Soldiering On For Another Year | 2020 Chevrolet Bolt
Вставка
- Опубліковано 6 сер 2020
- Chevy's Bolt was one of the first affordable long-range EVs available in America, but the EV segment has progressed rapidly since it launched just 3 years ago. With a refresh on the horizon, is the 2020 Bolt worth a look or should you wait?
Join Today: bit.ly/2WdCEwW
Our Other Channel: The Mountain Garden: goo.gl/icFWcd
Follow AoA on Facebook: theautobuyersguide/ - Авто та транспорт
I bought a 2020 Bolt LT with $8500 GM rebate and an additional $5500 dealer reduction. It was the best deal for an EV.
Low $20's makes this quite thr deal!
What’s the final price?
i live in indiana the won't go down in price the bolt $30,000 they dont even have charging network , then all the fee's on EV plates i have to just keep my fiat 500e for $180 a month just a bargin even thu i want range mite have to wait few years on bolt
@@gasdorficmuncher9943 Hit up some dealers out of state.
Yeah, for that price with the reduction of $8500, you get a stripped down version of a Chevy Bolt EV. Once you start adding options the price jumps back to $32k, the dealer(s) may offer you a further discount but its not a given.
Chevy charges you extra for lane keep assistance, blind spot detection, $700 for DC Fast Charging, mats, heated seats, leather wrapped steering wheel, auto dimming rear view mirror, rear park assist, forward collision alert etc... Final price is $40k.
Take $8500 off from Chevy and the price is now $31800..
No government incentives of $7500. Again, the dealer may offer you an extra discount but don't count on it.
Purchased a 2020 Bolt LT 30 days ago. Paid $26,500 out the door, with every option available on that trim level, (no sales tax in Oregon anyway). I drove all the others and this was the best deal and the car I like the best. Sits up high, large bright cabin and great infotainment. I knew about the upgraded 2021 coming, but I'm sure it won't be available at $13,000 off MSRP.
Congratulations!
From a happy 2019 bolt owner. :D
We bought a 2020 Premier in April. Briefly considered a Tesla MY but the Tesla QC issues scared me off. We are super happy with the Bolt. No regrets at all. Best value going right now. 8 to 10 K more for the Korean alternatives.
Congratulations. Alex made a point that Bolt was at similar price point as Tesla Model 3. In reality if you compare the out of pocket price, Model 3 is about $10,000 more expensive. They should not be compared together in my opinion.
Love those EV government subsidies, I got $16K off here in Vancouver
@@icekk007 And as the video shows, despite the Model 3 being much larger, the Bolt has more head and leg room. The Bolt is both cheaper and more practical.
We've owned a 2019 Bolt for about a year and a half. Chevy hasn't done themselves any favors with their pricing structure, which results in claims like "the base model 3 starts at only $1000 more than the Bolt". Based on MSRP yes, but keep in mind that Tesla actually *charges* the price the say, while virtually every Chevy dealer out there will offer at least $8K and up to $10k of incentives. We live in PA but bought our Bolt in MD, and the dealer we use has an online price *today* of $25990 for a base-model Bolt, up to $31,946 for a top level trim. Compare that a base RWD Model 3 and you'll save about $12k at the entry level. For a city commuter car, that's a huge savings. I prefer the Model 3's seat comfort, and supercharging is a huge win, but we've now done >16,000 miles with only one DC fast charge session, and that was just to make sure our EVgo card worked. Evaluate your actual needs and choose accordingly - for us, the Bolt is a winner as a city commuting car. Final note - the DC fast charge capability on the Bolt is just godawful. If you're taking a road trip, buy a Tesla! But if you're charging at home, don't sweat it.
That is very helpful information. I have a friend in Norway who just bought one under the alias Opel Ampera.
@DamionShelton I agree I just picked up one for $13500 off msrp. Tesla never mentions the $1200 destination fee so the M3 starts at $40000, plus the sales tax on the difference. The supercharging (I wouldn’t use much), 1second faster 0-60, better handling etc..just wasn’t worth the $16000 extra cost.
Good summary, also a very happy 2019 Bolt owner here who bought the car with $13k on the hood. MUCH better value than a Tesla at that rate.
Damion Shelton it would be nice to have the flexibility to take long trips in the bolt. You never know. I haven’t done long trips in over a decade but that doesn’t mean I will never. If I get a bolt I can pretty much seal that fate of never taking long trips but I do prefer the bolt over a model 3. Model 3 is just not practical for my taste. I really love that bolt but I don’t know. So many issues to consider. Level 3 chargers are non existent in my region. I don’t have to time to wait 2-3 hours to charge to get home on a level 2
@@Catman1798 Yes, unfortunately level 3 charging is a must for practical electric road tripping. I am with you on the comparison, though, I could never justify getting a sedan due to cargo reasons.
Not sure why GM continues to shoot themselves in the comparison foot with bogus high MSRPs. New Bolts are at least $8K off MSRP in Maryland month after month. I recently picked up a completely loaded 2017 Bolt Premier with a measly 7800 miles on it and nary a scratch for chump change ($22K) without even trying. My wife loves it, and I trust it, because her previous Chevy Volt was totally reliable and my co-worker's 2017 Bolts have been dead nuts reliable too. As opposed, say, to the 2013 Tesla Model S P85 I briefly owned, which completely bricked in the middle of a busy highway, locking the wheels up and stranding my wife and child in the middle of whizzing traffic waiting for a lift and dolly tow truck. The blown motor and fried electronics were eventually replaced under warranty but dear gawd was my Tesla Service experience bad! I've never unloaded a car so fast in my life. Still interested in a Model Y potentially, but that horrible experience with Tesla Service has me waiting to see whether I'd rather get into a VW ID.4 instead.
I saw one lady running around her closed Tesla S stopped in the middle lane in Huntington Beach couple months ago. Was wondering what had happened. Btw I passed her driving Chevy Bolt.
Brand new base model Bolts are low $20's. GM has higher MSRP as they can make up the cash-on-the-hood over $10,000 as they make their money on trucks and SUVs unlike the Japanese.
