I did get it with snow tires on steel rims. I assume those tires are not as efficient as the all seasons in summer. I am still learning a lot about the car. But I am loving it so far. I still need to do a test where I leave it sitting in the cold without being plugged in to see how much charge I’ll lose.
That looked like a lot of fun! As for charging at the camp site, I’m assuming you were running at 120V plugged into a 30 amp RV outlet (NEMA TT-30). For others who are watching this, most EVs can’t take advantage of higher amperage 120V charging. You need to go to 240V to get higher speeds. If a campsite has a 50 amp outler (NEMA 14-50), you can charge 7 times faster than you can on a 30 amp 120V outlet. Some EVs can charge at 16 amps on 120V, but the Bolt can only charge at 12 amps on 120V. It can charge at 32 to 48 amps on 240V depending on the model year - 48 amps in the case of the Bolt in this video. For 48 amps, you’d need a hard-wired EVSE. For camping with a NEMA 14-50 outlet, you can charge at up to 40 amps. My 2017 Bolt can charge at a max of 32 amps. That can still charge the battery from 0-100% in just 8 hours… so it would be charged before waking up the next morning for sure… maybe even before going to bed.
It's also important to remember that many EVs will default to 8 amps on 120V charging, and you will have to override to get to the higher levels. In the Bolt, this can only be done from the car infotainment screen. I don't know if it remembers the setting.
You're always testing out new and cool camping gear. Way ahead of the rest of us. An EV, now that is amazing. Looking forward to hearing how vehicle does on the longer trip.
I'm still waiting for my 2023 Bolt to be made let alone delivered lol. Nobody even knows when that will be. I'm guessing if you had the temperature set at 70 degrees Fahrenheit the whole time it looks like you may have had enough range to make it without turning it off. It gets over a hundred here in El Paso Texas in the summer so that air conditioner is going to be at 65 Fahrenheit at all times. Gr8 vid as usual. 🚙 🇺🇸
Waiting for the car sucks. I had ordered mine in July and it still has not arrived at my dealer. Apparently its in the cue to be made. I looked around at dealers further away and was lucky to find this one, exactly as I had ordered at another dealer. I have since driven quite a bit more and realized that had I kept the climate control on the whole time at a lower temperature, it would have ben much better. By turning it off and on it was always full blast which used a lot more energy. It will be interesting when warm weather returns. I understand that AC uses considerably less power than heat.
Just watched this video. Very interesting. I put my deposit down for the Bolt EUV about a month ago, so I think I'll have to wait till next year to try it in the winter in Algonquin. (I live in Niagara). Like your tent set up. Did you need any non supplied adapter/cord to hook up at Mew? I also like to interior camp in winter. From what I've read it should be okay to the leave the vehicle in the cold for a few days, but I wonder if the park will have any EV plugs in the near future. A fast charge over a camp lunch before heading home would be ideal.
I hope you get your Bolt EUV soon. My Bolt order I don't think has even been made yet. I was lucky to find the one I got at another dealer. I believe most of the electric sites at Ontario Parks are 15A 110V and 30A 110V. You could use the regular plug for the 15A but I chose to use the 30A which is an RV plug. So I got an RV 30A extension cable and then had to buy a special adapter to go from 30A 110V plug to the 240V plug. Apparently it has to be one specifically for EVs because it has to be wired in a way that will allow the car to get the 30A 110V through it. This is what I got www.amazon.ca/dp/B07MD41D45?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details It works great. I talked to some of the staff at the park and they would like to get chargers in. They aren't the decision makers though. If they had a few level 2 chargers at each main gate and at each campsite gate, that would be amazing.
how are you liking your EUV? I'm just starting to look myself. I'm in the Puget Sound, and I don't anticipate driving in the cold, but I do have a huge carport instead of a garage, so I'll be subject to wintertime temps in the 20s and 30s for a couple months. Wondering if there's anything like a heater for the battery pack just to keep it a bit warmer.
@@Yowzoe I'm really enjoying it. Picked it up at the end of April, so no experience with the cold yet (but definitely in the offing). You shouldn't have any issues. The battery is set up to self regulate its own temperature, as I understand. I'll know better as the season changes though. I park my car in my driveway, and it can get pretty darn cold here, come the winter. I'm planning on a trip up to Algonquin later this month. I bought an adapter for charging at the campsite. My plan is to drive up and spend the first night car camping, before hiking the interior.
