[Jessie]

I'm new to the forum & really appreciate all the well-informed posts, especially about calculating range and battery issues. I'm off-grid with a new solar system, so it's (finally!) time for an EV!

I'm comparing the 2020 LTD with a $19k one-owner 2017 premier with 31,000 miles (pics of range estimates below). I really prefer to buy used (for environmental as well as economic reasons) but don't want to buy a battery that has issues or needs cells replaced. At least, not for the next 8-10 years (I hope). I'm on Hawai'i Island, far from the dealership, and waiting for parts takes a long time and is sometimes complicated. Plus, the battery warranty will end in two years.

The 2020 LTD here is pushing $30k. I've looked into shipping a 2020 from the mainland to Hawai'i, but so far that's coming out at 27k which includes $1,700 shipping from California, but I hate to pollute with the shipping.

If anyone sees a red flag with these dashboard pics for the 2017, please let me know! If all looks good I think I'll jump on the used one.

Thanks again!

 

[ARob]

Only red flags are the parking brake is set, and the driver isn't wearing a seatbelt. /s

Seriously, hard to tell. It is at ~80% state of charge (each bar on the left represents 5%). With the HVAC running as noted in the second shot, range drops at least 10 miles. But there is no telling from the Guess-o-meter (aka GOM) what the state of health is for the battery. Range is greatly influenced by recent driving efficiency. If it has been sitting with HVAC running and few miles, the average efficiency may be quite low, causing the GOM to show lower range.

The driver info display in front of the wheel can be set to display miles/kWh, switch to that view and note the current efficiency. Again, my bet is it is low right now, resulting in relatively low range on the GOM. When efficiency runs at 4 mi/kWh or better for a few hundred miles, the GOM should read 200-250 miles of range at full charge.

Bolt batteries tend to hold up well from reports we see for various sources. In your climate, extreme hot and cold are not a concern, so the battery health is probably not a concern. I wouldn't be so concerned about the warranty on the battery, it should hold up well for many years after the warranty expires.

PS: I am surprised to see the charging infrastructure on the big island, it seems like they have things covered with both CCS and J1772. A bit steep on pricing by mainland standards, but plenty of charging stations.

 

[XJ12]

Plus, the battery warranty will end in two years.

Aloha, welcome to the forum. The battery is covered for eight years so you should have a couple more.

 

[PLP]

Scroll to the next screen on energy (where the ring is showed with kWh used).
Using that, estimate what is the full battery capacity. You can find in charging settings what limit was set for the charge.

But even though - I personally would not mind getting used one with battery that is dying. It is covered for a few more years, so any issues will be addressed no cost to me.

 

[TheCyberKnight]

...
I'm comparing the 2020 LTD with a $19k one-owner 2017 premier with 31,000 miles
...

We have a 2019 and a 2020 in my household.
I have one suggestion: if you can afford it, get the 2020.
Outside the missing back doors passive-entry buttons, this car is everything better (not that it changed much). But the bigger battery is especially worth it.

 

[NortonCommando]

Jessie,
Howzit?
As my great great Tutu Lady used to tell me, "You only live once".
Go Big.

Plus isn't Hawaii's electric power grid getting cleaner all the time?
Either way you go, you won't be sorry.

Wow! I just went on Plugshare and look at all the 50kW DCFC stations!!!
But higher than normal prices...$0.61/kWh is the most I've ever seen. You won't need those much with a Bolt!
Go for it!

 

[NewsCoulomb]

The 2020 Bolt EV is an upgrade from the 2017 Bolt EV, but I don't know that it is significant enough given your stated values. The Bolt EV battery comes with an 8 year/100,000 mile warranty. I don't know how much driving you do, but you can figure out from that how long your warranty will be intact.

That being said, the world of batteries is moving quickly, and by the time your battery warranty expires, there might be cheaper and better than factory options available. With 75,000 Bolt EVs sold so far and the refreshed Bolt EV/EUV apparently using the same battery format, there's a large enough pool of cars to support an aftermarket parts supply, including battery replacements.

 

[Jessie]

Thanks everyone for the advice (and Howzit! 🤙). I mistakenly thought the battery warranty was 5 years, not 8, so that's great news for buying used.

And yes, there is a good charging network here, along with a limited amount of driving you can do since it's an island! With the 200+ range now, everyone should have EVs here. I'm going to charge at home almost all the time, and in the past 6 years I've averaged about 80k of driving miles. Newscoulomb, I hope you're right about the aftermarket battery supply! It's important to me that these cars don't get junked when new tech comes out.

I'll ask the dealer to send me a pic of that kw ring! Even though I understand that dealership driving conditions aren't optimal. Worth a look.

I'll let y'all know what I decide!

 

[Jessie]

Hm, so the dealer sent me this pic. It seems the car's only getting about 1.8miles per kw, and it should be 3-4, right? Am I doing the math wrong?

If 1.8 is right, should I be worried?

 

[ARob]

Hm, so the dealer sent me this pic. It seems the car's only getting about 1.8miles per kw, and it should be 3-4, right? Am I doing the math wrong?

If 1.8 is right, should I be worried?

