[Droidish]

Greetings from the far Northwest corner of California!

We just replaced my wife's 2007 Honda CR-V with 207,000 miles with a new red 2018 Bolt LT.

We started out looking at PHEVs as my wife was suffering range anxiety. I convinced her, though, that if you're going to quit ICE, you should not go half way. My experience with my Zero electric motorcycle converted me.

Whenever I shop for something, I over research and over think it. I can't help it. It's a sickness, and yes my spouse is a patient woman. So it took a month to settle on the Chevy. It feels small compared to the CR-V, but it sure is fun to drive!

I look forward to being part of this community and learning from your collective experience. Oh, and I will try to behave.

 

[DaV8or]

Greetings from the far Northwest corner of California!

We just replaced my wife's 2007 Honda CR-V with 207,000 miles with a new red 2018 Bolt LT.

We started out looking at PHEVs as my wife was suffering range anxiety. I convinced her, though, that if you're going to quit ICE, you should not go half way. My experience with my Zero electric motorcycle converted me.

Whenever I shop for something, I over research and over think it. I can't help it. It's a sickness, and yes my spouse is a patient woman. So it took a month to settle on the Chevy. It feels small compared to the CR-V, but it sure is fun to drive!

I look forward to being part of this community and learning from your collective experience. Oh, and I will try to behave.

Welcome! Glad you made the journey. You will not be disappointed in the Bolt.

 

[NewsCoulomb]

Sweet. Welcome aboard.

I think the Bolt EV is closest to the HR-V in terms of size. I'm not sure how much bigger the CR-V is.

I, too, sometimes hail from North Western California. It sounds like you might be more from the Eureka/Humboldt area. Infrastructure is coming... slowly... but it is coming.

 

[Droidish]

Sweet. Welcome aboard.

...It sounds like you might be more from the Eureka/Humboldt area. Infrastructure is coming... slowly... but it is coming.

Further north, in Del Norte County actually, and yes infrastructure is bleak unless you're in a Tesla! Fortunately level 1 charging will suit our needs for the time being. We'll get a level 2 EVSE once our checking account cools off a little.

 

[beeguz]

Droidish I have had my Bolt since January I totally agree with you on the fun to drive.


Normally I would not have driven a new car over 5K miles in that short period of time, but I love driving, the Bolt makes it easy to enjoy driving again.


The New Miata I bought late last fall is sitting in my garage with barely 3K miles on it, most of the miles on it was last fall before I bought my Bolt.


If I would have bought the Bolt first I doubt I would have bought the Miata.

 

[DaV8or]

Droidish I have had my Bolt since January I totally agree with you on the fun to drive.


Normally I would not have driven a new car over 5K miles in that short period of time, but I love driving, the Bolt makes it easy to enjoy driving again.


The New Miata I bought late last fall is sitting in my garage with barely 3K miles on it, most of the miles on it was last fall before I bought my Bolt.


If I would have bought the Bolt first I doubt I would have bought the Miata.

It only somebody would build an electric convertible... Likely I'll have to make it myself someday! I envision a day when battery power densities become high enough to be able to do practical BEV conversions to older gas powered cars.

 

[GregBrew]

Further north, in Del Norte County actually, and yes infrastructure is bleak unless you're in a Tesla! Fortunately level 1 charging will suit our needs for the time being. We'll get a level 2 EVSE once our checking account cools off a little.

If you weren't already aware, the L1 EVSE that comes with the Bolt can be plugged into 240V, and works just fine at twice the charge rate as it does at 120V and 12A. All you need is a plug adapter pigtail, and a convenient 240V 20A+ outlet. Electric dryer outlets often fit the bill, at 240V and 30A capacity. You can get about ten miles of range per hour of charge doing this.



Others here have jimmied up a cord set to plug into two 120V 5-15R outlets that are on separate legs of the house 240V service, to develop the needed 240V. It will work, but IMO has too large a "pucker factor" for my tastes, except in an emergency.

 

[GregBrew]

It only somebody would build an electric convertible... Likely I'll have to make it myself someday! I envision a day when battery power densities become high enough to be able to do practical BEV conversions to older gas powered cars.

Ummm...Tesla Roadsters v1 (2008-2012, with 2400+ sold), and "soon-to-be" (2020) v2 are rag-tops...

 

[Droidish]

If you weren't already aware, the L1 EVSE that comes with the Bolt can be plugged into 240V, and works just fine at twice the charge rate...

Thank you Greg, I did not know that. Our dryer is in the garage so that is an option for us.

 

[XJ12]

Thank you Greg, I did not know that. Our dryer is in the garage so that is an option for us.