The main thing holding me back from embracing electric cars is range anxiety. It's comforting to know you could make it to Algonquin from the GTA on almost 1 charge. Assuming you could get one installed, I wonder how a roof rack/canoe would effect the range.
Yes that range anxiety is what made me extra cautious on that trip. I’m sure as I get used to it I will trust how far I can push things. I’m still learning. Even from this trip, I realized that I would have been better to leave the heat on low if I wanted to save power vs turning it off and then on for short periods. I did get a roof rack which I’ll put on in the spring. I expect it will have a minor effect which won’t matter in day to day driving. I’m interested to see what effect having a canoe on top will have. I will do more videos as I try new things with it. But so far it has been great. And I haven’t even looked at the price of gas since I got it.
Thanks for this video. I'm getting my new Bolt EV next week here in Alaska. I also like winter camping, so sharing your experience is helpful. I'm curious about your winter wheel/tire combination choice as I will also be looking to do the same thing. Right now leaning toward 205/65 15 tires on steelies. Looking forward to driving my new Bolt after owning a Nissan Leaf for the past 6 years.
How is your Bolt EV? What tires did you get? Are you satisfied with the EV, or would you have rather have got a EUV at this point? I'm going to try to locate an EUV (Puget Sound), although they're pretty rare now…
Hey I missed this comment six months ago. Did you get a Bolt or Bolt EUV? I have both summer and winter tires. I don't know what brand. Dealer got me ones suitable for the car. I am loving the car. Especially not having to buy gas. The extra time having to stop on a long trip is not a big deal. I can't imagine ever going back to a gas car.
Hi I just subscribe on your blog. question ? I have Chevy bolt too 2 023 also and wanted to go drive on the snow. do we have to use a cable on the tires. The dealer said I need a cable chain . What do you used on your tires? Thank you for your time.
Umm, I'm not sure. Where do you live or where would you drive? I have snow tires for winter. I would recommend having snow tires. It is possible that they mean on some mountain roads. Some mountain roads may require chains. But for just driving on snow snow tires would be good.
Thank you for the reply I forgot to ask , what cable do I need to charge on the camping area I only have 120 volt level 1 , what is your recommendation? I live IN California and wanting to drive to Northern California. Thanks
@@DashingonEV Do you have the dual level charger? You can just plug in to whatever 15A 120V is there. It will charge slowly at 8 Amps but it works. If you have the dual level it is possible that some campgrounds may have a 240V plug then you could use that. many will likely have a 30A 120V for RVs to plug into. There is an adapter you can get, has to be special for EVs, and then you could plug into that, but it is still a very slow charge. So for simplicity, just stick with the 120V plug. Maybe get a heavy duty extension cord.
Not sure about the Prius. In the Bolt I can remote start it so the climate control will go on in the state that I left it. If someone was sitting in the car with it off and no key fob, they would not be able to use the climate control. Hope that helps.
Yes… with some cheat codes. If you turn the car on and then exit through the driver’s door, it will shut off in 2 hours. If you get into the passenger seat, start the car, put it in neutral (set the parking brake)m then exit through the passenger door, it will stay on indefinitely.
got to say...that didn't sell us on an EV. Your time is valuable...you had to keep charging taking your valuable time away. ( and in the cold not running heaters). and there is always the search for the charging stations....no thanks
Charging wasn’t bad. I usually stop to get something to eat anyway. Lack of chargers will change as more and more are built. I also was extra cautious and charged probably more than I really needed to. I could have made it both ways without stopping to charge. I realized that the heat should have been left on auto. I kept letting it get cold then having to put it on full which used more energy. Overall it was great. I didn’t pay a cent for gas.
The Chevy Bolt still utilizes one of the older on board chargers, and as a result doesn't have the ability to fast charge as quick as many of the newer EVs available. The trade off is that the Bolt is on the lower end of the price spectrum. But newer EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq5, Kia EV6 and many others can charge 2 or 3 times faster on average. Winter can be slower for charging in general, just as it takes longer to charge your smartphone if out in the cold (same type of battery is used in both EVs and personal electronics) So don't be dissuaded by what you see here. Ben made the choice of vehicle he did for a variety of reasons, and it works for him. Need an EV with longer range or faster DC fast charging times? No problem! There's plenty of other choices now available - all the way up to full-sized pick ups.
