I have now read some excerpts from Shahan's article … here is what I am seeing: The dude likes his i3, so he made up a whole lot of "facts" to justify his preference. Very human and/but not very professional.

 

Confirmation bias, especially around the purchase decisions we have made and "need" to be sure of/proud of, is insanely hard to avoid. Especially when it comes to car ownership.

 

I agree with your critiqued and responded..



https://cleantechnica.com/2018/07/14/bmw-i3-vs-chevy-bolt-vs-nissan-leaf-comparison-review/

 

We can never convince "fanboys" that the Chevy Bolt EV is now the best electric car for its price. Seating comfort is subjective, but no other EV for less than $35,000 can compete against it for all its features and capacity. And the BMW i3 , which I have seen next to my car at a stoplight, is much smaller then the Bolt EV but cost much more and has much less range. It just a luxury imported branded toy car.

Just enjoy your Bolt EV and let the "fanboys" stew in their own misery of buying the wrong EV!!

 

If you don’t want to read the article the OP posted here’s a summary:

“I own a BMW i3 and it’s the best EV because I own a BMW i3.”

Top fake news:

i3 is faster

i3 is roomier

Bolt regen won’t bring Bolt to a complete stop.

 

It's one thing to say "I think the i3 looks cooler" or "I like the way the RWD i3 drives better" or even "I like the i3's skinny @ss bicycle tires", but to misrepresent basic facts like acceleration time and rear seat space....maybe he's auditioning for a gig at superblog electrek.

 

Zachary Shahan is a clown. He has no idea how to review cars. For a much more objective and professional review by people who do this for a living, try this comparison of the Bolt, Leaf and Tesla Model 3 Extended Range:

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/tes...le-2-0-chevrolet-bolt-ev-premier-vs-nissan-leaf-sl-vs-tesla-model-3-long-range/

The folks at Motor Trend actually tested some stuff. You can see that a number of Zachary Shahan's claims are 'fake news': utterly false statements. He should stick to reviewing tablets and phones. Too bad Motor Trend didn't include the BMW i3 in this comparison: I suspect they simply didn't consider it to be in the same league.

Motor Trend's latest full road test of the BMW i3:

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/bmw/i3/2017/2017-bmw-i3-range-extender-first-test-review/

Motor Trend obviously holds some very different opinions. The skid pad and slalom test results tell the story: the BMW i3 does NOT handle any better then the Bolt, and the tires on both cars are the likely culprits. Fortunately, a tire upgrade is easy (and cheap) on the Bolt. The BMW i3? I'm not so sure.

 

I added some replies to the article discussion. Given the author’s ignorance of how the Bolt drives and performs I really doubt he spent any time driving one, despite his claim otherwise.

I drove an i3 a couple of years ago, the BEV model without the range extender scooter engine. I had it for a weekend in early spring, and i maxed out the range at 58 miles. It also had a really poor ride, stiff and darty on the highway, and not at all like the great handling I was used to in other BMWs. It also stickered for around $50k.
Credit to BMW for offering an EV, but it’s just not competitive in 2018. If all someone needs is a cute commuter car I hear they’re going cheap, which doesn’t surprise me considering the poor overall performance.

 

If I spent $60K+ for an electric car and I was able to get the same range out of a $35K Chevy I would take the Chevy.



If I bought the $60+ car I would have to try to justify spending what I paid, by bashing the other car.



I like my Bolt could I have afforded the model 3, yes if I really wanted one, but why would I spend the extra money.

 

If I spent $60K+ for an electric car and I was able to get the same range out of a $35K Chevy I would take the Chevy.

If I bought the $60+ car I would have to try to justify spending what I paid, by bashing the other car.

I like my Bolt could I have afforded the model 3, yes if I really wanted one, but why would I spend the extra money.

We had a deposit on the Tesla model 3 and got word a few weeks ago that it was time to place the official order. When we realized that Tesla had elected to have a single tablet like display off to the right of the driver and no separate dash display (as with the S and X models and the Bolt) we cancelled our order and requested a refund of our deposit.



