[thejeffkeeran]

It doesn't matter what the generator can deliver if the car can't receive it.

There are 3 ways to charge the Bolt:

Level 1: 120V AC, maximum 12A, maximum 1.44 kW

Level 2: 240V AC, maximum 32A, maximum 7.7 kW

Fast Charge: 400V DC nominal, maximum 150A, maximum 55 kW

If the generator only has 120V AC, the most you will be able to charge is 12A and 1.44 kW.

You need a generator that can deliver 240V AC. Then you can charge up to 32A and 7.7 kW (if the generator can deliver that much).

If you want a generator to use your Bolt's fast charging system, the generator will have to deliver Direct Current (DC) at 400V nominal. It will also need a control system that can communicate with the Bolt according to the CCS standard.

Regardless of the generator, the Bolt will not allow you to drive while you are charging.

for $60 one could use
SEYAS 500W Auto Step Up & Step Down Voltage Transformer Converter, 110-120 to 220-240 Volts, Soft Start & Full Load, 7x24hrs Continous Run, Circuit Breaker Protection, U.S. Patent No. US9225259 B2
at amazon.com.

 

[thejeffkeeran]

It doesn't matter what the generator can deliver if the car can't receive it.

There are 3 ways to charge the Bolt:

Level 1: 120V AC, maximum 12A, maximum 1.44 kW

Level 2: 240V AC, maximum 32A, maximum 7.7 kW

Fast Charge: 400V DC nominal, maximum 150A, maximum 55 kW

If the generator only has 120V AC, the most you will be able to charge is 12A and 1.44 kW.

You need a generator that can deliver 240V AC. Then you can charge up to 32A and 7.7 kW (if the generator can deliver that much).

If you want a generator to use your Bolt's fast charging system, the generator will have to deliver Direct Current (DC) at 400V nominal. It will also need a control system that can communicate with the Bolt according to the CCS standard.

Regardless of the generator, the Bolt will not allow you to drive while you are charging.

for $60 ADD A THIS AND CHARGE AT 7,000 Watts ( amazon ):
SEYAS 500W Auto Step Up & Step Down Voltage Transformer Converter, 110-120 to 220-240 Volts, Soft Start & Full Load, 7x24hrs Continous Run, Circuit Breaker Protection, U.S. Patent No. US9225259 B2

 

[MichBolt]

for $60 ADD A THIS AND CHARGE AT 7,000 Watts ( amazon ):
SEYAS 500W Auto Step Up & Step Down Voltage Transformer Converter, 110-120 to 220-240 Volts, Soft Start & Full Load, 7x24hrs Continous Run, Circuit Breaker Protection, U.S. Patent No. US9225259 B2

No, add that for $60 and charge at 500W (0.5 kW). It's right there in the name.

 

[evtinker]

Thejeffkeeran you proposed adding a generator to extend the range of your Bolt. The issue is not the voltage of the generator, or the amps at Level 1 or Level 2, the issue is the design of the Bolt will not permit the car to be driven while charging. That is going to be your big hurdle. The only systems I have seen to supply power to an EV while driving all bypass the on-board charger and supply power directly to the main battery pack. With the high voltage and potential danger involved, I might attempt it if I had a degree in electrical engineering, but I don’t so I won’t go there. If you really need more range than your Bolt can provide, I would recommend you consider another option, such as a second car or switching back to an ICE.

 

[RacerX00]

Thejeffkeeran you proposed adding a generator to extend the range of your Bolt. The issue is not the voltage of the generator, or the amps at Level 1 or Level 2, the issue is the design of the Bolt will not permit the car to be driven while charging. That is going to be your big hurdle. The only systems I have seen to supply power to an EV while driving all bypass the on-board charger and supply power directly to the main battery pack. With the high voltage and potential danger involved, I might attempt it if I had a degree in electrical engineering, but I don’t so I won’t go there. If you really need more range than your Bolt can provide, I would recommend you consider another option, such as a second car or switching back to an ICE.

Seems like a lot of trouble, if only there was a network of cables built to deliver power to convenient locations. Maybe they could put them into everyone's house and they can use the electricity for other things like computers and charging their phones.

As evtinker is explaining, for the thousands needed to have a generator that can output any kind of L2 power and the fact that you're still going to need to charge for many many hours, this becomes not a solution.

If you're struggling this hard to keep your Bolt fueled then you've likely chosen the wrong fuel, unfortunately.

I could see it making some kind of sense if you're going on like a week long camping trip and you'll have the generator anyways or something, but it just seems like a whole lot of work to put get gas back into the equation, which ditching it was the whole point, right?

If you're the rare bird that road trips all day every day like for work or something you need a car like the Ioniq 5, decent single charge range and DCFC that rivals the longer side of an average gas stop. The practical difference is 1-3 hours additional driving per day instead of waiting. I come to that by figuring in eating stops, with the Bolt, half of your rest stops are going to be just waiting while the other half will be filled with meals, bathroom, etc.

