg

Cars That Use It

  • Chevrolet Volt 2011-2015 16 kWh rated (2011-2012), 16.5 kWh (2013-2014), 17.1 kWh (2015) after a cell change Run the checklist
  • Cadillac ELR 2014, 2016 Retuned Voltec drivetrain; reported 16.5 kWh / 288-cell T-shaped pack in 2014 and 17.1 kWh in 2016 (Wikipedia-level sourcing; not confirmed in an OEM doc here) Run the checklist

What Goes Wrong

Reported failures, each from a source listed below, as of October 7, 2026.

  • Owner complaints NHTSA lists under the Hybrid Propulsion System component for the Chevrolet Volt, by model year: 2011: 1 · 2013: 4 · 2014: 2. These are all hybrid system complaints, owner reported and unverified, not only battery faults, as of 2026-10-07.
  • GM bulletin 19-NA-049 (2011-2012 Volt with P1.4 cell chemistry) says an over-discharged pack can put the car in a reduced-power mode, with high engine speed while the engine recharges the pack; GM attributes it to a controls issue with normal battery wear and says it does not necessarily indicate a battery fault. (static.nhtsa.gov: MC-10158842-9999.pdf, 2026-10-07)
  • GM bulletin PI0961 (2013 Volt built before February 5, 2013) describes the charging system being disabled with isolation and battery coolant-level DTCs, traced to incomplete solder joints inside the drive motor battery coolant level sensor. (static.nhtsa.gov: SB-10071624-5448.pdf, 2026-10-07)

Symptoms

Recalls

  • 18V397000 2013 (Volt) A Hybrid Powertrain Control Module 2 update may have switched off battery cell balancing, which can lead to a low-voltage condition.

Check the exact car by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Warranty

Chevrolet's 2015 Limited Warranty and Owner Assistance booklet lists Volt-specific (Voltec) component coverage, including the high-voltage propulsion battery, for 8 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first; it also says hybrid batteries on California PZEV-certified (NU6) vehicles registered in PZEV states are covered for 10 years or 150,000 miles. (contentdelivery.ext.gm.com: 2k15chevlimwm2ndPrint2782529634307911058.pdf, 2026-10-07)

How battery warranties work.

Get This Pack Tested

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Sources

  1. energy.gov: battery2011volt0815.pdf
  2. energy.gov: battery_volt_3929.pdf
  3. energy.gov: batteryVolt4313.pdf
  4. avt.inl.gov: fact2011chevroletvolt.pdf
  5. greencarreports.com: 1093294_2015-chevrolet-volt-bigger-battery-but-range-remains
  6. autotechinsight.spglobal.com: model-year-2015-chevrolet-volt-features-larger-battery
  7. static.nhtsa.gov: MC-10158842-9999.pdf
  8. static.nhtsa.gov: SB-10071624-5448.pdf
  9. contentdelivery.ext.gm.com: 2k15chevlimwm2ndPrint2782529634307911058.pdf
  10. NHTSA complaints, 2011 Chevrolet Volt
  11. NHTSA complaints, 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  12. NHTSA complaints, 2014 Chevrolet Volt

Last updated October 7, 2026. Failure and recall notes are as of that date. Spotted a mistake, or speaking for a maker? Report an error.

Hybrid Battery Test is independent. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Cadillac, Chevrolet, LG Chem. Names and part numbers are used only to identify the vehicle and the part.