[beback]

coming from bmw i3 REX I did not know what happens if the battery fully discharges,
beamer switches to gas seamlessly (that's what I really miss)

So
SoC turned orange at 28 miles, saying "charge soon"

today I drove it to capacity, when there was 17 miles left
after that I drove slowly and
the display switched to "propulsion power is reduced"
I was 2 miles away from my garage
arrived gingerly to my Clipper Creek

question remains, how long could a Bolt drive in the "reduced propulsion"?? anybody know?
anyone tried to run it down?

 

[Bazinga]

Problem with testing this in the real world is how you're going to charge the Bolt if you're stranded.

 

[surgeonFWW]

Problem with testing this in the real world is how you're going to charge the Bolt if you're stranded.

That is what the tow bolt is for, right?!

 

[beback]

Problem with testing this in the real world is how you're going to charge the Bolt if you're stranded.

LOL, I could only think of calling Onstar while it is still free.
Other options were utilising the Bolt charging cord and a good samaritan home owner with his extension cord
Or getting a small HD generator (BAZINGA)
Never had range anxiety on an i3 rex
Love your nick )

 

[NY-Rob]

Just like regular EV driving your "Reduced Power" range would depend on terrain, climate settings and driving technique... no two situations would be the same. Take the flat, back roads where you can pulse-and-glide with everything off and maybe you'll get 20mi range, take uphill roads with the AC or heat on... you may end up walking home!

If you have a relative with a flatbed... give it a try

 

[redpoint5]

If I owned a Bolt, I'd probably already have accidentally "tested" this. I've run out in every vehicle I've owned at least once. I have coasted into petrol stations 5 times, had to push a motorcycle about 1/4 mile once, and the longest walk I've had to take was half a mile when I ran out of both petrol and electrons in the Prius. Oh, and I almost forgot running out of diesel several times in the truck, which is a huge pain since you have to bleed the high pressure injector lines; a very messy process.

A better question is, at what SoC does the Bolt shutdown propulsion entirely? How does that SoC correspond to the GOM? Is 0 miles range really near actual shutdown point, unlike every petrol powered vehicle?

I'm sure someone has run out, but I doubt they are eager to share their embarrassing story.

If someone wanted to run out on purpose, they could get a recharge from a tow vehicle. Just lightly apply the brakes while being towed, and regen will put some juice back in the battery. Then again, if it's on purpose, you might as well drive around your house until it runs out, and then just push/tow it back to the garage.

 

[woodturner]

In almost 50 years of driving, I've never run out of gas or electrons. I've owned lots of motorcycles, cars and trucks and some of these vehicles didn't have a gas guage, but most had an odometer. On every drive I always look at the status of my guages.

When people ask me how many miles I get on a charge, I usually ask them if they wait to run out of gas before they refuel. They get the point pretty quick, not to wait until you're empty. Why stress when you can plug in!

 

[redpoint5]

On every drive I always look at the status of my guages.

Strangely, it's my attention to the gauges and knowledge of exact fuel capacity that has lead me to be comfortable driving well past the low fuel light. Then it's my oversight of some detail that leads me to running out just shy of the station. For instance, I know my motorcycle fuel tank is 4.7 gallons and I average 45 MPG. That will get me a little over 200 miles before running out. I'm used to going 200 miles before refueling, but didn't factor in my wife one day, and ran out at 195 miles.

My Prius has just over 10 gallons of fuel capacity. It's easy to calculate range because I just add a zero to my average MPG. If I'm getting 50 MPG, I can go 500 miles. My error was that I had driven many miles on EV, boosting the average MPG to 75. Driving near empty on the highway meant that I would get something less than 750 miles of range, which I realized when I stopped half a mile short of the station. BTW, the Prius can go 100 miles on gasoline after the low fuel warning light.

I wouldn't have been so comfortable running empty in the truck due to the extra work involved with bleeding the fuel system, but at the time I had access to $1/gallon fuel, so that encouraged me to cut it close. One time when fuel prices were over $5/gallon, I made the financially painful decision to add a little fuel to ensure I made my trip. I put $20 in the tank and that wasn't even enough to turn the low fuel light off!

Anyhow, my curious nature compels me to explore the limits of everything.