I find it dangerous to drive when I have to look down and to the right and find the section of the display that shows the speed of the vehicle and other key information. I also do not want to have a single point of failure. The MyLink console in my 2018 Traverse failed to boot (a common problem with MyLink that goes back to at least 2010 on GM vehicles) but fortunately I did not need it to operate the vehicle (navigation and audio was done but I could live without them).

 

Glancing through Shahan's article, his 'observations' are what he was told by the salesman during a brief test drive. Then he compared those brief impressions against the i3 that he is familiar with. That isn't a valid review of the Bolt.

 

It’s just a very poorly researched and written article.

I hear that many authors of online website articles don’t get paid.

$0 sounds about right for this one.

 

I decided to respond to an article by Zachary Shahan...

I recommend you remove links to cleantecknica because it's flooded with garbage from Zach. Don't waste your time replying because any comments other than those that support his unfounded or plain incorrect opinions will be deleted. Certainly don't waste your time reading anything by him or his zealots.

 

I recommend you remove links to cleantecknica because it's flooded with garbage from Zach. Don't waste your time replying because any comments other than those that support his unfounded or plain incorrect opinions will be deleted. Certainly don't waste your time reading anything by him or his zealots.

At first I thought that Zachary Shahan was just a contributor to CleanTechnica, but he’s the director and chief editor.

Good grief!

He insists that the i3 is faster than the Bolt because it “feels” faster.

When I’m out cruising on my bicycle and a paceline group breezes past me it’s reassuring to know that it didn’t really happen because my bike “feels” faster. Much faster, in fact. I’m also better looking than those guys.

 

It's interesting to see how much the EV community trashes the Bolt EV. Car reviewers and magazines like Alex on Autos, Doug DeMuro, Motor Trend, Edmunds, etc have given good reviews to the Bolt EV and have said mostly positive aspects of the car. Edmunds did prefer the Leaf over the Bolt EV, but they did a professional review of the car. They also preferred the Leaf over the Model 3.

I watched a Bjørn Nyland livestream the day after his Ioniq vs Ampera-e race. Someone commented on the chat that the Bolt EV is a compliance car and Bjørn agreed. He then said that the most he drives the Bolt EV, the least he likes it. I actually think that the Ioniq is more of a compliance car since it is only available in California. I asked him once if he prefers a 2013 MS 85 with 73k miles for $45k over a new Bolt EV. His response was that you get more car with the classic MS. True the MS has more features and such, I totally agree with that. But just because the Bolt EV does not have ACC and not so good seats, does not mean is a bad car.

Do I think the Bolt EV's interior and DCFC charging speeds should be better? Yes, I do and most of us share that same thought. However, GM is selling an affordable long range EV in all states and overseas (yes GM should do better with the overseas supply) before any other automaker. I think the EV community should credit them more for that.

 

He doesn't even know if he used L or not.

I'm sure the i3 is an excellent car, but this guy has zero credibility as a car reviewer.

Also..the Bolt drives like its a on a mushy cloud? Since when? I WISH it did.. but its for sure more kart than cloud.

 

The only mushy cloud is between Zach’s ears.

 

While researching EVs earlier this year, I visited cleantechnica, and posted beneath a pro-Tesla article, why I was leaning towards a bolt. I returned a day later, and my comments had been deleted. I haven't been back since as I have no interest in helping support their click income.

I take the mods to be extremists who only allow thoughts that they agree with to appear on their site. I personally find sites that don't allow debate and a diversity of ideas to be boring and to feel a bit artificial.

 

Which is exactly why I'm on this site and not that pathetic excuse for clean technology news. There is no attempt at presenting facts, being objective, or even allowing others to ask serious questions. I'm all for Zach's freedom to run his website any way he wishes; I just want to see it fail along with any other fake news outlets. That isn't to say he doesn't stumble upon something factual from time to time, just that there is huge potential for people who are really looking to learn to get a bunch of bogus "facts" that he invents from thin air.