@@normt430 Yeah, I heard somewhere that every new Bolt sold is worth something like $14K in CARB state ZEV credits allowing GM to keep selling max volumes of their highly profitable SUVs and pickups. That would certainly explain why the KIA and Hyundai dealers in MD want every bit of full MSRP for their BEVs while GM puts big cash on the hood of theirs. Screwy market distortion for sure, but I still have to chuckle at the notion that some Chevy Tahoe buyers basically got soaked into giving me $10K toward the purchase of a very competent BEV! I wonder if someday when KIA and Hyundai have fully ramped production volumes of their new large SUVs, which are selling like hotcakes, whether they'll start wheeling and dealing on their BEVs too in order to get those CARB state ZEV credits.
@@a01206X16 the Bolt has nothing to do with truck and SUV sales or EV credits. If it did it would effect Ford or Chyrsler also.
The large vehicles have very good discounting too. GM makes it's money in trucks as Arlington, Texas, plant is the most proditable assembly plant in the world.
Hyundai/KIA only sells economy EV cars. When GM has Hummer next year and Cadillac EV's the year after you see Tesla as a premium brand left in the dust as the luxury brands will own the news at the end of the decade.
The Bolt is too small. With an electric car you don't need it to be a little death trap or sh*t Box. Make it full size or at least mid size. Electric vehicles are efficient and there is no reason to sacrifice safety or comfort. No wonder the Bolt isn't doing well.
The real price difference between the Model 3 and the Bolt is larger than most reviews acknowledge. The insurance tends to be higher on the Model 3. We bought the Bolt because Chevy was offering very aggressive incentives. But also because we can insure the car for ~$550 per year, while our insurance quotes on the Model 3 came in at over $2K. After a few years, this added insurance costs becomes a big contributor to the cost of ownership. Insurance companies view the Model 3 as a sports car.
I purchased my 2020 in Feb. 2020 for $29,000. Love the car, nice runabout. Sit up high, seats are just fine for me, and I prefer buttons and knobs for frequently used controls. I have 5,000 miles on the car and for the last 2,000 miles I am averaging 299 miles of range. I have only used a commercial charter once, the rest of the time I use my home charger. Perfect for my use, have quit worrying about range for my use.
I leased a 2017 Bolt and when the lease ended I expected to get a Y. The well established Tesla reliability issues gave me pause, the price was the deal breaker. I leased a 2020 Bolt for 1/2 the lease price of the Y, your video is well done and very thorough, but your conclusion that "the price is only $1k different than a Tesla 3" is based only on MSRP and totally disconnected from reality, or actual transaction price. Impeccable reliability at 1/2 the price, yeah it was not a difficult decision for me...
Same situation for me, I replaced my 2017 Bolt going off lease with a 2020 at the end of February. I test drove the Kona EV a couple of times and was pretty tempted, but here in the San Francisco Bay Area the dealer had a $7,500 markup on the Kona while GM was offering more than $10,000 of MSRP. I also seriously considered the Tesla Model 3 and Y, but the low MSRP only applies if you want a white car with ugly wheels and none of the self-driving features. I’m very happy with my new Bolt with its incremental improvements over the last one and the unbeatable value I got.
@@peterwright837 did you consider a Niro ev?
@@John-209 I couldn’t even find a Niro EV at a local dealer and even those further away had markups.
@@peterwright837 Hey Peter thanks for the reply I found one about eight months ago in Newark and they were selling about for under MSRP. They still have some around now I have seen
Just bought a 2020 Bolt Premier with all the options and a premium paint job for under 30K in MN. Except for the dealer not telling me there had been a recall before driving 240 miles to pick it up so I couldn't take it with me, and delivering it 3 days later without a charger, the car has been great. Love the handling, range, lack of engine noise and the seats are actually more comfortable than my previous car. Glad I have left ICE cars behind.
Alex,
Chevrolet is swimming against the current, in.a good way!! Affordable long range EV. Oxymoronic for most EV makers. I’m getting 270-280 miles when charging only to 90% of full driving 60% highway (60mph). Has good space in front and back seats and plenty of space for daily use.
For all of the criticisms of look, seat thickness, use of hard plastics, I say, JUST GET OVER IT. $8500 off MSRP and state time of sale refund and I got my LT for $26K. The seat and steering wheel heat make winter driving OK even without running resistive heat.
It’s not cutting edge appointments, but 280 miles for $26K. Smiling all the way to and from work as well on all my 100 mile 1-way trips.
I saw a good video comparison from " out of spec motoring."
They've done several range tests and also track days, they compared a bolt EV to a mini SE. Surprisingly the bolt was quicker and handled better and quicker around the track than the mini did. The mini does not put power down very well and the handling is not as good as it should be.
You mentioned the GTI and that is a closer comparison. GM put together an autocross event and had a GTI along with a bolt EV with some sticky summer tires. The bolt was quicker around the autocross track than the GTI. I would say that puts it well into the category of good handling car.
Sure as hell would have been nice if they would have up that charging rate a bit not just giving us a better charging curve.
I think you are a spot on Alex about the very useful information they give in the instrument cluster with this car. You get the minimum maximum and average but you also have a trending line next to it so if you're going along on the interstate and that trending line is moving downwards it could be because of a headwind or going up hills it gives you some idea that you're heading up or down in that range of possible available miles. it's easy to read easy to understand what's going on and gives useful information with very little fluff..
one other thing I noticed the little slot where you had your cell phone is actually a wireless charging slot.
2017 bolt with 20,000 miles for $17,500. You can't beat that. 👍
Wow, so much info in one video! Helps EV shoppers sort out the complex world of this quickly evolving segment. Thank you Alex.
