ElectricEra continues to impress me! Their station at the Seven Feathers Truck & Travel Center in Southern Oregon looks especially stellar. The speed at which they can install and energize a station is absolutely astounding.
BTW - I had the same experience with the BP Pulse card reader at the Gateway exit in Springfield, Oregon a couple months ago. I downloaded the app and then hooked up and charged. I agree 100 % with “ app fatigue. “
@@Jaymac933 Thanks. Yes, I've been hearing reports of the CC readers specifically not working on BP Pulse. On other providers, the payment reader shows an error. On BP Pulse, there's no indication, but nothing happens.
Thank you for a great video. I watched a lot of your videos before buying a brand new Bolt EUV exactly a year ago. I absolutely loved that car. Sadly three weeks ago I was hit by a drunk driver in an older Suburban. He totaled my car. I only had 14k on it. It was such a great car. I ended up buying a '23 Model 3. I was considering buying another Bolt, but the Model 3 is so much better for longer road trips for charging.
YREKA looks like just the town to do a weekend hang out or meet up in. As you say, they embrace the festive and also kul the station is right at the Y island off the highway. Is that an EE station? It too said Sky in the top of the screen. (@31:42 TesSC TAKE NOTE PLS). @33:03, looks like ski slopes in the background, so the spot has got creds for that too. @34:56, mad respect for being in striking distance of 200k.
@@thenetworkarchitectchannel Yes, Electric Era uses "Sky Chargers." I need to confirm, but they might be the same company that won a number of NEVI awards for the central corridors in California.
@@newscoulomb3705 correct me if im wrong, but I thought EE buys chargers (sksignet) and integrate them with their own proprietary Powernode hardware software platform battery, charge network, install. While Sky Charger is a "Charging Provider" who gets that solution from EE. Costco have acquired EE setups their chargers are branded as such but are more of a site host.
Thanks Eric. I've been on 2 trips in northern California this year once in May and again in September. It's nice to see the number of chargers spaced nicely along the Freeway as you climb towards the Oregon border. It's good to have more options as you climb into the mountains.
@7:55, I am thinking independent owner / operators of free standing restaurants and c-stores will be doing setups just like that more and more. Not too expensive, but good return on investment.
Every time I hear that triple horn chirp, I am thankful they allow it to be turned off! 😅 Every charging station should have a credit card reader! Make the app optional for your frequent customers to get more functionality, stats, cheaper rates, etc. Folks on a holiday road trip or who need a quick emergency top off don't need an additional pain point to use your service!
I agree with Eric, having signs that indicate there are EV chargers at the next exit is HUGE. This will not only aid mainstream drivers that switch to EV to find where to charge. It will also signal to mainstream gas car drivers that there are EV chargers at exits they pass on their typical road trips. That will make considering an EV for their next vehicle an option. IMO, this will be a big help to EV adoption.
Agree, but it has to be done right. Washington State seems to have decided to install signs directing drivers to EV chargers back in the 2010's, but then decided to not do that anymore, so now, we're in a weird situation where some highway corridors have an "EV charging next exit" sign where there's an old 50 kW EVCS, but no sign for the exit a few miles down, which has Electrify America. Furthermore, many of the chargers that do have road signs, the road signs only tell you which exit to take, they don't tell you how to find the charger after you take the exit, so you still have to be able to navigate to the charger yourself, anyway. I feel like the proper design of road signs for EV chargers is almost worth a whole video in and of itself, as doing it wrong can lead to frustrated, confused drivers, to the point where it's actually worse for the EV community than doing nothing at all. For example, signs should not be directed drivers to the fast ones (e.g. Electrify America), not the older, slower 50 kW ones. Chargers with chronic reliability problems should not get signage. Signs need to indicate which plug types a charging site supports so people don't show up, only to find they can't charge. Similarly, chargers that are exclusive to a particular brand of car should not qualify for signs either. There should also, ideally, be a nationwide standard for which charging sites do/don't deserve signs, as well as the size, format, and location of the signs, so that drivers can have a consistent experience reading the signs when they drive across state lines. (Unfortunately, the time to do this was back when Pete Buttigieg was running the US department of Transportation, as whoever Trump's appointee is sure won't).
