[keeperchris]

This is not the first time, but it is the first time I though to take photos of large landscape loads.
Saturday morning I carried three 100 lb. bags of stone (2 on front seat, one on folded back seat) and fourteen 2 cf bags of cedar mulch (that is 1 cy for those doing the math in your head).
I also used my rear-view mirror video feed for the first time.

 

[Sean Nelson]

...three 100 lb. bags of stone ... and fourteen 2 cf bags of cedar mulch

Wow. So much for near ideal 50/50 weight distribution, you sure wouldn't want to autocross with that load!

 

[California]

Ever thought about a hitch and HF's little 40x48 inch utility trailer? Parked standing on end, it doesn't take up much space in the garage.

 

[Raymondjram]

The Bolt EV's torque can carry and pull more, but the suspension is limited. The owner manual may have the cargo weight limit.

 

[TimBolt]

I’ve loaded 17 3-cu-ft bags of cedar mulch into my Bolt.

That’s 3 bags less than I used to fit in my TDI wagon, but the Bolt’s cargo area is surprisingly roomy for such a small car. Cedar mulch isn’t very heavy, so no problem handling the load, although there’s not much to see in the rear view mirror.

 

[California]

Wikipedia says the Bolt - empty - is 3,580 lbs. For comparison that's within a couple hundred lbs of the current Subaru Outback (3622 to 3902 lbs) which is rated to tow 2700 lbs. Bolt's suspension can't be so wimpy that carrying or towing a few hundred lbs would break anything if this were done only occasionally.

 

[Vertiformed]

Wikipedia says the Bolt - empty - is 3,580 lbs. For comparison that's within a couple hundred lbs of the current Subaru Outback (3622 to 3902 lbs) which is rated to tow 2700 lbs. Bolt's suspension can't be so wimpy that carrying or towing a few hundred lbs would break anything if this were done only occasionally.

According to its sticker on the door pillar, the Bolt's GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is 2048 kg (4515 lbs) (with the weight rating for each axel being half that). The Bolt is thus rated to carry 935 lbs. This means that carrying four 240 lb people would overload it, as would five 187 lb people. But a driver and 500 lbs of cargo (well distributed) is fine.

 

[Cehjun]

14 rolls of 2 foot x 4-1/2 foot sod here. I should have taken a picture and weighed one, they're kind of backbreaking to lift... used a big plastic tarp & not a spec of dirt was left inside my beloved Bolt.

 

[Sean Nelson]

Wikipedia says the Bolt - empty - is 3,580 lbs. For comparison that's within a couple hundred lbs of the current Subaru Outback (3622 to 3902 lbs) which is rated to tow 2700 lbs. Bolt's suspension can't be so wimpy that carrying or towing a few hundred lbs would break anything if this were done only occasionally.

Towing heavy loads has less to do with the strength of the suspension and more to do with the durability of the drivetrain and braking systems. A properly loaded and balanced trailer won't put all that much weight on the hitch.

 

[Raymondjram]

Towing heavy loads has less to do with the strength of the suspension and more to do with the durability of the drivetrain and braking systems. A properly loaded and balanced trailer won't put all that much weight on the hitch.

That is why I posted that the Bolt EV has plenty of torque and can probably haul another Bolt EV equivalent in weight (over 3,300 lbs or 1,500 kg).

 

[California]

I wonder if the practical towing limit is limited by overheating the battery and motor, rather than the suspension.

I've become more cautious after I long ago cooked the A/T of an AMC Eagle by towing a camp trailer that had substantial wind resistance. $1k for teardown and new seals throughout, while it didn't need any hard parts. I would hate to repeat the equivalent with a new Bolt.

 

[Sean Nelson]

That is why I posted that the Bolt EV has plenty of torque and can probably haul another Bolt EV equivalent in weight (over 3,300 lbs or 1,500 kg).

Yeah, but it's not just the torque but also the strength of the transmission gears, constant velocity joints, etc. Lots of torque is actually a problem if those components aren't also up to snuff - you're a lot less likely to snap something with an anemic motor than a really powerful one.

I wonder if the practical towing limit is limited by overheating the battery and motor, rather than the suspension.

That's a good point, although I'll add that overheating the transmission is also a potential issue even in the Bolt. The fixed gears are passively oil-cooled, and putting more power through them will increase the heat load. Not likely to be a problem except in hot weather, though.