Nice review. One of the few I’ve seen that covers the charging and range display functionality thoroughly and accurately. Clearly many of the reviewers out there haven’t bothered to understand the cars they’re reviewing so I appreciate your diligence. You are also one of the few reviewers to mention the available discounts on the Bolt rather than just the MSRP and tax incentives. At the end of the day the discounted price is why I replaced my 2017 Bolt with a 2020 Bolt rather than a Tesla Model 3 or a Kona EV even though they each had some nicer features than the Bolt they couldn’t beat the value of the Bolt for me.
michael nola
I agree with your comments though I have to confess I think I owned my first Bolt for a year before I noticed the trending bar, but now I definitely keep an eye on it.
It is nice to see a lot of happy Bolt users commenting here showing that GM does truly for the most part have its quality under control now, unlike Tesla which keeps failing around my home. My neighbor unloaded his Tesla as fast as he could after the third breakdown in under two years and now owns a 1 year old 2019 Bolt and loves it with no problems. Only problem is the range in the cold as in CT - it gets pretty cold in the winter and the effective range drops to about 170 miles. Note that now on the Bolt the discount is $8500, more than the tax credit you get on the other cheap electric cars, and drops the price way below Tesla.
Excellent video. Lots of good and accurate detail with no boredom. Thank you.
I was a 2013 Volt owner and just bought a used Tesla Model S for $27,000. I test drove the bolt twice but decided against it. Best decision I ever made
Similar story. Traded in my Volt for an older Model S. No regrets.
Teslas are fire traps.
Agreed, you get a lot more for your money when it's not a GM .
@BryceloveeTech What year Model S did you get? Where did you buy it?
Right until your MCU, front A arms and drive unit fail in 3 years. Then the decision doesn't look so great.
You don't mention that the Model 3 has a 3* reliability rating from consumer reports while the Bolt has 5*.
@Dominic Licavoli I have a 2019 Bolt which is also recalled, but I have not applied the recall as I always charge to 55% anyway. At least I have the option of not applying the recall, when Tesla had the same problem with batteries catching fire they just reduced all vehicles capacity without asking anyone and the brainwashed Tesla sheeple were just happy, because well... they're brainwashed and that's what happens when you're brainwashed.
@Dominic Licavoli you buy a car as an investment? I bet you buy Tesla stock as well, right?
Btw, Tesla absolutely reduced the range. If you did a proper capacity test you'd know. You can't use any of the data you get from the Tesla software because it is groomed to cover up the capacity reduction.
I am loving the 2020 bolt so far Costco is offering another 3k of for members.
How does the Costco deal work?
Bolts in the Chicago area are easily 15-20% off, regularly. You can easily score a base model for under $30k, and a Premier in the low 30's. GM is doing what GM does best: discounting. :)
jauffins I bought my 2019 bolt LT pretty loaded last September when there was still 3750 federal tax credit available. with that and all the discounts I got out the door price of under 25K and that’s including 7.25% sales tax, plates, etc. so really pretty good deal and I am happy with the car. So far, despite Covid and not driving much to work in the last few months I put some10,000 miles on it. t’s really fun to drive, especially in the city/suburbs.
Thank you for staying on point!
Have seen this vehicle & really like it- it’s SIMPLE, unlike so many today.
Great review! Very informative and helpful. I want one!
This is the first I've heard that the 2021 Bolt EV will have 100kW charging capability. If true, that's a big deal and definitely needed.
This sized car is perfect for in town driving, and the battery size is just right. It's not too big to where it starts becoming a weight issue - thus effecting efficiency (see Scotty Kilmer's video on Tesla). Regenerative braking actually shows added miles. When I drive mine I can at times (depending on attitude) get a really efficient trip. Even better than my Model S. On the streets I can get 5 miles taken from the battery pack for about 18 physical miles driven. That's cool. However, once I get on the freeway (65 MPH) the battery mileage drops to 1 battery mile for every 0.5 mile driven. What I don't like the most about this car is the suspension. They skimped on the design. At times it's way too bouncy, and others too stiff. Probably a matter of luck over planned design was the tall ceiling. It's high enough above my head that the warm air is evacuated quickly when the windows are opened. I don't have to turn on the AC. You don't need a sun roof either for this car. It is still plenty fast too when starting off at a green light. The hand brake pedal on the steering wheel rocks!
Forgot to add another nit. The D mode of driving is actually more efficient at regen than the more extreme L mode where you can do one pedal driving. I've found that coasting in D to a stop allows for a more steady regen current, as opposed to large current amplitude spurts in the L mode. This seems to allow for more charging. Maybe there's a current fold back circuit in the regen to protect it? I've noticed the same deal with Teslas. So what I do is let the regen do its thing by taking my foot off the accelerator before I need to add braking / more aggressive regen. This is actually a more safe form of driving too.
What year do you have? The suspension is better in 2020 apparently.
@@kevingriffith3801 There is probably less heat loss as well. True coasting is a better idea when possible though. Its a better way of driving instead of people racing to red lights.
Surprisingly fun to drive
First time I saw one I thought it was a Honda Fit 😶
This might have helped it, as Honda no longer sells the fit in the US.
Living in the South, I like the stealth factor of the Bolt. Nut jobs who hate everything EV don’t know what it is, so they leave me alone.
People who hate the Bolt EV's looks are silent on the Honda Fit. They're practically identical so I don't know what their deal is.
Honda sold a lot of those things in a much more crowded gasoline-powered compact segment, so that may serve the Bolt well.
It's pretty butt
Bolt vs. a stripped out Model 3, both at MSRP. I'll take the model 3. It's a better value at MSRP. However, with 10k on the hood of a Bolt, I'd take the Bolt.
And this is the whole point. The Bolt will be closer to $13k below MSRP at most dealers. The Model 3 will be $5k to $10k over MSRP with delivery charge and common upgrades like a change in paint color and dumping the plastic hubcaps (or driving around on the wheels under the hubcaps) in exchange for the wheels shown in every picture.
While the Tesla Model 3 looks compelling on paper, like every car, the addition cost of options that most buyers will want is really going to jump the price up fast.
@@davidmccarthy6061 - That is correct. Another way to look at it: I was able to take the money I saved buying the Bolt vs. the Model 3 and use that to install the solar panels on my home that fuel my car (and power my house).