I will also add that I think, for a charger to be advertised with a roadsign sign, it should be required to accept credit card swipes like gas pumps do. Being able to also pay with an app, or with plug-and-charge is fine, but it shouldn't be the only way to pay. The basic, humble credit card reader needs to also exist as an option.
@@ab-tf5fl Very good points, I agree completely. I would like to see the same treatment that gas stations get, with “icons” for each brand of charging station, just like gas stations and restaurants. Also exit ramps usually have another sign with an arrow for each “icon” to let drivers know which way to turn, and also the distance from the exit. As gas stations add EV charging, that should be indicated on the sign that lists gas stations at the next exit. Just like diesel fuel availability is today.
To bad Grandma's is closed. I ate there twenty plus years ago. From Oakland it would take an additional 1.5 hours in my EUV to Yreka. Another great video.
Eric I agree that the next wave of EV sales are going to be Americans who just jump in and drive on road trips and do not or forget to plan their stopping points (like bio-breaks) and have a "gasser" mindset and will take advantage of EV road signage along the way.
I drive a 2023 Kona EV and I never plan road trips anymore, I don't see the need. I just enter my destination into the NAV system and it guides me to chargers as needed. It even updates the list of chargers as I drive depending on driving conditions or if I decide to stop sooner for a restroom or meal break as it constantly displays the nearest chargers.
Imagine if, to pump gas, you had to had separate accounts and apps on your phone for BP, Shell, Exxon, Chevron, etc. And, every time you run into a new gas station you haven't visited before, you had to spend 20 minutes downloading and installing a new app, plus trying to get the app to work under a spotty cellular connection. There is a very good reason why gas stations don't work this way, and, since there is nothing fundamentally different about the payment process for charging vs. gas, chargers shouldn't work that way either.
Great road trip.. always enjoy seeing your adventures... I Have a Bolt EV too love the car... use it 99% for Rideshare.. 200+ miles per day. But Road tripping is a PAIN.. I did a 2500 mile road trip right after I bought the car. about 50% of the time 50% of the chargers did not work or had some issue used EA almost exclusively , and it actually cost more money than my previous car, which was a 14 year old Prius. About $210 in gas for the Prius, and it was about $260 in the Bolt EV.. Plus an additional 15 HOURS of time spent charging, plus the 40 hours of actual driving. Love my Bolt EV I really do.. but Road tripping it is a pain and expensive. I could have done your entire road trip in this video , and never stopped at ALL.. and it would have cost me about $30 in gas. TOTAL. I realize California is on a different planet for fuel prices.. $4.45/gallon !! God. We are under $3.0/ gallon
Nice informative report. I'm wondering who owns the EV charging stations? Does the restaurant simply get a rental payment every month? Same with the Union 76 gas station with the sweet setup - does the gas station own the chargers and the flagship EV brand processes payments and maintains network equipment? After 36 years in the traffic biz, I witnessed a 'Use Last' handicapped parking stall sharing sign that is new to me (30:00).
I think there are subtle differences based on the specific contracts and lease deals. In the case of Electric Era, I believe it is a "turn-key" solution, meaning they signed a lease agreement, own the hardware, and pay the power bill. I've finally started to see the "Use Last" signs popping up, but I think they are mostly a response to confusion over whether ADA stalls are dual-purpose. The prevailing opinion that I've seen is that as long as one of the criteria for the parking stall is met (e.g., plugged in and charging), that is sufficient.
@@anthonyc8499 So Skychargers LLC is a separate entity? Do we know whether they are working exclusively with Electric Era? Because they have some massive, upcoming NEVI awards for travel corridors in Central California.
@@newscoulomb3705 Skychargers are their own thing. My understanding is that they've got some Chargepoint stations but their latest builds have been ElectricEra.
@@BradC44 Thanks! Electric Era uses SK Signet. I can't recall whether I've used Altel, but I still haven't had the chance to use Alpitronic. I think they look good, though. Especially the ones iONNA installed with 600 A cables. The Signets have slow start up times, but they are better than Delta.