The reason I encourage people not to visit the site is so that the clicks don't generate revenue for it. Sites like that have potential to do as much damage to the cause of adopting clean technology as websites funded by big oil attempting to deny the impact of burning fossil fuels. I sometimes wonder if he's a double-agent for Big Oil, making a mockery of science and technology by producing the worst content possible under the guise of environmentalism.

 

More fake news:

i3 is quicker. In fact, it takes 0.7 seconds longer to get to 60 mph.

i3 handles better. It took longer to get through the figure eight than the Bolt, and at lower cornering force. It's lateral acceleration on the skid pad is slightly lower too: 0.75 G's versus 0.78 G's

At least Shahan didn't make any claims about styling. I think he knew he couldn't win that argument.

 

Trying to generate income via blogging is all about the clicks. Make outrageous statements. Report incorrect data. Provoke those who know better. It's all about "there's no such thing as bad publicity as long as they spell the name correctly; i.e. click on the site." Those who do this sort of non-reporting are often just cheap whores trying to make an easy buck. Since any given post/review/blog/youtube usually only generates peanuts, it's all about volume and seldom-to-never about accuracy and balance. They're the National Inquirer of the digital age; the more outrageous the headline, the more likely the great unwashed are to click in.

jack vines

 

If you disliked the guy before, wait till you read this.
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/07/1...7/15/sorry-elon-tesla-model-3-much-better-than-i-expected-cleantechnica-review/

 

His looks match his journalistic skills (douchey)

 

Both of those cars--Leaf and I3 suck in range performance and mx costs. We needed a new commuter car. Bolt EV won the competition. Bolt EV performance has way surpassed our bench marks and expectations.
I thumb my nose at the leaf and I3 suckers. They been had! Sucks to be them.

 

I had a chance to take a look at i3 at a recent trade show. It was by all means a nice car, especially from a driver's standpoint. Front row was comfortable and roomy even though the car itself looked small. I didn't have a chance to test drive it, but I suspect it'd drive nicely, too, given the brand.

That being said, the rear side was another matter entirely. The back row was okay, but the way door opens was strange and the space was just passable for a small car. Then I looked at the trunk. Why was the battery pack sticking out of the floor and eating up the space on the bottom? I heard a lot of bad rap from Kona drivers that Bolt's trunk was small, but that's nothing compared to i3. I've been driving my Bolt EV around the country quite comfortably with my 4-member family full of stuff and it was clear that i3 wasn't going to cut it.

All this for less range and higher price tag. The final impression I was left with was that I made the right choice with Bolt EV, by far. I'd say that i3 would've been an interesting choice in a world where Leaf was the car to compare to. But That is not the world we live in anymore.

 

Why was the battery pack sticking out of the floor and eating up the space on the bottom? I heard a lot of bad rap from Kona drivers that Bolt's trunk was small, but that's nothing compared to i3.

All the images I see show the floor flat with the hatch opening. I'm wondering if interior space is the same regardless of REX (genset) or pure BEV?

 

The I3 is available for less than half of sticker used with few miles, while many Bolts I see used are still around 90 percent of sticker. I always believe the market will dictate true value. The I3 in my mind is a true compliance car, no more, no less.

 

I think it's basically been established for a while now it's a compliance car. I mean BMW even lobbied CARB to allow the REx i3's to qualify for credits as a BEV instead of a PHEV. That's why they artificially limited the i3 gas tank's capacity 3/4th of a gallon or so and eliminated hold mode in the US. But CARB said no.