Factor in insurance costs per year when you do the math on cost to own. The ugly little Chevy wins again.
Had the money ready for a M-Y but my wife caught me raving about the screen interface on her Dodge so I checked out the Bolt! Bolt is way cheaper has standard wiper and light and heat/air controls! Absolutely love the Bolt, traded in my Focus Electric that was great for it’s time but burned up tires with it’s uncontrollable torque steer so I got tired of buying tires every year! The Bolt is set up to never spin the tires! If you are buying now you may still get in on $3K off for being a Costco member as of 9/1
Got my 2021 LT in June for 27,300 and have put 6k on it.
Drive with a light foot, don't blast the heater or ac, keep it under 60mph and you get 300 mile per charge.
Blast the heater or AV and stomp on the throttle and you will get 200 miles.
Evey one that has drove in mine commented about how smooth the ride is.
Its fast as heck, passing is fun, passing gas stations is even better.
Am I am digging driving with one foot, makes up for not having a manual transmission.
Waiting for my new battery/warranty in a couple months.
when I worked at the GM truck plant in Oshawa (1986-88) the electric AGV's that the trucks were built on had ultrasonic detectors. They sensed objects in front such as workers, and would slow down. If the object was still there after a few seconds the vehicle would stop. I had wondered even then if this technology would be placed on regular vehicles. Granted the sensing distance was only 1--20 feet, but it was a great start.
Honestly, as a new 33 year old, if it were just a little cushier as a Buick, I could totally see myself commuting in something like this package.
no one pays sticker price for a bolt. GM has been discounting since tax credit is gone. i paid 26K for a 2020 LT with all options available on it. so this review isn't really comparing apples to apples. Compare this car to other electric cars that cost 26K not the 40K+ tesla. the kona is a complacence car cant buy one in ohio or many other states so its not really comparable either
This will be my first EV car!! Good job bro.
200 miles should be the minimum range in my opinion. I have had my 2018 Bolt EV for 2.5yrs over 34k miles. Been a very dependable and useful car. 90%+ driving is
So I recently traded in my 2017 Bolt EV Premier for the 2020 Bolt EV Premier. I live in Santa Barbara where we don't have as much choice. The Hyundai dealer is 45 minutes away; my Chevy dealer is less than 10 minutes away. Even with the range bump, the Bolt EV is still not a touring car. I think of it as a town car; I never have to drive more than 40 minutes in single direction so my back is fine. One thing you don't mention in this video is how easy it is to park the Bolt in tight spaces. For 2020, Chevy improved a lot of little things -- a much better rear-view cam and I think the ride is slightly improved over the 2017 version. The Bose Audio system is excellent and I love Intellibeam, where the headlights auto-switch between hi-beam and low beam when a car comes around the corner. Also, it handles speedbumps a little better. I would be a little more generous with handling and give it a B/B+, although that may be because our roads are smoother on average. Also, I would give the Ride a B-, mainly because of the seats. I almost went for the Model 3, but watch out because Tesla really understates a lot of things about the vehicle including the final leasing price. I recommend leasing the car rather than buying it because, like Alex said, there's going to be a new generation of EV's coming soon. Oh, one more thing: Chevy is much more generous with loyal customers and gave me a very reasonable discount because of it.
I have a short front end and still have a useful frunk in my CPO i3
The short range EV just makes too much sense for multiple car households to stay out of favor forever. When a mainstream sedan is about $20k or even less, a Model 3 or Bolt is about impossible to justify for the average city driver. But a similar EV with half the range would come way down in price. At that point, the fuel cost savings and simpler maintenance might make it a conversation.
We've got a first gen LEAF we bought used that does 55% of our household driving since we got it. Cost us $9k and just lost its first bar at 7 years old and 60k total miles. Will keep serving us for a few more years as our short range vehicle. Great way to get an EV on the cheap.
You can buy a new Bolt for around $26k out the door. That's a bargain given the range. No need to buy a short range EV when you can get a Bolt for that kind of money.
There are new Jettas listed on Cars.com for about $16k, Imprezas for about $17k, Passats for about $18k and Civics for about $19k. The difference is just too big for people who do not drive a lot and who do not want to overspend on a car.
I wouldn’t get any Tesla EV’s because their complicated quality control and their supply chain for parts, even if that part is a lug but for example. Why should I wait two weeks minimum to months?! You know this @Alex on Auto from @TFLCars when Tommy had his “accident” and the repair shop took months because of parts...
Starting to see a hell of a lot of Bolts on the road now. Deep, deep discounting of the 2020 and 2021 cars has put a lot of America in their first EV.
I grabbed a base LT with just Comfort/Convenience and DC Fast. I could not have bought a Honda Fit for less.
4.5 mi/kWh so far, over 4500 miles.
Chevrolet Bolt is still the BEV to beat! Best looking for the nerdy environmental type buyer. Nice large inside space for a midsize crossover that competes with Honda Pilot, Highlander, Palisades, Telluride. The Bolt BEV just do not have any compete in it’s segment!
The onscreen graphic has the old range of 238mi not the new range.
Dashboard 'house wrap' is Tyvek (brand name).
Snagged my 2020 LT used with 15k miles at CarMax for around 22 before taxes and fees. A bit high on the price but I love it.
Alex, why is it you ignored availability? Bolt/Tesla are the only vehicles available nationwide which takes priority over anything else. Kona/Niro could be amazing cars but if you can’t get one what’s the point in discussing them without this caveat? I ended up with a 2019 Bolt premier (March 2020) because I couldn’t get a Niro/Kona and Michigan. I spoke to several dealers who told me they wouldn’t/couldn’t support the vehicle even if I “imported” one from another state. Oh and GM has what appears to be permanent $8500 rebate on the Bolt to drop the effective MSRP way down.
The donut spare for the Spark will fit the Bolt and can be stowed in the bottom section of the boot deflated.
I'm seeing these new on dealer lots now for as little as $20-$21k, really excellent value in my opinion. In the real world, comparing that to a $38k Tesla Model 3, they're very different cars.