36% climate is what is killing it. Likely it sits on the lot, people sit in the car with AC running, drive around the block, run AC for some more time, then get out.

HVAC uses battery to run, so it is consuming energy without adding miles. Since it is miles per kWh, that skews the efficiency lower than normal.

3-4 MPK might be a little low in your area. If I recall, speeds are typically slower, and temps are near the 60-80F "Ideal" range.

 

[NortonCommando]

36% climate is what is killing it. Likely it sits on the lot, people sit in the car with AC running, drive around the block, run AC for some more time, then get out.

Right. This snapshot of 21 miles of this car's history tells you nothing, other than lots of AC usage and most likely lots of
'Put the spurs to it, Chuck' test drives!

 

[Packard V8]

With very few real battery issues reported over nearly four years now, if the price were right, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a 2017.

The big island is an ideal home for a BEV. And FWIW, don't let the DCFC fanbois here keep you from going with an otherwise great buy which does not have DCFC. There aren't any road trips in your future.

jack vines

 

[Jessie]

Thanks, everyone! I think you must be right about the AC. That makes me feel a lot better.

And Jack, you're right that I hesitated since this 2017 doesn't have DCFC, but honestly I don't think I need it. Thanks for weighing in!

 

[zzzing]

Thanks, everyone! I think you must be right about the AC. That makes me feel a lot better.

And Jack, you're right that I hesitated since this 2017 doesn't have DCFC, but honestly I don't think I need it. Thanks for weighing in!

I’m on Maui with a 2018, no DCFC, I have never come close to needing a charge anywhere but my garage L2

 

[PLP]

Hm, so the dealer sent me this pic. It seems the car's only getting about 1.8miles per kw, and it should be 3-4, right? Am I doing the math wrong?

If 1.8 is right, should I be worried?

No, no, it is good.
I was looking for the estimate of the capacity of the battery.
If 11.8 kWh is 20%, then full is 59 kWh, which is good news.

The miles/kWh - do not worry about it. Car was sitting, AC was on - this number means nothing now.
Tires (sticky vs ECO) and pressure are crucial, but the most important is your foot and speed.

 

[boltage]

Thanks, everyone! I think you must be right about the AC. That makes me feel a lot better.

And Jack, you're right that I hesitated since this 2017 doesn't have DCFC, but honestly I don't think I need it. Thanks for weighing in!

Wouldn't driving all the way around the Big Island be just about the Bolt's EPA range? Actual range may be better due to lower speeds, but worse due to A/C use.

So probably not much, if any, need for DCFC, if you have home 240V 30A charging.

 

[boltage]

Perhaps an OBD-II Bluetooth plug and TorquePro or EngineLink may help you get some useful information about estimated battery capacity on the car.

Note that there is a recall on the 2017 car -- it is advised to turn on Hilltop Reserve mode (charge to 88%) or get a temporary recall software change that limits charging to 94%, due to the the small possibility of a battery fire when charged to 100% full. The final recall fix is supposed to be provided "soon".

 

[Packard V8]

The big island is my favorite place. Back in another life, I visited it twice a year and back then, there were actually long straights where one could drive above the speed limit. Today, traffic is such and the speeds are so low the Bolt will have plenty of range.

Again, back in the day, on my first trip, when I asked about driving around the island, my friends were not much help, "I dunno; been a while, mostly only tourists do that." The saddle road across the interior was specifically prohibited in rental car contracts.

Aloha, brah.

jack vines

 

[Tom G.]

Love the Big Island, two of my kids were born on Oahu. Considered buying new, could have got a Premier for 30K, but ended with buying a 2017 Premier for $16700 with 23K miles. Obviously prices on the mainland aren't prices on Big Island, but because of the battery warranty, I wasn't really too concerned. After about a month of ownership I only needed to charge away from home on a 360 mile trip. I've charged at a few free chargers while my wife was shopping, but didn't need to, more just to try it than anything else. Keeping it on hilltop reserve, I'm guessing I would get 160-220 miles on a 100% charge depending on how cold it is and how I was driving. As someone mentioned above, when I turn on the heater the range drops quickly, when it is warm enough to get by with just the heated steering wheel and seats the range is definitely still over 200 miles. Don't know if AC will use more, less or the same energy, although someone on this forum could answer that. I find it a VERY fun car to drive, so if I have a lot of fun the range will drop as well. I haven't needed to charge that often, could probably get away with charging once a week (lvl 2). Charging at home is incredibly convenient and whenever I have to fill up one of our other cars I realize just how nice an EV is. I think whichever way you go, you will be happy.

 

[NortonCommando]

..... I hesitated since this 2017 doesn't have DCFC, but honestly I don't think I need it. ...

You're right. Most knowledgeable buyers would not want a Bolt without the DCFC option.
Even though you think you may never need it, there may be long days of driving where you'll wish you had it.
The Big Island's network looks great!

Anyways,,,

DO NOT tell the sales dogs that you "honestly don't think you'll need it."
This is a major bargaining advantage for you.
They have a turkey car, and someone at the dealership must know this.
I'd tell them "Because it is such an unusual and not as functional Bolt, I'll offer you $2k less than you are asking."

Good Luck.
You do know how to tell if a car salesman is lying, correct?