[Alan Spector]

I've been driving my Bolt EV for 2 years and now suddenly the charge from my garage level 2 charger in New Jersey has NOT delivered a full charge. Instead of a full 220 to 240 mile range at the end of charging overnight, now I only get 166 miles. My Bolt has about 18,000 miles and the garage temperature was as low as 33 degrees F. a couple of days ago (now over 40 degrees). I have "Hilltop reserve" turned OFF. Is there a problem with the battery? or does the car's computer need to wait for a string of warmer days to recalculate the range?

 

[Cataract2]

I've been driving my Bolt EV for 2 years and now suddenly the charge from my garage level 2 charger in New Jersey has NOT delivered a full charge. Instead of a full 220 to 240 mile range at the end of charging overnight, now I only get 166 miles. My Bolt has about 18,000 miles and the garage temperature was as low as 33 degrees F. a couple of days ago (now over 40 degrees). I have "Hilltop reserve" turned OFF. Is there a problem with the battery? or does the car's computer need to wait for a string of warmer days to recalculate the range?

Nope, cold weather. It's normal. Spring is coming and you will see range go back up. Lot's of info on this site for the extreme cold performance along with things you can do to keep the miles up. Also, what is shown on the GOM (guess-o-meter) is not totally accurate and can change based on many factors.

 

[dbostrom]

Somehow, some way it would be great to collate info on expected behavior w/cold weather range and put it in a sticky that is seasonally displayed in 24-point type on the site.

 

[Like2bike]

Somehow, some way it would be great to collate info on expected behavior w/cold weather range and put it in a sticky that is seasonally displayed in 24-point type on the site.

The range is far from a simple function of temperature. That's why the Energy Information screen gives a pie chart. For mild weather all power should go to Driving and Accessories and you get full range. In very cold both the Climate Settings, and Battery Conditioning will have significant usage. This usage will vary based on many factors such as the length of trips and whether the car is garaged or not. In cold weather, not only are you heating up cabin, but the battery will be heated to 5C at the start of each trip.

For maximum range, use departure charge timing and cabin preconditioning. The battery will be heated to 15C after charging is complete in time for departure. The battery will also be heating to 15C by turning on the car while plugged in.

I would like to determine how much the cost of all this battery heating is offset by improved range. My guess is that only the heating to 5C is usually cost effective and the 15C is to maximimize range, the cost be damned.

 

[hatchy]

now I only get 166 miles.

Look at the animated car graphic on the dash to see if you are full. There are 20 bars, each one represents 5%. Grey bars are supposed to be the empty portion, green ones rep the full portion.

Or try to ignore the guessometer mile number behind the wheel, and concentrate on the height of the green versus the white tally marks.

 

[Fivedoor]

Somehow, some way it would be great to collate info on expected behavior w/cold weather range and put it in a sticky that is seasonally displayed in 24-point type on the site.

I have been gathering data on my daily drive to and from work for over 6 months now, and plan to make a massive "temp vs efficiency" post when I reach one year of ownership. Where I live it only gets down into the low 20's in winter, but I will have a trend line on the graphs showing what to expect in lower and warmer temperatures than I actually experience, and I will do the math to convert my observations into percentages since not everyone's commute is the same.

Later,

Keith

 

[DucRider]

The OP has been driving the Bolt for 2 years, so presumably has at least one other winter to compare to.

I would recommend looking at the miles/kWh and extrapolating battery capacity. This could be an indication of an issue. 166 is not alarmingly low considering the recent temps, but if it is radically different than previous winters, might be worth looking into. Best if a longish trip could be done and look at battery % used and m/kWh to see if capacity calculates as <~55 kWh. If so, there may be reason for concern.

 

[ai4px]

I find that the guess-o-meter is a little pessimistic in winter. If I just drive the car, I find that it goes further than the guess o meter lead me to believe it would. You know what? I like it being too pessimistic rather than too optimistic.... I’d much rather it tell me I can go 180 miles and be able to drive over 200 than the other way round.

 

[Cataract2]

I find that the guess-o-meter is a little pessimistic in winter. If I just drive the car, I find that it goes further than the guess o meter lead me to believe it would. You know what? I like it being too pessimistic rather than too optimistic.... I’d much rather it tell me I can go 180 miles and be able to drive over 200 than the other way round.

Only a little? lol. I might say it's quite a bit. I love starting with 180 miles at an 80% charge this morning, mainly due to yesterdays 60F warm up. Get going in 32F temps and it just drops to 140-150. Ahhhhh.... I love winter...

 

[Nook]

I've been driving my Bolt EV for 2 years and now suddenly the charge from my garage level 2 charger in New Jersey has NOT delivered a full charge. Instead of a full 220 to 240 mile range at the end of charging overnight, now I only get 166 miles. My Bolt has about 18,000 miles and the garage temperature was as low as 33 degrees F. a couple of days ago (now over 40 degrees). I have "Hilltop reserve" turned OFF. Is there a problem with the battery? or does the car's computer need to wait for a string of warmer days to recalculate the range?

Everyone else jumped on the "it's cold" bandwagon. I would expect more from temperatures that warm, but not a lot more. I see ~150 range around freezing, but I have lots of factors hurting my range.
However, if you are not getting a full charge (all the bars), then you may be having issues with the charger and/or your power.

My Bolt doesn't like my Duosida charger. On delayed start, I might get no charge, or some charge. On immediate start, I will likely most of the charger, or perhaps all. My Volt is fine on the same charger.

Try plugging your charger into a different circuit and/or using the stock charger instead. Try filling your car on a charger somewhere else. If available, fill a different car on your charger. Based on which of those work and which doesn't work, you have narrowed down what is wrong.
Do you have all the alerts turned on? Power loss, charger disconnect, etc.?

One last idea, if you recently let someone else drive, that can kill your range. After my wife drives either car about 20 miles, I've lost about 50 range. She doesn't think I can tell she had the heat on MAX, and other wasteful behaviors. I still love her, but some days are easier than others.