Premade pigtails here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/384390...ry&ga_search_query=bolt ev&ref=sr_gallery-1-2

Also check out the dryer buddy: https://www.bsaelectronics.com/coll...-5ft-cable-nema-10-30before-1996-with-ammeter

 

[GregBrew]

Premade pigtails here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/384390...ry&ga_search_query=bolt ev&ref=sr_gallery-1-2

Also check out the dryer buddy: https://www.bsaelectronics.com/coll...-5ft-cable-nema-10-30before-1996-with-ammeter

Interesting choice by the Etsy guy to not include a NEMA 14-50P adapter. It would be pretty easy to remedy with a trip to HD and cannibalize one of the included pigtails.

 

[XJ12]

Interesting choice by the Etsy guy to not include a NEMA 14-50P adapter. It would be pretty easy to remedy with a trip to HD and cannibalize one of the included pigtails.

They have a NEMA 14-30,50,60. Fits all three because the neutral blade isn't needed.

 

[DaV8or]

Ummm...Tesla Roadsters v1 (2008-2012, with 2400+ sold), and "soon-to-be" (2020) v2 are rag-tops...

I don't consider either of those to be true convertibles. They are Targa tops. I don't want that, they're wanna be convertibles and not the same experience. Besides, I can't afford them.

 

[GregBrew]

They have a NEMA 14-30,50,60. Fits all three because the neutral blade isn't needed.

I'm not seeing how any of the pictured adapters in the first photograph could plug into a 14-50R. On a 14-50, the non-ground side blades are oriented vertically. On the pictured pigtail adapters, all are either angled, or horizontal. What am I missing?

 

[XJ12]

I'm not seeing how any of the pictured adapters in the first photograph could plug into a 14-50R. On a 14-50, the non-ground side blades are oriented vertically. On the pictured pigtail adapters, all are either angled, or horizontal. What am I missing?

Agree that they don't show it in the picture. They have sixteen options in the pull down menu. Picture is only showing five of those.

 

[GregBrew]

Agree that they don't show it in the picture. They have sixteen options in the pull down menu. Picture is only showing five of those.

There you go! Thanks!

 

[PhilBo]

Greetings from the far Northwest corner of California!

We just replaced my wife's 2007 Honda CR-V with 207,000 miles with a new red 2018 Bolt LT.

We started out looking at PHEVs as my wife was suffering range anxiety. I convinced her, though, that if you're going to quit ICE, you should not go half way. My experience with my Zero electric motorcycle converted me.

Whenever I shop for something, I over research and over think it. I can't help it. It's a sickness, and yes my spouse is a patient woman. So it took a month to settle on the Chevy. It feels small compared to the CR-V, but it sure is fun to drive!

I look forward to being part of this community and learning from your collective experience. Oh, and I will try to behave.

Only a month to settle on the Chevy? I'm obviously a whole lot sicker than you!

 

[Edchris]

If you weren't already aware, the L1 EVSE that comes with the Bolt can be plugged into 240V, and works just fine at twice the charge rate as it does at 120V and 12A.

Greg, this is interesting. I be.ieve I got the last 2018 brought into Ontario, before the new Govt axed the $14,000 rebate. (built end of June, delivered July 18).
They actually sent me two of the original Level 1 chargers,(which I thought was stupid), & I’m going to leave one at my summer home. (My main residence will have a Chargepoint 32A Level 2.)
Nowhere on the original cord does it say 240V. Input is listed at only 120v 60Hz. Do you guys in the USA get a different cord?
My summer home has a welder, running off a NEMA 14-50 receptacle. It would be great to leave the extra Level 1 cord there, & get some sort of adapter to fit the 3 prong 115V plug that the charge cord uses.
Is that possible?
Is the adapter only using 1 of the “hots” from the 14-50, (that’s how RVs use it to get both 240V & 120V). If so, how does using the one leg get double the charge rate?
I can see it getting 20A, as the 6-50 on my new Chargepoint needs a 40A two pole breaker.
Sorry if I sound confused, electricity is the weakes of all the science I studied.

 

[Edchris]

After looking at the first ad that was linked, it stated you are getting 12A.
But can you not just plug the original cord into any 120V outlet, & get 12A?
These circuits use a 15A breaker. The Bolt defaults to 8A,(In case there are other loads on the circuit), but two touches on the screen,(and accepting a warning about overloading a circuit), gives you the option to select 12A.
What am I missing?
Thnx

 

[XJ12]

After looking at the first ad that was linked, it stated you are getting 12A.
But can you not just plug the original cord into any 120V outlet, & get 12A?
These circuits use a 15A breaker. The Bolt defaults to 8A,(In case there are other loads on the circuit), but two touches on the screen,(and accepting a warning about overloading a circuit), gives you the option to select 12A.
What am I missing?
Thnx

Breakers should not be continuously loaded above 80%. A dedicated 15 amp breaker at 80% would yield 12A.

The caution is that you understand that a particular circuit will not be overloaded. The default is 8 amps but 12 amps can be selected if you know the circuit is dedicated or maybe is even a 20 amp circuit. The manual states:

Use the lowest charge level until a qualified electrician inspects the electrical circuit capacity. Use the lowest charge level if the electrical circuit or electrical outlet capacity is not known.