Hi Alex, on your graph at 7:13 you have the range listed at 238. Should be 259. Cheers
In my opinion, range is highly overated unless you have a long commute or routinely take long trips. I have a Focus electric which has an EPA estimated 76 miles of range. We are a two car household, so if we need to travel more than 60 miles we'll just take our gas powered car. For the VAST majority of my driving I have plenty of range. The fastest path to cheap EVs is smaller batteries.
I had Nissan Leaf 1st gen, and for a while it was great. But then 80 mile range meant I had to spend lot of time at charging stations. For me, I would say 120 mile range is probably optimal in terms of cost and usability.
@@springer-qb4dv I agree on 120 miles. That would be super handy. My point was that most people would be able to get by just fine with a 80 mile range and an alternative for the occasional long trip.
A smaller battery is more environmentally friendly, and a lot cheaper. The price difference between a long and short range EV, is probably worth around 100+ days of car rental, so the need to have a car capable of a family road trip is a bit overated in my opinion.
@@evansuggs I am super happy with my 2016 Kia Soul EV for this reason! I get about 115 miles fully charged. Up until a month or so ago, I only used it for short trips but now it is handling my husband's 40 mile round trip commute at highway speeds like a champ. We are apartment dwellers so we charge at public stations overnight (next door). So glad we were able find an EV we could afford.
Heat pumps don’t work as well for hot, humid climates. This is because one needs to run A/C and Heat at the same time for visibility. If one runs just A/C on the front windshield, it will remove condensation from the inside of the glass, but because the glass is being cooled, condensation will form on the outside because of cold glass and high humidity outside the vehicle. I live in Georgia with a Bolt EV, so I know. Just the other day in Early August outside of Atlanta, while driving in the evening the outside temperature dropped to the low 70s and was very humid. I needed max A/C and Heat just to be able to see out.
What do you think could be done to improve the ride?
Interesting to see how road noise scored an A on this model year and the previous review of a 2017 model year was a B-. Was 74 dB for the older model year and 72 dB for the new one. Well done GM for improving that.
I hope the seats in the refreshed Bolt are a big improvement over the current ones. They're just too narrow for my ribcage. Faster charging and adaptive cruise control would also be appreciated.
I hope the '21 Bolts seats will fit in my '18. If they do I will replace my driver seat. It is too narrow, and too cushy and yielding. It ccompresses to the point where I am sitting on the frame of the seat. Not good.
Hi Alex, love your Chanel, I am one of the first subscribers. Can you please review 2021 BMW X5 45e? Please!
james braselton do you one it ?
I would consider a city EV since we also have a compact SUV for long trips. Love the Mini EV, but Mini reliability & repair costs are downers. I wish Honda e was headed to USA.
The encore Trax were the best looks design but back seats just a little small need a off road convertible package like the samari and tracker
Very nice
Have you seen the Costco special on the Bolt? People are getting them for 24K right now. Not in the same category at the Model 3.
The Kona has no back seat leg room
Who drives from the back seat?
buildmorefarms100 back seat drivers 😂
@@buildmorefarms1007 Officer Hightower.. :-) (Police academy)
Have you been to Omaha before? They got some allmost San Francisco hills there. I would go with Florida as the flat state from now on its way more flatter then Nebraska.
Keep up the great video love the attention to detail even when Im not interested in the vehicle.
Alex - you can feather the regen paddle using the accelerator pedal. I just found out after owning my bolt for almost a year... kind of surprising. Pressing the regen paddle while in D mode acts like switching the car into L mode.
I own a 2019 Bolt Premier and a 2020 Kona Electric Ultimate, both top trim models. Honestly, between the two, I can't pick a favorite. I will be doing several videos directly comparing the two on my channel.
The Bolt feels more composed to drive. The ride is smoother than the Kona, despite the less complex rear suspension (torsion beam on the Bolt vs. multilink on the Kona), it has less cabin noise, especially on rough highway, the handling is more predicatable, and the drivetrain tuning is substantially more polished. The brakes and traction control system on the Kona need significant improvement in my opinion, the threshold between a quicker than normal stop and full on panic stop is hair triggered. The transition between regen and friction braking on the Kona is not good either, especially when coming to a normal stop. The friction brakes engage at about 5 mph and seem to grab more than the regen braking, so it always leads to a jerky stop. Feels like driving with a new driver.
The traction control is the same as every other Hyundai/Kia product I've driven, including my old 1st gen Soul EV. It is very aggressive, too aggressive. The slightest amount of wheel slip is met with the brakes being applied to that wheel and a reduction in power. If the wheels continue to slip repeatedly, it will cut motor output substantially for several seconds. This has lead to some scary moments when trying to merge with traffic, particularly in the rain. I don't have this same issue with the Bolt. The Bolt will allow some wheel slip, quite a bit actually, but not enough for the vehicle to lose control or full on smoke the tires. It's a good combination of controlling wheel spin without completely ruining acceleration in the Bolt. The Bolt also ships with better tires than the Kona, so grip is less of an issue anyway, especially in the rain (Michelin vs Nexan). Both cars would benefit greatly from wider, grippier tires, but would lose some efficiency.
I know it was mentioned in the video that the Bolt limits the torque from an initial stop while the Kona doesn't, but actually both do. The Bolt just seems to have better acceleration grip from the better tires and that results in less wheel spin. To me, the Bolt actually feels noticeably faster off the line than the Kona, and that is down to the fact that the Kona does limit the initial acceleration torque. It is really noticeable when the vehicle has more weight in it and thus more traction, the Kona can feel downright slow off the line when it is loaded up with weight (max GVWR). However, the increased peak torque of the Kona due to it having a physically larger motor is noticeable at higher speeds. The Kona is probably faster in a passing manuever than the Bolt, although I think the 0-60 time of the Bolt is slightly faster. The Kona also has a higher top speed (I think it is like 106 in the Kona vs about 93 in the Bolt.)