 

[MisterJJ]

but it just seems like a whole lot of work to put get gas back into the equation, which ditching it was the whole point, right?

Not for everyone. Ditching gas wasn't one of the reasons for me to get an EV.

 

[redpoint5]

It's not that big of a stretch to envision an EV built to be recharged on the fly by a hitch-mounted genset. Technically, it's very feasible, and the genset doesn't have to be all that powerful, just powerful enough to extend the range of the EV to the point that it reaches the destination. I bet a 10 kW genset mounted to a hitch would be enough to get a fully charged Bolt just about anywhere they'd want to go. Assuming the Bolt can go 3 hrs on the initial full charge, 30 kWh more can be added back in that amount of time. Then, the car is charging whenever stopped for a break.

The problem is, if these trips are so infrequent, then all that hassle is pointless when one could just borrow an ICE. If those trips are so frequent, then the vehicle should have been built with an integrated hybrid drivetrain.

We're back to square 1, that it doesn't solve any problem that isn't already better solved by other means. If hitch mounted gensets were a great solution, the market would already be full of offerings. Instead, the market integrated the genset into the vehicle in the form of the Prius Prime, among others.

 

[RacerX00]

It's not that big of a stretch to envision an EV built to be recharged on the fly by a hitch-mounted genset. Technically, it's very feasible, and the genset doesn't have to be all that powerful, just powerful enough to extend the range of the EV to the point that it reaches the destination. I bet a 10 kW genset mounted to a hitch would be enough to get a fully charged Bolt just about anywhere they'd want to go. Assuming the Bolt can go 3 hrs on the initial full charge, 30 kWh more can be added back in that amount of time. Then, the car is charging whenever stopped for a break.

The problem is, if these trips are so infrequent, then all that hassle is pointless when one could just borrow an ICE. If those trips are so frequent, then the vehicle should have been built with an integrated hybrid drivetrain.

We're back to square 1, that it doesn't solve any problem that isn't already better solved by other means. If hitch mounted gensets were a great solution, the market would already be full of offerings. Instead, the market integrated the genset into the vehicle in the form of the Prius Prime, among others.

Wouldn't a hitch-mounted battery pack be better? Rent one on the way out of town, drop it off on the way back in. Rivian has plans for a drop in bed battery extender.

 

[shrox]

Not for everyone. Ditching gas wasn't one of the reasons for me to get an EV.

Oh, it was for us. It's hard for us not yell out the window about our EV when we drive past the long lines at the Costco pumps. Of course we used to yell "We're carpooling!" as we drove past other traffic when we worked in the Bay Area.

It's great when you meet your true match in life, and you can yell fun things out the car windows together.

 

[redpoint5]

Wouldn't a hitch-mounted battery pack be better? Rent one on the way out of town, drop it off on the way back in. Rivian has plans for a drop in bed battery extender.

No, because it limits the drive to whatever the less than 500 lb (max of class III tongue weight) battery range is. A genset properly sized could go about as far as anybody would want to go.

 

[Sphere]

The dcfc port is a direct battery tap. If someone could hack the software you could add a auxiliary battery pack in parallel and plug into it. You would have to activate the dcfc contactors without causing a error.

I’m getting consistent 4.8-5.0 miles per kwh now. Just drove between san diego and phoenix trip wasn’t that bad. 0:30-1:00 stops several times. Grab food hang out. No real biggie.

100 or 150kw charging is what it really needs though.

does the new bolt have that? Can it be retrofitted?

 

[thejeffkeeran]

View attachment 42285
I’m getting 4.9 mi/kwh right now
I drive in D, use mostly the paddle for stopping.
Here are my mods:
-Michelin energy saver self sealing tires
-45 psi on all four tires
-Fast EV01+ wheels
-Hitch mounted trunk modified to sit closer to bumper.
-Ecohitch with gussets added to frame
-Battery recall (helped range, not mile/kwh)
-Vehicle reported average speed 27.7 (this is the average speed for entire time the vehicle has been running while the average was being calculated, Idk when last I reset this, maybe 10-20k ago) I usually go 55-65 on highway. And it still produces this average.
-location arizona

before hitch mounted trunk: (observe mi/kwh)
View attachment 42282

after hitch mounted trunk: (observe mi/kwh)
View attachment 42281
Edit: 1200 miles approx on average calculation and I am at 5.0 miles/kwh now. Much of this trip was a drive between Vegas and Phoenix, so lots of highway speeds.