You can run the heat while charging. Yes, charging takes longer than filling a gas tank, but when filling a gas tank, you annoyingly have to stand there doing nothing but filling your gas tank. With an EV, you can plug it in to charge and then go in to a restaurant and have lunch… or into a store to get stuff for camping. Of course, that’s only if you are traveling outside the Bolt’s 200-300 mile range (depending on the temps outside, mostly). When you travel within your EV’s range, going to a gas station seems very old-fashioned. It takes me 10 seconds to charge my Bolt - 5 seconds to plug in when I get home, and 5 seconds to unplug when I leave the next morning. It has been a year and a half since I’ve had to touch a dirty, stinky gas nozzle.
Gas isn't much better. Yes, it is more available and faster (but as time goes on, and they sell less and less gas cars, not so much) but you are also having to burn a fuel and add to pollution, plus all the maintenance that a gas engine requires, EVs just don't have. In my Bolt it needs tires, rotations, brake fluid change every 5 years (brake fluid attracts moisture, in a gas car too), and windshield washer fluid.
I did get it with snow tires on steel rims. I assume those tires are not as efficient as the all seasons in summer.
I am still learning a lot about the car. But I am loving it so far.
I still need to do a test where I leave it sitting in the cold without being plugged in to see how much charge I’ll lose.
Thanks for sharing Ben. A real education. I missed our camping buddy Tim.
I’m working on a summary video of trips from 2022. Tim will be in some of that.
Cool! I've heard great things about the Bolt EV! That was fun :)
I’m liking it so far. Still have some tests to do but it’s good. Love not having to buy gas.
Great vid! I'm surprised you didn't talk at all about storage. Seems like you had a ton of gear that all fit nicely in the Bolt. Awesome!
Good point. It does have plenty of room and I fit all my gear in. I’m sure I’ll be doing some more videos as I get more used to the car.
That looked like a lot of fun! As for charging at the camp site, I’m assuming you were running at 120V plugged into a 30 amp RV outlet (NEMA TT-30). For others who are watching this, most EVs can’t take advantage of higher amperage 120V charging. You need to go to 240V to get higher speeds. If a campsite has a 50 amp outler (NEMA 14-50), you can charge 7 times faster than you can on a 30 amp 120V outlet. Some EVs can charge at 16 amps on 120V, but the Bolt can only charge at 12 amps on 120V. It can charge at 32 to 48 amps on 240V depending on the model year - 48 amps in the case of the Bolt in this video. For 48 amps, you’d need a hard-wired EVSE. For camping with a NEMA 14-50 outlet, you can charge at up to 40 amps. My 2017 Bolt can charge at a max of 32 amps. That can still charge the battery from 0-100% in just 8 hours… so it would be charged before waking up the next morning for sure… maybe even before going to bed.
Yes, that's right. On the 30 amp 120V it was maxed at 12 amps. It would be nice if the campground had 240V 40 amp.
It's also important to remember that many EVs will default to 8 amps on 120V charging, and you will have to override to get to the higher levels. In the Bolt, this can only be done from the car infotainment screen. I don't know if it remembers the setting.
@@SweetBearCub You have to change it to 12 amps each time.
You're always testing out new and cool camping gear. Way ahead of the rest of us. An EV, now that is amazing. Looking forward to hearing how vehicle does on the longer trip.
It is amazing so far. A longer trip just means you have to plan your trip and charging stops.
I'm still waiting for my 2023 Bolt to be made let alone delivered lol. Nobody even knows when that will be. I'm guessing if you had the temperature set at 70 degrees Fahrenheit the whole time it looks like you may have had enough range to make it without turning it off. It gets over a hundred here in El Paso Texas in the summer so that air conditioner is going to be at 65 Fahrenheit at all times. Gr8 vid as usual. 🚙 🇺🇸
Waiting for the car sucks. I had ordered mine in July and it still has not arrived at my dealer. Apparently its in the cue to be made. I looked around at dealers further away and was lucky to find this one, exactly as I had ordered at another dealer.