I also think the Bolt (subjectively) feels like it handles better, especially when driving near the limit. The brakes are way easier to modulate, the traction control is much less intrusive, and it feels more predictable and controllable. Thee Kona feels a bit nervous and twitchy, and braking smoothly is quite difficult. That being said, some tests have shown that the Kona is actually slightly faster in a timed lap vs the Bolt, but in those same tests, the driver mentioned that the Bolt was subjectively better to drive.
That being said, its not all bad for the Kona, it is actually a very good car as well.
The charging speed is much better than the Bolt, allowing up to 78kw in some conditions vs 54kw max for the Bolt. As a side note to this statement, but Kona is more expensive to charge on one of the more prolific EVSE providers out there in the US (Electrify America) due to a price structure mismatch. The Kona charges at a peak rate of 200A, which means that for the brief period that the battery voltage is above 375V and it is still charging at 200A, it will take more than 75kw, which is where the price structure jumps substantially on EA. Although this would be an easy fix for Hyundai/Kia or EA, so far neither has really fixed it. EA offers a Kia/Hyundai Select Plan which drops the price from like $0.69/min to $0.35/min, but that is still substantially higher than the member price tier of $0.18/min here in Oregon which covers charging speeds from 0-75kw, where the Kona spends most of its time anyway. Still, the overall charging curve of the Kona is much faster than the Bolt and it does make a difference when travelling a longer distance.
The Kona also has more up-to-date technology than the Bolt and a more premium feel, although it still feels a bit cheap in places. The Kona offers things that aren't even available on the Bolt, like adaptive cruise control (although the Kona's system is often flummoxed by snow, ice or even bugs), actual lane keeping assist and limited automatic steering (the Bolt only has lane departure which nudges you back in your lane if you are driving over the line, it doesn't keep you centered in the lane or steer), better collision avoidance system (the Bolt's system is camera based only and seems a little nervous, but it still works, the Kona seems to only start screaming at you if you really are about to crash), and even smaller creature comforts like a better wireless phone charging (the slot on the Bolt is too small for a larger mass market phone), a moonroof and power seats (both are not available in the Bolt).
I also like the infotainment a bit better in the Kona than the Bolt. The Bolt has a better screen, but the UI is laggy and navigating through the settings is painful. Even just simply changing the source of audio from the radio to bluetooth on the Bolt requires 3-4 screen presses from the home screen. It takes 1 physical button push in the Kona. The Kona also allows for 2 bluetooth audio sources to be connected at the same time, which is nice if you have a passenger who wants to make a phone call or listen to music from their phone. You don't have to disconnect the driver's phone in order to connect the passenger's phone. However, the bluetooth audio has significant latency on the Kona. Not an issue for listening to music, but if you want to watch a video and hear the audio over the stereo, it's terrible. The Infinity branded audio system in the Kona is also a bit better than the Bose system in the Bolt, especially the bass response. The Kona, however, does not offer a 360 camera while the Bolt does, although in the 2019 model it looks a bit old and low definition (its still very usable and was improved for the 2020 model).
The ride quality in the Kona is also better over big bumps than the Bolt, despite being louder and harsher over smaller bumps. The rear shock tuning on the Bolt seems a little too soft and allows the rear suspension to move a lot over big bumps. It's especially noticeable if you hit a large pavement expansion joint or a large dip in the pavement mid corner, something which does happen on freeways. The Bolt, because of it's non-independent rear suspension, will feel like the rear end steers a little bit out of line from the front in this condition, whereas the Kona might transmit more of the bump into the cabin but from a steering/handling perspective, it seems to deal with it better.
The Kona is also a bit more efficient at high speeds than the Bolt. Over 65-70mph, the Bolt's efficiency drops pretty substantially, whereas the Kona efficiency drops to a lesser extent.
The back seat of the Bolt is much more spacious than the Kona. It is surprisingly large for being such a small car. 4 adults could definitely fit comfortably in the Bolt. They could all fit in the Kona, but back seat passengers would be less comfortable. The front seats in the Kona are miles better than the Bolt. The front seats in the Bolt are bad enough to give me a back ache that lasted into the next day after my first long drive in it, and its due to the shoulder area on the seat pushing my shoulders forward and the lack of lumbar support as you mentioned. I bought a lumbar pillow which put more of the back support on my lumbar rather than my shoulders/upper back, which helped substantially and allows me to drive the Bolt long distances without needing a chiropractor (12hrs in the Bolt just yesterday filming a video for my channel), but the Kona seats are far more comfortable, along with offering a ventilated feature (Bolt seats are heated but not ventilated).
Regarding pricing, the MSRP for either car is just a number. Keep in mind that Tesla has no federal tax credits, hasn't for a long time, and offers basically no manufacturer discounts (since they are selling so well). On my Bolt, although the fed tax credit was basically used up, I got the fully loaded Premier model for $15,000 off MSRP including a $2500 state tax credit (which was applied as a discount to the purchase price by the dealer), bringing the purchase price to about $28,500. That was with 0 haggling on my part, literally the advertised sticker price for the car. For the Kona, it still had the full fed and state tax credit, but we got an additional discount from the dealer bringing the total discount to around $12,000 off MSRP, bringing the purchase price to around $33,000. So yes, the MSRP is high and closer to inline with Tesla models, but Tesla has no federal tax credit and offers no discounts, so the MSRP is the price you pay, whereas literally nobody is paying MSRP for almost any other EV in the US. You can get a fully loaded Bolt or Kona with every possible option for less than a base model Tesla M3. Of course, the Tesla may have other perk that make it worth the extra cash for some.
Anyway, long message/review of the Kona and Bolt from the POV of an owner of both, but hopefully someone may find it interesting.
For the price, the Ioniq EV is really good. I leased mine for 110 per month and it's shockingly good. Hope GM doesn't blow it with the Bolt. Even when they make a good car, they can't seem to keep it going. Volt comes to mind as an example of that.
When are you going to review the MINI Cooper SE?
Problem with the comparison of Kona and Nero to the Bolt is can you find one. I ended up leasing a 2019 Bolt more because I just couldn’t find a Kona or Nero base model. The higher models were available but above MSRP. In Southern California the Kona or Nero EVs were just not available and I even had an auto broker look for me within 100 mile radius.