View attachment 42285
I’m getting 4.9 mi/kwh right now
I drive in D, use mostly the paddle for stopping.
Here are my mods:
-Michelin energy saver self sealing tires
-45 psi on all four tires
-Fast EV01+ wheels
-Hitch mounted trunk modified to sit closer to bumper.
-Ecohitch with gussets added to frame
-Battery recall (helped range, not mile/kwh)
-Vehicle reported average speed 27.7 (this is the average speed for entire time the vehicle has been running while the average was being calculated, Idk when last I reset this, maybe 10-20k ago) I usually go 55-65 on highway. And it still produces this average.
-location arizona

before hitch mounted trunk: (observe mi/kwh)
View attachment 42282

after hitch mounted trunk: (observe mi/kwh)
View attachment 42281
Edit: 1200 miles approx on average calculation and I am at 5.0 miles/kwh now. Much of this trip was a drive between Vegas and Phoenix, so lots of highway speeds.

Go to Youtube and bolt weber state Univ Davis and there are excellent training to service and to operate your BOLT. -m over 5 hours of the components under the hood, etc.

 

[thejeffkeeran]

View attachment 42285
I’m getting 4.9 mi/kwh right now
I drive in D, use mostly the paddle for stopping.
Here are my mods:
-Michelin energy saver self sealing tires
-45 psi on all four tires
-Fast EV01+ wheels
-Hitch mounted trunk modified to sit closer to bumper.
-Ecohitch with gussets added to frame
-Battery recall (helped range, not mile/kwh)
-Vehicle reported average speed 27.7 (this is the average speed for entire time the vehicle has been running while the average was being calculated, Idk when last I reset this, maybe 10-20k ago) I usually go 55-65 on highway. And it still produces this average.
-location arizona

before hitch mounted trunk: (observe mi/kwh)
View attachment 42282

after hitch mounted trunk: (observe mi/kwh)
View attachment 42281
Edit: 1200 miles approx on average calculation and I am at 5.0 miles/kwh now. Much of this trip was a drive between Vegas and Phoenix, so lots of highway speeds.

There are at least 14 types of Lithium batteries (many subtypes) and I have collected conflicting facts on how to extend the life of the battery. You can reduce the number of cycles by charging by fast charge. Hill Top Reserve limits the top State of Charge to 80%. please CONFIRM to 192 miles. Thus charge at 20% or 238 x .20= 47 miles on GOM. The proceeding is a fact. then there are graphs for 50% SOC. Then there are the frauds by Everyready and Duracell disposable Lithium batteries.

Then there is the LTO Lithium Titanate Oxide battery not subject to temperature constraints with 50.000 cycles and you could charge within 6 minutes the empty and reduce its longevity. I am not certain What type the LG battery is. Probably LiFe Ph 4 is widely promoted by Youtube.com and a 20-something with an excellent small book. The problem is he is not Electronic Engineer and gets info from an electrical magazine. He does an excellent review of Lithium batteries.

I am pleased to purchase my 2017 Bolt with 39,000 miles and a new Traction battery for $19,000 through Cars.com and not please for $3100 4 years merchanical warranty There are less than 10,000 miles for $24,000 BUT I know not about the warranty. the new battery is for 100,000 miles in 8 years.

 

[Mav_1832]

hitch mounted trunk:

Did the hitch mounted trunk make much difference or did you mount for the extra space?

 

[Sphere]

Did the hitch mounted trunk make much difference or did you mount for the extra space?

both…

 

[NortonCommando]

...I’m getting consistent 4.8-5.0 miles per kwh now. Just drove between san diego and phoenix trip wasn’t that bad. ...

But in your 1# post you said you drive '55-65 mph'.
At that mi/kWh I'm guessing closer to 55 mph most of the time.

 

[Mav_1832]

both…

Just got my Bolt 2020 averaging 4.7-4.8 mostly highway 62-63 mph but would like more miles out the battery over 300 would be nice.

 

[NortonCommando]

... would like more miles out the battery over 300 would be nice.

That is easily accomplished!!
Drive slower and slower until you achieve that number!

But please, don't be on a highway in front of me.

I can afford the electrons to drive like a normal person.

 

[redpoint5]

Just got my Bolt 2020 averaging 4.7-4.8 mostly highway 62-63 mph but would like more miles out the battery over 300 would be nice.

It appears likely a hitch mounted box could improve your efficiency/range. How much is undetermined since a controlled and repeatable test hasn't been performed.

How important achieving better efficiency is to you determines to what lengths you will go through to achieve it.

 

[NortonCommando]

...How important achieving better efficiency is to you determines to what lengths you will go through to achieve it.

Love it!
A VX.
I owned one of those briefly before moving on to a VW TDI Jetta, iirc. It was after the base '89 Metro (56mpg) and then a Gen 1 Insight (71mpg).
The VX had many Fuel Economy goodies. I can't remember them all, but I remember it was a ~$1200 option and would never pay back that much.
It also had a high EPA hywy number before the EPA lowered all those numbers across the board at some point.
All these cars were bought used except for the Metro, which was $5200 OTD due to two rebates adding up to $1000!

Why aren't Bolt owners doing Aero Mods like this? You can do a lot with thin Lexan and strong Velcro!
Maybe bc we are already driving as cheap as can be....