I have since driven quite a bit more and realized that had I kept the climate control on the whole time at a lower temperature, it would have ben much better. By turning it off and on it was always full blast which used a lot more energy.
It will be interesting when warm weather returns. I understand that AC uses considerably less power than heat.
thank you for that review and information.
The steel wheels look good.
The cheep steel wheels look good. I've gotta get winter tires.
Yes. Buy a new car in winter with winter tires and that’s what you get. Will be nice to see it in the spring with the real wheels.
Just watched this video. Very interesting. I put my deposit down for the Bolt EUV about a month ago, so I think I'll have to wait till next year to try it in the winter in Algonquin. (I live in Niagara). Like your tent set up. Did you need any non supplied adapter/cord to hook up at Mew? I also like to interior camp in winter. From what I've read it should be okay to the leave the vehicle in the cold for a few days, but I wonder if the park will have any EV plugs in the near future. A fast charge over a camp lunch before heading home would be ideal.
I hope you get your Bolt EUV soon. My Bolt order I don't think has even been made yet. I was lucky to find the one I got at another dealer.
I believe most of the electric sites at Ontario Parks are 15A 110V and 30A 110V. You could use the regular plug for the 15A but I chose to use the 30A which is an RV plug. So I got an RV 30A extension cable and then had to buy a special adapter to go from 30A 110V plug to the 240V plug. Apparently it has to be one specifically for EVs because it has to be wired in a way that will allow the car to get the 30A 110V through it. This is what I got www.amazon.ca/dp/B07MD41D45?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
It works great.
I talked to some of the staff at the park and they would like to get chargers in. They aren't the decision makers though. If they had a few level 2 chargers at each main gate and at each campsite gate, that would be amazing.
how are you liking your EUV? I'm just starting to look myself.
I'm in the Puget Sound, and I don't anticipate driving in the cold, but I do have a huge carport instead of a garage, so I'll be subject to wintertime temps in the 20s and 30s for a couple months. Wondering if there's anything like a heater for the battery pack just to keep it a bit warmer.
@@Yowzoe I'm really enjoying it. Picked it up at the end of April, so no experience with the cold yet (but definitely in the offing). You shouldn't have any issues. The battery is set up to self regulate its own temperature, as I understand. I'll know better as the season changes though. I park my car in my driveway, and it can get pretty darn cold here, come the winter. I'm planning on a trip up to Algonquin later this month. I bought an adapter for charging at the campsite. My plan is to drive up and spend the first night car camping, before hiking the interior.
The main thing holding me back from embracing electric cars is range anxiety. It's comforting to know you could make it to Algonquin from the GTA on almost 1 charge. Assuming you could get one installed, I wonder how a roof rack/canoe would effect the range.
Yes that range anxiety is what made me extra cautious on that trip. I’m sure as I get used to it I will trust how far I can push things. I’m still learning. Even from this trip, I realized that I would have been better to leave the heat on low if I wanted to save power vs turning it off and then on for short periods.
I did get a roof rack which I’ll put on in the spring. I expect it will have a minor effect which won’t matter in day to day driving. I’m interested to see what effect having a canoe on top will have.
I will do more videos as I try new things with it.
But so far it has been great. And I haven’t even looked at the price of gas since I got it.
Thanks for this video. I'm getting my new Bolt EV next week here in Alaska. I also like winter camping, so sharing your experience is helpful. I'm curious about your winter wheel/tire combination choice as I will also be looking to do the same thing. Right now leaning toward 205/65 15 tires on steelies. Looking forward to driving my new Bolt after owning a Nissan Leaf for the past 6 years.
How is your Bolt EV? What tires did you get? Are you satisfied with the EV, or would you have rather have got a EUV at this point? I'm going to try to locate an EUV (Puget Sound), although they're pretty rare now…
Hey I missed this comment six months ago. Did you get a Bolt or Bolt EUV? I have both summer and winter tires. I don't know what brand. Dealer got me ones suitable for the car. I am loving the car. Especially not having to buy gas. The extra time having to stop on a long trip is not a big deal. I can't imagine ever going back to a gas car.