@@SteveBirkett I've read reports that no one even wants them. There's stagnant demand, sales are declining, and automakers are even cancelling production plans. People also hate that their tax dollars are subsiding them. Let the free market decide! Definitely a failed experiment.
@@newscoulomb3705 hey Eric and Steve....you guys are hilarious...ought to do a regular YT segment....maybe call it coast to coast EV or something like that! Through in a 3rd guy named Walter and you have a hit! We did a 1200 km winter trip up to our sailboat to check on it yesterday and make sure she is getting through the cold Northern Ontario winter OK. On the way home on our last charge stop the 12vdc battery died (common Ioniq5 problem) fortunately it happened in the parking lot of a Canadian Tire store...7 minutes to buy a new battery and swap it out for the toasted one. 75,000km and 1st problem with the Ioniq... Have Merry Christams you guys and a great New Year! Cheers Mike and All 🇨🇦
@@michaellippmann4474 Thank you, Mike! That sucks about your battery. I think mine lasted 6 years, but the Bolt EV is pretty good with 12 V. I'm glad it worked out. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Amazing 150k miles right? Would love a total maintenance cost summary, perhaps detailed mileage breakdown of when/what of all your maintenance costs over that time! (forgive me if I missed that video.) Certainly tires, probably a battery coolant flush, a 12 V battery or two, brakes and rotors a time or two. And free replacement EV battery! Love your videos, inspiring, looking at deciding on a used EV right now!
@@GGg-ic9ku Thanks! I'll try to do an update soon. 185,000 miles, on my fourth set of tires, original pads and rotors, second 12 V battery, etc. Sadly, I didn't keep track of the wiper blades, fluid, cabin air filters, etc. No other maintenance.
@ That’s just insanely great! How often do you rotate your tires, check your alignment? How do you keep your brakes and rotors since good condition? I suppose it’s because you drive it so much and talking to EV focus used car dealers, that’s a concern for cars that don’t have the high mileage, some have seen them sitting on car lots for months, barely used and the rust ruins the rotors and brakes and those need to be replaced. Driving like you do Seems to be the magical balm of Gilead for that.
@@newscoulomb3705 I forget, what is your charging strategy 80% of the time, do you charge to 80% and then do fast charging when you get close to 20% as you plan your driving? What charging methods have you used over the life of your car? Seems the magic is rarely going over 80% unless you’re going to drive it right away. If you’re a townie keeping it between 45% to 70% seems to be the magic number based on some battery PhD videos I’ve watched. I recall watching your range estimate update around 100,000 miles and it was just almost nothing in degradation. I’m sure even better when the battery was replaced with a new one ha ha!
Congratulations on 1 light-second! I assume you have the 186,282 by now. This is one of the milestones I celebrate with my cars. Another is a lunar unit at ~238,000 miles. I agree on the card readers. I'm to the point that I want to connect and charge as efficiently as possible. I use Plug and Charge with Tesla and EA as I have been unsuccessful in getting membership to work in the first case, and the app being annoying in the second. Plug in, and the car starts charging without needing to find the station and the post (sometimes much harder than it should be).
@@dancrane2 I'll be getting rid of my Volt before the Bolt EV, but I am not in a rush. I do need to have two reliable cars capable of long-distance travel, though, so that will be the main consideration.
I like the fact that you continue to use the Bolt. Switching cars every 3-5 years to get the latest and greatest tech is what the people on the other EV channels do, but it's expensive. As long as the Bolt continues to provide reliable transportation, you should stick with it.
@ab-tf5fl Thanks! I'm not really here to sell cars. I'll review them to tell people what I like/dislike, but I tend to hold onto cars for much longer than most people (let alone influencers).
Plug and charge is becoming standard in 2025. The DCFC will have it and we just need car companies to update their software to be compatible. So no CC after 2025.
