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Last Friday I finally pulled the trigger on a 2018 LT with the following options:
-DC fast charging
-Comfort and convenience
-Driver confidence
Here are some initial thoughts as I partake on a 2000 mile road trip from Southern California to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (will post a separate topic about that trip, almost done now). I will make comparisons to the last EV I had, the Chevy Spark EV.
-Price: I got mine at Rotolo Chevy in Southern California for about 34700 out the door. Good deal, although the interest rate was quite high (4.99%).
-Range: Its really awesome to have the driving range of the Bolt. On a full charge, I have to stop after the battery is almost run dry, not only to recharge the car, but to take a break myself. I think 200 - 300 miles range is perfect for EVs. The only advantage that I can think of for having a range exceeding 300 miles would be the ability to charge at a higher rate for longer.
-Charging: On this roadtrip I'm on, I'm always surprised how quickly the car charges at DC fast charging stations. Most of the time, I will run to a cafe for bite to eat/coffee or else go do some shopping. By the time I finish, the car is done or nearly done (to where I need it, usually around 80%). Very little time have I spent just waiting around for the car to charge. I do wish the charging rates were a bit higher, but before I could really complain about that, there needs to be more 150kW chargers installed to max out the Bolt's DC fast charging capabilities. I will note here, that unless I am on one of these 150kW stations, I keep the car off while charging in the 1 - 50% range. The reason is that I've noticed the cooling fans come on if I turn on the car while DC fast charging. I think this diverts a significant portion of power away from the battery and instead directs to the battery cooling system. Unless on a station that can dish out the ~60 kW for the battery and another 8 -10kW for the heating/cooling system, I think its best to charge with the car off.
-Seats: In comparison to the Spark EV, the seats a bit uncomfortable, but really not too bad. I'm not sure how much worse the 2017 model year was, but long distance road trips are still manageable without too much butt-ache.
-Android auto: This is an awesome software feature! I like being able to use Google maps to find my route to the next charging station. I did have a problem in the beginning, as I did not know you need a high speed USB cable for the app to function properly.
-Motor noise: Now this is getting nit-picky, but I did enjoy the sound of the Spark EVs motor more than the Bolts. The Spark EV has a deeper, lower frequency "WHHHOOP" sound that I found much more engaging than the Bolt's raspy sound. However, the Bolt's superior performance makes up for it.
-Performance: Right when I drove it off the lot, I went on a spirited drive through the mountains near Lake Arrowhead, CA. I drove through Crestline then back down through Lake Silverwood. The amazing thing about this car isn't just the massive acceleration, but also the lack of body roll when cornering. The Spark was also very fun to drive on winding mountain roads, but the Bolt has a much more stable footing. It really feels as if you are locked into a track on a roller coaster as G-force hits mostly on the axial plane when quickly cornering.
-Heating/cooling system: I've found that the seat heaters work very well and minimize the amount of HVAC heating needed. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the HVAC system, if set to a low setting (62 F), doesn't require more than about 1 or 2 kW to run while still delivering a good amount of heat (IF the cabin is already about that temperature). Pro tip: If you are a range warrior in the winter, and don't want the HVAC to use any energy on heating, but still want the fans to defog the windows, put the temperature setting to LOW.
-Overall: I think the Bolt is a car that comes very close to completely replace an ICE car for most people. For me its an overwhelming no-brainier that it can. I'm completing a 2000 mile road trip today in 4 days, in sometimes extreme winter conditions. A gas car would take 3 days (12 hours driving per day) to complete. Adding an extra day for charging and to stretch out your legs to me is a very small compromise to receive a car with superior driving handling, acceleration, lower operating cost, and of course, no tailpipe emissions.
-DC fast charging
-Comfort and convenience
-Driver confidence
Here are some initial thoughts as I partake on a 2000 mile road trip from Southern California to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (will post a separate topic about that trip, almost done now). I will make comparisons to the last EV I had, the Chevy Spark EV.
-Price: I got mine at Rotolo Chevy in Southern California for about 34700 out the door. Good deal, although the interest rate was quite high (4.99%).
-Range: Its really awesome to have the driving range of the Bolt. On a full charge, I have to stop after the battery is almost run dry, not only to recharge the car, but to take a break myself. I think 200 - 300 miles range is perfect for EVs. The only advantage that I can think of for having a range exceeding 300 miles would be the ability to charge at a higher rate for longer.
-Charging: On this roadtrip I'm on, I'm always surprised how quickly the car charges at DC fast charging stations. Most of the time, I will run to a cafe for bite to eat/coffee or else go do some shopping. By the time I finish, the car is done or nearly done (to where I need it, usually around 80%). Very little time have I spent just waiting around for the car to charge. I do wish the charging rates were a bit higher, but before I could really complain about that, there needs to be more 150kW chargers installed to max out the Bolt's DC fast charging capabilities. I will note here, that unless I am on one of these 150kW stations, I keep the car off while charging in the 1 - 50% range. The reason is that I've noticed the cooling fans come on if I turn on the car while DC fast charging. I think this diverts a significant portion of power away from the battery and instead directs to the battery cooling system. Unless on a station that can dish out the ~60 kW for the battery and another 8 -10kW for the heating/cooling system, I think its best to charge with the car off.
-Seats: In comparison to the Spark EV, the seats a bit uncomfortable, but really not too bad. I'm not sure how much worse the 2017 model year was, but long distance road trips are still manageable without too much butt-ache.
-Android auto: This is an awesome software feature! I like being able to use Google maps to find my route to the next charging station. I did have a problem in the beginning, as I did not know you need a high speed USB cable for the app to function properly.
-Motor noise: Now this is getting nit-picky, but I did enjoy the sound of the Spark EVs motor more than the Bolts. The Spark EV has a deeper, lower frequency "WHHHOOP" sound that I found much more engaging than the Bolt's raspy sound. However, the Bolt's superior performance makes up for it.
-Performance: Right when I drove it off the lot, I went on a spirited drive through the mountains near Lake Arrowhead, CA. I drove through Crestline then back down through Lake Silverwood. The amazing thing about this car isn't just the massive acceleration, but also the lack of body roll when cornering. The Spark was also very fun to drive on winding mountain roads, but the Bolt has a much more stable footing. It really feels as if you are locked into a track on a roller coaster as G-force hits mostly on the axial plane when quickly cornering.
-Heating/cooling system: I've found that the seat heaters work very well and minimize the amount of HVAC heating needed. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the HVAC system, if set to a low setting (62 F), doesn't require more than about 1 or 2 kW to run while still delivering a good amount of heat (IF the cabin is already about that temperature). Pro tip: If you are a range warrior in the winter, and don't want the HVAC to use any energy on heating, but still want the fans to defog the windows, put the temperature setting to LOW.
-Overall: I think the Bolt is a car that comes very close to completely replace an ICE car for most people. For me its an overwhelming no-brainier that it can. I'm completing a 2000 mile road trip today in 4 days, in sometimes extreme winter conditions. A gas car would take 3 days (12 hours driving per day) to complete. Adding an extra day for charging and to stretch out your legs to me is a very small compromise to receive a car with superior driving handling, acceleration, lower operating cost, and of course, no tailpipe emissions.