Hi I just subscribe on your blog.
question ? I have Chevy bolt too 2 023 also and wanted to go drive on the snow. do we have to use a cable on the tires. The dealer said I need a cable chain . What do you used on your tires? Thank you for your time.
Umm, I'm not sure. Where do you live or where would you drive? I have snow tires for winter. I would recommend having snow tires.
It is possible that they mean on some mountain roads. Some mountain roads may require chains. But for just driving on snow snow tires would be good.
Thank you for the reply I forgot to ask , what cable do I need to charge on the camping area I only have 120 volt level 1
, what is your recommendation? I live IN California and wanting to drive to Northern California.
Thanks
@@DashingonEV Do you have the dual level charger? You can just plug in to whatever 15A 120V is there. It will charge slowly at 8 Amps but it works.
If you have the dual level it is possible that some campgrounds may have a 240V plug then you could use that. many will likely have a 30A 120V for RVs to plug into. There is an adapter you can get, has to be special for EVs, and then you could plug into that, but it is still a very slow charge.
So for simplicity, just stick with the 120V plug. Maybe get a heavy duty extension cord.
Thank you for the information . 😊
I was thinking you were camping in it. Not in a tent.
Lol. I suppose I could.
How do u keep the car from shutting off
What do you mean?
Does the climate control work like the prius? Meaning, when the car is off, you could use the heat and air?
Not sure about the Prius. In the Bolt I can remote start it so the climate control will go on in the state that I left it. If someone was sitting in the car with it off and no key fob, they would not be able to use the climate control. Hope that helps.
Yes… with some cheat codes. If you turn the car on and then exit through the driver’s door, it will shut off in 2 hours. If you get into the passenger seat, start the car, put it in neutral (set the parking brake)m then exit through the passenger door, it will stay on indefinitely.
@@jmcbrew thanks for telling us about camping mode!
I thought you were going to camp in your EV.
I suppose I could have. But a tent is more comfortable.
got to say...that didn't sell us on an EV. Your time is valuable...you had to keep charging taking your valuable time away. ( and in the cold not running heaters). and there is always the search for the charging stations....no thanks
Charging wasn’t bad. I usually stop to get something to eat anyway. Lack of chargers will change as more and more are built. I also was extra cautious and charged probably more than I really needed to. I could have made it both ways without stopping to charge.
I realized that the heat should have been left on auto. I kept letting it get cold then having to put it on full which used more energy.
Overall it was great. I didn’t pay a cent for gas.
Very interesting video Ben..Thanks!
The Chevy Bolt still utilizes one of the older on board chargers, and as a result doesn't have the ability to fast charge as quick as many of the newer EVs available. The trade off is that the Bolt is on the lower end of the price spectrum. But newer EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq5, Kia EV6 and many others can charge 2 or 3 times faster on average. Winter can be slower for charging in general, just as it takes longer to charge your smartphone if out in the cold (same type of battery is used in both EVs and personal electronics)
So don't be dissuaded by what you see here. Ben made the choice of vehicle he did for a variety of reasons, and it works for him. Need an EV with longer range or faster DC fast charging times? No problem! There's plenty of other choices now available - all the way up to full-sized pick ups.
You can run the heat while charging. Yes, charging takes longer than filling a gas tank, but when filling a gas tank, you annoyingly have to stand there doing nothing but filling your gas tank. With an EV, you can plug it in to charge and then go in to a restaurant and have lunch… or into a store to get stuff for camping. Of course, that’s only if you are traveling outside the Bolt’s 200-300 mile range (depending on the temps outside, mostly). When you travel within your EV’s range, going to a gas station seems very old-fashioned. It takes me 10 seconds to charge my Bolt - 5 seconds to plug in when I get home, and 5 seconds to unplug when I leave the next morning. It has been a year and a half since I’ve had to touch a dirty, stinky gas nozzle.
Gas isn't much better. Yes, it is more available and faster (but as time goes on, and they sell less and less gas cars, not so much) but you are also having to burn a fuel and add to pollution, plus all the maintenance that a gas engine requires, EVs just don't have. In my Bolt it needs tires, rotations, brake fluid change every 5 years (brake fluid attracts moisture, in a gas car too), and windshield washer fluid.