There will still be CC after 2025. The universal plug and charge feature still requires at least one payment account with a specific entity holding that personal and financial information. That cannot be allowed to stand as a form of gatekeeping for the public charging infrastructure. Keep in mind, a majority of EV drivers in the future will rarely use public fast charging, and they will not want their payment information stored with a third party. We're already seeing some mainstream folk complaining about there being zero options for paying cash to activate a charger.
@newscoulomb3705 I didn't literally mean no CC, I just meant it is stored in the car and you won't need to swipe it. Also everyone buys online and your cc info instored on cell phones, payment services, etc. It's a CC not SS number.
@@TheLobo91 And I'm saying it absolutely won't replace the requirement for credit card readers on the chargers themselves. Also, purchasing from specific vendors online is very different from having payment information stored by a third party. Universal plug and charge should be looked at as an additional payment option rather than the only payment option.
??? How much slower does DCFC on your Chevy BOLT/EUV occur in terms of percentage for example between charging outdoors at 45 degrees VS 85 degrees? (as I understand the Chevy Bolt-EUV) from (2022 and 2023) years, also don't have heat pumps, but at there slower charging speeds anyway, does it even matter?
It's more about the internal battery temperature. On this trip, the battery temperature was probably close to 60 degrees, which is why it was about 10 kW off of peak speeds. The biggest issue for the Bolt's charging is the 150 A current cap, which limits it to 50-55 kW peak charging. Heat pumps aren't any more effective at heating; they are just more efficient. So that wouldn't have made any difference.
@@newscoulomb3705 Thank you so much for the answer and the reply, but if I can pick your brain one more time, it's something I'm worried about and I think a lot of Bolt owners are, and if they're not maybe they should be: Future Repair Jeopardy for existing 2022/2023 Bolt Models: Do you ever wonder what impact Chevy's decision to discontinue the 100% EV BOLT line, might have on any future repairs for the 2022/2023 models? I'm not sure your aware of this, but there is talk among the decision maker's , Chevy might bring back the 2026 BOLT, but not as a 100% EV, but only as a hybrid, which I personally think would really suck. I would feel so much better buying a used 2022/2023 BOLT or EUV BOLT, if I got confirmation by the Spring of 2025, that it is coming back in production even if it's largely going to be built in Mexico now to reduce production cost: (That was the original plan, before a less friendly EV President was elected)
especially if you need to update or reinstall the app and happen to forget the login or password that was set up…😢 we have enough problems with our streaming services (in Aus) constantly crashing and needing a phone to scan the QR Code to login. i can’t imagine dealing with that BS on the road with family on board.
@@Milhouse77BS Yup. Nothing simpler than swiping your card and plugging in. As one post I saw said about Electric Era put it, "Just tap your card. No accounts. No BS."
Hey, let me ask you a question.Does your Bolt have issues with the Ac system? My Bolt has the same mileage as yours and Ac System,fail at that mileage,its stuck at 72F*,speed 1,rear defroster not working.
@newscoulomb3705 Yea, they probably will charge me an arm to fix it,I heard of another influencer, his Bolt Ac broke and she paid $3000,00 dls for the fix in Seatle area,and I'm in California im thinking they charge me about the same.
Yeah, that pricing sucks, but I would bite the bullet and get it fixed. I believe the Bolt AC does double duty, cooling both the cabin and the battery. And you definitely want the battery to be able to cool itself when needed!
@@magallon643 Unfortunately, I think there's a bit of a premium because it needs to be serviced by someone certified to work on EVs. The work could technically be done by any certified AC tech, but some mechanics refuse to work on vehicles with HV batteries.
Eric, I understand why you don't want to download more apps, but until we have one app to rule them all that can tell me the status of all dispensers of all network at my next charging stop, I have to download each networks app since that is the most reliable way to see the current dispenser/site status (so I can plan accordingly).
Sure. Something like Android Auto or PlugShare is fine, but I'm talking specifically about payment apps, which require me to also save my personal and payment in the app.