I remember Nissan saying the reason they kept the components under the hood it to keep it familiar to how an ice is set up. It is pretty impressive that Tesla can keep the storage high in the front and in the back.
Tesla is a longer car.
This would be a good choice for me besides a Tesla - except! They need SuperCruise option packages. No adaptive cruise is ridiculous.
I sure hope they put the "gear lever" as a button or dial on the dash and open up the whole center console. Most cars should be doing that by now!
Yeah, it would be a better use of space. The Volt has a traditional gear lever, but it also has a mechanical linkage to the parking pawl. The Bolt has no such thing and could have gear selections in the form of buttons on the dash or an electronic column stalk like in a Tesla.
I absolutely love the shifter in the floor. The "L" stands for lazy.
Just curious...anyone know what the front/rear weight distribution is for the Bolt?
In my area (Columbus, OH) you can find a brand new 2020 Bolt LT for $22,800.
Would it have any options at all?
@@IBMara - The video listed the standard options of the base Bolt.
We live in the country but my wife doesn't drive much, bring our son back and forth to school. About 6 months ago we picked up a soul ev the 9k miles. range is 130 miles seems to work for her.
Yes. People need to buy for their needs not the what ifs.
One plus you should add for the Model 3 comparison is the supercharger network. EVs this is like doubling your charging infrastructure!
Unbelievable lease deals on the Bolt for Costco members. 36 month for $187 per month. 10,000 miles a year. $1780 down including first month's payment. Beat that!
Pricing was the only way I could afford an EV. I got $17,000 off the 2021 LT version for a cost of $23,000 plus the Michigan sale tax for an OTD price of $25,000. Now I do have to wait a long time for a new battery but by then I will have at least 10,000 miles so the new battery gives me at least 1 more year of warranty too 9 years.
As we head into winter, I do find a loss in range but since I am retired and most of my round trips are less than 150 miles, I have no concerns and just charge up every night when my rates are lower. Also lower on the weekends. It is fun to drive and as fast as I would need for highway driving. With 200 hp and a low ground clearance it feels very sporty but also small. I have not had to DC charge, but maybe on a longer trip in Michigan next summer.
Excellent video. Thank you for the research and the presentation- I’ve found used 2017 Chevy Bolts for ~$20,000 online if Carvana’s prices are as advertised. I think manufacturers have to focus on lowering prices down to the essential sedan price ranges like the Yaris or the Cruze. I know that there are significant savings when buying used EVs and I constantly witness people online waiting for EVs to depreciate. We’re almost there with the Bolt, and it’s surprising to me that neither Honda nor Toyota have stepped into the EV market yet. Perhaps they’ll announce their developments in the coming years. I also think that Chevy could stand to market the Bolt much better. I think there was some confusion when this car was released given that the Volt had already been around since hybrid cars first gained traction. It’s all about marketing! (And price). I’m not at all surprised when people think Tesla is the only electric car manufacturer out there...
If you are shopping online for used, try MyEv.com and CarGurus.com a lot of Bolt's are coming off lease, so there are tons showing up in all sorts of dealer lots. Heck, the Central California CarMax has 12 BoltEVs on their lot right now. The local Chevy dealer- 1/2 mile away? 2.
Sebastian: If you shop around, you could get a new Bolt for $24,000-$26,000. For ~$5000 difference I would get a new Bolt.
After seeing how well (this now used) Bolt did against Tesla in a TFL real world test in the Colorado mountains I am thinking about get a used 2020 Bolt just for a daily driver and they are now half the price they were when new and with low miles for some I have seen.
I guess they soldiered on for another year since the 2021 didn't have any of the updates you predicted. 2022 has no update in the powertrain, just styling and the adaptive cruise control. I think I am going to go for the 2021 for the price reductions.
imho, sales/bragging rights of the Chevy Bolt would improve if they moved the front, or added a motor, to the rear axle and improved the 0-60 time.... making it more competitive with the base Model 3.
I think an all wheel drive EV with a front motor disconnect would be really cool. Front wheel drive seems like a real missed opportunity on the Bolt with it's level of power and handling.
Entirely different market segments. Bolt is a reliable, affordable hatchback for the middle class. Model 3 is a $40,000 sports sedan with awful reliability, limited utility, and insurance rates 1.5-2.5x that of Bolt.
A base Model 3 buyer would never buy a Bolt. They are buying a "Tesla", not a Model 3. The stripped-down, base Model 3 is the only Tesla that they can swing the monthly payment on.
I heard new Soul EV will not be sold in US. True?
Leased 2020 LT 36 months x 45K miles one time payment $7500 out the door.
Wow. Pretty amazing - can you provide the name and location of the dealer? Thanks !
Alex: I feel your comparison could be more consistent. In ride and handling score, you compared the Bolt with Toyota RAV4 plug in hybrid and other PHEVs. Near the end of the video, the comparison was restricted to battery electric vehicles. It is difficult to gauge how well the Bolt performs if the bases with which to compare changes.
I think he's comparing it to vehicles people might cross shop it with.
Don't forget about the Tesla Superchargers available for the Tesla Modle 3. I would consider upgrading to a Tesla Modle 3 because of the supercharger network.
Nice video... though at 07:15 timemark, your info window on the left lists the range as 238 miles when it should be 259...
The 2017-19 was rate 238 miles, the 2020 is 259 due to the increased battery capacity at 66 kWh
@@joshgoldstein1568 You can see that info section shows 66 kWh capacity, then just under it , it shows 238 miles... which , we can infer, was a typo for this model year 2020 he's talking about.
picked up a bolt lt loaded, 25k and 0% for 84 months. I kinda feel like they just gave me a car.
