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Picked up our new 2017 Bolt EV LT last Wednesday and have been enjoying it. Somewhat used to the electric experience, having the first Prius and Volts in our area of North Central Florida and a 6.8 Solar System and two level 2 chargers. Do really like the 1 pedal driving in L. And Quick Chargers are beginning to appear so we can do trips now and then. Only vehicle I might see replacing it with in a few years is an autonomous VW Buzz (I had VW vans and campers back in the old days). I do have a couple of ICE's in the garage, a 1958 Austin Healy Bugeye Sprite and 1967 Austin Healey 3000 BJ8, as well as on older Silverado Farm Truck and a 4630 airconditioned Kubota diesel tractor so I have not completely kicked the fossil fuel habit. But it is surely nice not to have to visit gas stations except for a pit stop.

 

[LectricBill]

Welcome aboard.

My first car was a 1954 Austin Healy 100-4 that I totally loved. One year after I had the engine and transmission rebuilt, and the rear leaf springs replaced (because i broke them by driving too fast over the dips of low water bridges in the hill country outside Austin TX), the fire department knocked on my door at 3 A.M. to inform me that they just put out my car. Lucas wiring with cloth insulation created a short and the twin 6V batteries were adjacent to the gas tank. One of the saddest days of my life. Sold it for $35 for parts.

Yes, 1-pedal driving really rocks.

 

[Cehjun]

I’m hereby suggesting that a new Forum be created named: the Austin Healey / Bolt EV Owner’s Lounge.

In my college days many moons ago I acquired a 1958 Austin Healey 100-6 retrofitted with a ’67 tri-carb engine. It had sat unused for the better part of two years, having been brought in from the U.S. (a “California car”) by an acquaintance who despite taking it to multiple different mechanics could never get it to run properly. Turned out it had come into Canada containing N-3 spark plugs for high altitude running. I just needed to change them to N-5’s and the car ran like a champ. To this day I still turn into curbed entrances at a very gentle angle in order to avoid grounding the exhaust system on the way in.

+1 for one pedal driving in the Bolt. My favourite maneuver (after acclimatization to the car’s capabilities) : coming off a highway onto a curved off-ramp with an elevation increase, using L mode + paddle as necessary to reduce speed going in & around the curve approaching a stop at the end of the ramp. It’s hard to describe how wonderfully the car sets up and takes that maneuver. Reminds me of the 1990 Saab 900 SPG Turbo in the way the car loves to do it.

PS: Congratulations as well for shedding the PHEVs

 

[Packard V8]

I’m hereby suggesting that a new Forum be created named: the Austin Healey / Bolt EV Owner’s Lounge. . . . Reminds me of the 1990 Saab 900 SPG Turbo in the way the car loves to do it.

And appears we'll need a sub-forum for Saab/Bolt owners. We've driven Saabs for family cars since 1975; 99, 900, 9000, 9-5 and the last 9-4X. In the early days, the worse the highway and weather conditions became, the more competent the Saabs seemed than the others around them.

Conversely, for daily urban driving, the Bolt is light years ahead of the cars around it, but long highway trips in deteriorating conditions, not so much.

jack vines

 

[Raymondjram]

I learned how to drive in a blue 1968 Austin America, our family's first compact with an automatic transmission and FWD. But my first personal car was a used green 1965 Rambler American (notice the "American" theme?).

Presently I have a metallic blue 2009 Chevy Equinox, and was waiting for the Chevy Volt and later the Chevy Bolt EV. I have seen both close up as they are finally available here in Puerto Rico. But my need is for a CUV to replace the Equinox later, so I am waiting for GM's next EV version of the Chevy Equinox, Buick Envision, or Cadillac XT4.

 

[Packard V8]

Hi, Raymond,

We at present own a CUV and I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at how a Bolt can serve the same need. Our CUV is very seldom needed for daily chores. The hatchback Bolt hauls more than one might think.

jack vines