Chevy Volt Battery Documentation

Overview

We purchased a Chevy Volt Battery (Gen 1) for $999 from M&K Auto Parts in Orange City, Fl on November 6, 2017. This battery will be torn down to individual modules to be used for new Power Racing Series vehicles for the 2018 season. We are expecting to get seven 48v modules, and two 24v modules from the Volt battery. These modules are heavy (~50 pounds), but should have enough power to not require a battery swap for any race including the 90 minute endurance race.

The 48v modules will be 12s3p configuration.

Battery Information

• GM Overview of Volt battery - Gen 1 & Gen 2

Teardown

• Dissecting the Chevy Volt's electric drivetrain Shows removing the case and removing the modules

Teardown notes to review before jumping in

• LOTS OF HOT POINTS. BE CAREFUL
• Label the BMS modules with each pack - they differ

OEM Battery Management System

• Chevy Volt teardown: The battery pack This video has some great slides showing locations of components and how cells are grouped into packs and then grouped into modules and then detailed info on the BMS. Alternate recording, may have better audio
• Opening a VOLT BMS pack - Note: this is really the individual "Battery Interface Module".
• Adding an aftermarket BMS to a Volt module - Used in an electric Porsche 914
• Thread with CAN BUS logs and lots of other info

Charging PPPRS 48v Modules

We are unsure how we will charge. We've seen reference to splitting the pack in two electrically to charge as two 6s batteries, and we've also seen where people simply charge the entire pack with voltage monitoring. This is a BIG TODO.

• Charging Strategies for multi-cell lithium batteries using a BMS
• BMS fundamentals

Examples of Volt Battery Usage

• Battery notes on Taylor Dunn re-power with Chevy Volt Lithium batteries - Nice clean fuse mount on the module early in the video
• Lithium-Ion Batteries for Off-Grid Systems Using the Volt battery for a 1kw solar system