Volt

Battery Description and Operation

For information about the 355 V hybrid drive motor battery, refer to Drive Motor Battery System Description .

This vehicle is equipped with an absorbent glass mat battery. This is similar to current vehicle lead acid flood batteries, except they use glass mats that absorb electrolytes that are pressed between the plates instead of immersing the plates in electrolytes. This allows a smaller, lighter battery with the same amount of power and is less susceptible to heat.

The maximum permissible voltage allowed for the absorbent glass mat battery is 14.8 V (at room temperature).

Warning: Batteries produce explosive gases, contain corrosive acid, and supply levels of electrical current high enough to cause burns. Therefore, to reduce the risk of personal injury when working near a battery:

Note: Because of the materials used in the manufacture of automotive lead acid batteries, dealers and service shops that handle them are subject to various regulations issued by OSHA, EPA, DOT, and various state or local agencies. Other regulations may also apply in other locations. Always know and follow these regulations when handling batteries.

Batteries that are no longer wanted must be disposed of by an approved battery recycler and must never be thrown in the rubbish or sent to a landfill.

Batteries that are not part of the vehicle itself, not the battery under the bonnet, must only be transported on public streets for business purposes via approved hazardous material transportation procedures.

Battery storage, charging and testing facilities in garages must meet various requirements for ventilation, safety equipment, material segregation, etc.

The maintenance free battery is standard. There are no vent plugs in the cover. The battery is completely sealed except for 2 small vent holes in the side. These vent holes allow the small amount of gas that is produced in the battery to escape.

A battery has 2 ratings:

When a battery is replaced use a battery with similar ratings. Refer to the manufacturer specifications label on the original battery.

The amperage hour rating tells you how much amperage is available when discharged evenly over a 20 h period. The amperage hour rating is cumulative, so in order to know how many constant amperes the battery will output for 20 h, you have to divide the amperage hour rating by 20. Example: If a battery has an amperage hour rating of 74, dividing by 20 = 3.75. Such a battery can carry a 3.75 A load for 20 h before dropping to 10.5 V. (10.5 V is the fully discharged level, at which point the battery needs to be recharged.) A battery with an amperage hour rating of 55 will carry a 2.75 A load for 20 h before dropping to 10.5 V.

The cold cranking amperage is an indication of the ability of the battery to crank the engine at cold temperatures. The cold cranking amperage rating is the minimum amperage the battery must maintain for 30 s at -18°C (0°F) while maintaining at least 7.2 V.