 

[NY-Rob]

^ Good thing you stay on the ground red, not good to run out of fuel while flying or boating

 

[Sean Nelson]

^ Good thing you stay on the ground red, not good to run out of fuel while flying or boating

We saw a couple of people rowing a small boat with the engine cocked up out of the water, so we motored over to them and sure enough they had run out of fuel. The sad part is that they had been rowing for over two hours and nobody else bothered to ask if they needed help. So we gave them some of our gas (I always carry a spare can when I'm out on the salt chuck) and they rewarded us with a nice, big, fat salmon.

 

[redpoint5]

^ Good thing you stay on the ground red, not good to run out of fuel while flying or boating

Well, I rock climb, standup jetski, and scale mountains too. My next hobby will be powered paragliding. Fortunately they are pretty easy to land without power.

 

[NY-Rob]

Well, I rock climb, standup jetski, and scale mountains too. My next hobby will be powered paragliding. Fortunately they are pretty easy to land without power.

Powered Paragliding sounds like fun!
While out on the boat Sunday we saw three Paragliders working the north shore bluffs on the LI Sound around Port Jeff. With a nice steady 25mph offshore wind hitting the bluffs they got tremendous altitude from the updrafts!

Ever run out of gas on the standup? I have a couch... but it has a reserve in the tank like bikes have.

 

[redpoint5]

Ever run out of gas on the standup? I have a couch... but it has a reserve in the tank like bikes have.

I went exploring with the standup with a full tank of fuel on Detroit Lake (Oregon). After getting many miles away, I started getting nervous that if she quit, the battery likely wouldn't be able to start the ski back up. For this reason I set the fuel to reserve preventatively and headed back to where I was docked on the opposite end of the lake.

At about 100 yards from the dock, Ashley (the jetski) ran out of fuel and I swam her in the remaining distance.

Like I said, I've run everything I own out, but never had to go very far to fill back up.

 

[NY-Rob]

^ lol... at least it's easy to pull the standup.
I had to jump in and retrieve my 3-seater when the dumb-ass ramp attendant failed to properly secure it's line to the dock after I launched it and went to park the trailer in the lot. Should have pushed the ramp attendant in to go bring back my ride
I never let anyone tie up my boat or ski now!

 

[douggrif]

Problem with testing this in the real world is how you're going to charge the Bolt if you're stranded.

I own two electric cars, a Nissan Leaf and now the Bolt. The Leaf SoC gives two levels of warnings, one at about 12 miles and one at 4 miles as it reduces power. Next it continues to count down and then shows "---" which others reported they would still get around 4 more miles before all power shut down. I have never had range anxiety with the Bolt as I drive using the "one pedal" technique and routinely get a fully charged SoC of between 253 and 283. I live in the Ozark Mountain foothills with lots of up and down hills and have owned the Bolt three months. I have achieved a max SoC of 289 on one occasion. I charge at home on a Level 2 charger. Love the Bolt. For trips longer than about 230 miles and take an ICE car. I look forward to the one or two brave souls to report how much longer the Bolt will travel after counting down to 0 miles on the SoC.

 

[redpoint5]

he Leaf SoC gives two levels of warnings, one at about 12 miles and one at 4 miles as it reduces power. Next it continues to count down and then shows "---" which others reported they would still get around 4 more miles before all power shut down.

If I understand correctly, the display shows 4 miles left and reduces power. Then it counts down the 4 miles until 0 and displays ---. After that, you can get about 4 more miles while it displays --- ?

 

[Bazinga]

That does seem to be the case. It's like with gas powered cars too, the car can still run once you've hit "E" on the tank gauge, but it just isn't suggested.

 

[uchauhan]

Today my leased 2017 Bolt which has 30,000 miles on it dropped to 0 miles all of sudden when it was showing 20 miles (min). I ended up towing it to dealer and charge there again.

It went only 400 feets once it was it 20 miles? Its strange as I can go to last 2 miles on Leaf without having to tow it.

So are we suppose not to go even close to last 20 miles and start charging at last 50 miles?

 

[beeguz]

Here is a little 6 minute video that a man drives a chevy VOLT until it can't go any more.

Being that the Volt and Bolt share the same battery I would think its close to the same software.

 

[GJETSON]

Today my leased 2017 Bolt which has 30,000 miles on it dropped to 0 miles all of sudden when it was showing 20 miles (min). I ended up towing it to dealer and charge there again.

It went only 400 feets once it was it 20 miles? Its strange as I can go to last 2 miles on Leaf without having to tow it.

So are we suppose not to go even close to last 20 miles and start charging at last 50 miles?

You will definitely want the new software update. After that, you may be inline for a new battery.