Cute little Bolt EV, but @ $43K & short range, I personally would go for a Tesla Model 3 🤷🏻♂️
I think it might depend on region, but I bought my brand new fully loaded bolt for $31.5k, not $43k. At that price difference I'd definitely prefer the bolt over model 3, not least because I can't afford a model 3. But I'm also the type of person who wants a hatchback
MythosGandaar .....That’s perfectly understandable, if you got such a deal, I think I would have done the same like you. I’ve seen the bolt and it is a cute EV. What most likely turns me down is it’s range....I drive a lot , plus finally automakers are understanding that most customers feel more enthusiastic with longer range capacity vehicles, so that’s a good thing too. But again, good for you, you got a nice deal on your bolt 👍
@@MaxKito2 Yes, range is a little bit better for 2020, but what they really need to work on next is charging speed. Plenty of road trips I could take, but just borrow family's car instead because it's far more convenient
Or you could do 2 minute's worth of research and find out that nobody pays $43k for it.
16:25 Bolt owners, what is the concensus on the shifter? It appears to return to a 'base' position like the shifters on Toyota Prius models? Would you have preferred it just be a stalk on the steering wheel column?
I love it. Intuitive and reminds me of my old BMW stick shift 318i
I love the shifter in the floor. It makes me feel one with my Bolt. Heads up, the "L" is for lazy. 🤪
Yes, model 3, for long trip. Bolt if priced below $30k
I would love to get a Tesla Model 3 over a Bolt but the discounts I am finding for a Bolt are more like 16k off of Premier. So a 27-28k fully loaded Bolt vs a non negotiable Model 3 for 10k more is a big difference. If leasing payment /cost is almost half a model 3. As I said I would really love to get a Model 3 over a Bolt but they really aren’t close to same price if you are willing to look and work to find a deal.
No one buys a model 3 for $37K. After a few must have options, out the door, they are more like $50K
I am in favor of more range. I am debating on getting a deal on a 2021 Bolt or just wait for the 2022. I should not even be thinking of a new car as my Hyundai Elantra GT manual only has 15.7k miles on it and it was paid for long ago. Lane keep assist is a valuable feature. Super cruise is too expensive.
Im waiting on a kona or a smaller hatchback.
Alex, You should give 0 to 30 times when you review electric or plug-in vehicles. 0 to 30 is just more useful info when reviewing electrics.
A sneeze lol
Alex: A correction at 7:30, the range should be 259 miles, not 238 miles.
like for many EVs, the price is just ridiculously high and unjustifiably so these days. If it was 20-25k, it would be a very interesting proposition. And in 2020, max charging power should be at least twice the rated battery capacity, and deliver 10-80% SOC in 30 min.
These are sold in Europe as the Opel Ampera-e .
I think that might be the Volt
@@johnburton2771 : Chevy Volt PHEV = Opel Ampera // Chevy Bolt EV = Opel Ampera E
@@Pikminiman I have added the missing 'e'
Are they still being sold? I thought PSA dropped it.
@@cypvh74 Yes, one of the cheapest EVs with very decent range in Europe, but it ends as soon as the cars in stock are all sold.
Wonder how 0-60 times and handling would be affected by changing out tires to something with more grip. Have to imagine you could get under 6 seconds with some halfway decent tires.
The factory tires on the Bolt are awful. Will spin on dry pavement at 30 mph if you floor it. Terrible in the snow. Obviously chosen to increase range.
I tried like the dickens to buy a Tesla Model 3. Unsuccessful because of my New Mexico residency. Every one of the 800 Tesla owners here in our 2m population state had to purchase their cars in another state AND take delivery of them in person. Ridiculous. For me a deal killer, and so I’ve put in an order for a 2021 Chevy Bolt EV Premier trim. I’m going to lease the car for less than $200/mo. by putting out a down payment. Very eager for delivery!
As of August 7, 2020; the Kia Soul EV appears nowhere on the Kia USA website. It's no longer listed as "Coming Soon" or "Upcoming Vehicles". It shows up on the Alternative Fuel vehicle page, but only as an award winner. If you search for Soul EV it no longer shows up.
@james braselton The old short range model has long been gone. The 200+ mile model which is currently available in Europe and South Korea used to be on the website as a "Coming Late in 2020" as a 2021 model, then "Coming in 2021" and now it's completely gone.
tjs114 Kia is balking at bringing it here because of low non Tesla EV sales.
How do you install an EV charger at your house? is the question that keeps coming to mind. Are they all compatible with each other, i.e. if I have one charger installed for a Bolt this year, will I need to install a different one if we buy a used Chevy Spark or some other manufacturer's model (like Honda e once Honda decides to actually sell the thing in North America).
The easiest way for me was to install a NEMA 14-50 outlet in our garage. If your breaker panel is in the garage and it's a short run, an electrician should be able to to this for your for $100-$200. Then just buy a 32 AMP Clipper Creek charger that has the NEMA 14-50 plug on the end of it and plug it into the outlet the electrician installed. Simple, and if you move one day you can take it with you. If you don't drive much you could maybe get by with the charger (EVSE) that comes with the car, which uses a regular household outlet, but they are pretty slow and will only get you 40-50 miles per night. The 32 AMP Clipper Creek is much faster will fill your car overnight.
@@evibes512 I have installed a level two charger in my garage. It was an extremely short run from the breaker box. I used a level one charger for a year before I installed it. It worked fine. I plugged it in every night. The choice of charger depends on how many miles, on average, you drive a day. In America the average miles driven by an individual is ~30.
I like my 2020. Price wise it's unbeatable. But I would rather have a standard range model 3. Basically the same range but the battery is 16kw less. So anyway I just like tesla efficiency. But it didn't make sense price wise. And I'm not retired so I went with the more practical car.
In so cal you can get a used one for less than 20k. I am too cheap to buy a Tesla, so I will wait!
GM has been doing horrible things to front seats for several years. While I'd give a seven or an eight to the Sonic, and a ten to a first-generation Cruze, everything redesigned since about 2014 or so has had these awful, thin, unsupportive seats -- the second generation Cruze, the Equinox, this, and others. Glad to hear they're wising up for 2021.
Otherwise I'd love to see a Bolt long enough in the rear to accommodate the other half of that spare tire well, which means I could also carry skis inside it comfortably.