 

NewsCoulomb, I think your criticism is well placed, and after reading the original article from Shahan, I can't help but wonder if he didn't test drive the Bolt from something he read? Pretty low quality review from someone who touts himself as "in the know" on EV's. He's not sure how he missed noticing that the Bolt comes to a complete stop? Clearly the article he made his test drive from didn't go into very much detail regarding regenerative braking and one-pedal driving. Like you, I get how some will be taken by the i3's style, after all, it is a BMW. I could probably even learn to like the teensy-weensy thing myself, complete with bicycle tires, but the expectations BMW has ingrained in me make it difficult to look at something with pushcart performance in the same way. I can't get my head around the fact that it is actually a BMW! There is just something wrong in my view about dropping 65K on a car that resembles, in both style and performance, the thing my wife uses to pickup groceries. I mean, spot-weld a handle on the back roof line and mount a carrying rack under the front nose and you hardly have a reason to leave it in the parking lot. Just push it through the front doors and start shopping. But thats just me, and it doesn't mean that there isn't lots to take note of with the i3, namely for me, exterior parts, frame and cockpit. If BMW would lose the REX and give it a 200+ all electric mile range, I would have bought one yesterday. The 2017 i3 might make a good comparison with the first Gen Leaf, but compared to the Bolt, the i3 is out of its league here.

 

The thing I noticed the most about the guy is that he emphasized several times that you could get a used BMW i3 for the same price as a brand new Bolt EV Premier.... like that was a good thing!

Keith

 

Even if it's the same price, I'm not sure why you would buy the i3 unless you really want a BMW EV.

 

I am simply not a fan of the i3 - there are better cars for the money - the Bolt clearly being one of them - no matter how much of an advocate I am for EV's - if someone has their heart set on an i3 I give them my honest opinion that it's not a car I would recommend - for what ever that's worth!! LOL

 

I seriously want Tesla to come out with a true $35k Model 3. I would actually consider replacing my 2012 Volt with a SR Model 3 (assuming the Volt was on its last legs...still going strong though) if Tesla actually produced the $35k Model 3. While I can't stand most of Tesla's fans and its CEO, the products themselves are mostly fine (along with all the overworked employees).

 

I'm going to start my wait for the $35,000 Model Y now, that way I'll be sick of waiting just as the next GM model actually comes out! Heck, Lada might have something quicker to market by then! :laugh:

 

He did that as well when he was "into" the Leaf a few years ago. The Leaf could do no wrong. So now it's the i3? Tastes improve over time, I guess. i3 is an amazing piece of technology way ahead of the any Leaf new or old. But it's still somewhat of a niche vehicle. All in all concerning Shahan's "journalism" I got tired of his website / blog; he was barely holding it together a year or so ago and hired his sister to do a bunch of soft news articles on the Leaf. That got pretty old. EV Obsession / Cleantechnica just seemed a bit over the top after a while. Just too much cross pollination going on there for my taste. EVO didn't have enough fresh journalism at that time but I just went back there and it seems they have so new writers but they're focusing more on the Euro / China markets.

 

Balanced review by Forbes..Apologies if this has already been posted...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brooke...-chevrolet-bolt-2018-review-range-charging-price-performance-evgo/#633f9617b59f

 

Balanced review by Forbes..Apologies if this has already been posted...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brooke...-chevrolet-bolt-2018-review-range-charging-price-performance-evgo/#633f9617b59f

I don't get bounced around when driving through bad patches as I do in other cars.

I know some people who come from large cars with soft suspensions are going to take exception with this, but as someone who's always driven small compact imports I agree with it. The extra weight that the batteries give the Bolt make for a much more planted ride.

 

A major downside of the i3 that seems to go unmentioned is the extremely high cost of making even minor repairs to the body or windows -- which drives the price of collision insurance sky high.

One of my colleagues at my office bought a 3-year-old i3 and drove it for a few months. But when he went to price full coverage insurance, he found it simply unaffordable (primarily due to the expensive carbon fiber parts in the BMW). He promptly sold the i3 and purchased a 2013 Nissan Leaf -- at which point his price for full coverage insurance dropped by more than half...

 

Getting off topic, as is our wont here, but we're paying USAA more for insurance on the Bolt than for an ICE costing twice as much. The rationale - "We don't have any experience with EVs, so we price coverage high, just in case."

jack vines