@@newscoulomb3705 I understand you are focused on payment, but for me PlugShare, Android Auto and some others are not reliable at giving me current station status making them not very useful in route planning (especially if you do not have a lot of redundancy). Regarding payment options, CC readers are often broken at dispensers. Not sure if this is a hardware quality issue, being exposed to the elements or vandalism (or all of those). Unattended card readers are are also targets for skimmers. Plug & Charge or in the case of the Bolt Autocharge is a preferred solution for me. Quick and easy.
I've done both stopping at restaurants and eating in/next to the car. Depends whether I'm into the food options provided by the restaurant, or whether a restaurant exists at the point in the trip where my body decides it's hungry. That said, I recommend always bringing snacks in the car when going on any sort of long road trip - regardless of whether the car uses electricity or gas.
Yeah, the oil companies hate the $.50 tax per gallon, so they add an additional $1.25 charge on top of that. They get away with it because, outside of Alameda county and San Francisco, there is essentially no useful public transit in this supposedly left leaning state. And yeah, electric rates are high because the privately owned public utilities also "own" the agencies that ostensibly regulate them.
Filling a gas tank takes less than 5 minutes, and gas stations are everywhere. No range anxiety, ever. EVs are not going to take over America, for decades to come.
EVs don't really have range anxiety anymore either, unless you do the equivalent of driving on an empty tank with the next gas station 50 miles down the road. It's easy for gas folk to forget that most EV drivers have a lot of experience driving gas cars, too. As for "taking over America," I don't think anyone expects that. There are 300 million gas cars on US roads, so it will take decades to replace them all. However, 30% of all gas is sold to just 10% of all drivers. If those 10% of gas cars are replaced by EVs, gas companies will lose a third of their revenue overnight, they won't be able to continue paying lobbyists, most of the fossil fuels subsidies will start to drop off, and we'll finally have an even playing field (i.e., free market) between gas cars and EVs. That could happen within a decade.
@@newscoulomb3705 Of course range anxiety is still a thing. Tesla Superchargers are spreadout in 100 mile intervals, and only available on major highways across the country. Gas stations are everywhere, and a Camry Hybrid gets 600 miles on a tank of gas. Model 3 or Y cannot compare to that!
I never have had range anxiety driving my Kona EV, but I have had gas price anxiety many times during the 60 years I drove gas. When I road trip I just enter the destination into my NAV system and it guides me to chargers as I need them. I don't even have to think about it.
@@DerekDavis213 You're confusing "anxiety" with "awareness." I never build my trips around charging locations unless I want to feature or showcase those chargers; however, when I decide to make a trip in my EVs, I make myself aware of the chargers that are available along the route. That's not anxiety; that's just being aware of the capabilities of my car and building an itinerary. It's literally the same thing pilots do when they set up a flight plan. You wouldn't say pilots have "airport anxiety."
The convenience of reliably swiping/tapping a credit card is something that every network needs. Loved watching this video!
I love it when you point out the broken gas pumps. 😀 Looks like it was a beautiful drive.
Thanks Eric, your efforts to produce these videos are really appreciated !
ElectricEra continues to impress me! Their station at the Seven Feathers Truck & Travel Center in Southern Oregon looks especially stellar. The speed at which they can install and energize a station is absolutely astounding.
BTW - I had the same experience with the BP Pulse card reader at the Gateway exit in Springfield, Oregon a couple months ago. I downloaded the app and then hooked up and charged. I agree 100 % with “ app fatigue. “
@@Jaymac933 Thanks. Yes, I've been hearing reports of the CC readers specifically not working on BP Pulse. On other providers, the payment reader shows an error. On BP Pulse, there's no indication, but nothing happens.
@@newscoulomb3705 the app thing wouldn't be so bad if there were universal reciprocity agreements with the different CPOs.
Like when you zoomed in on the broke gas pump.......Nice!
Thank you for a great video. I watched a lot of your videos before buying a brand new Bolt EUV exactly a year ago. I absolutely loved that car. Sadly three weeks ago I was hit by a drunk driver in an older Suburban. He totaled my car. I only had 14k on it. It was such a great car. I ended up buying a '23 Model 3. I was considering buying another Bolt, but the Model 3 is so much better for longer road trips for charging.
@@davidgardner1067 Thanks! I hope everyone is alright after the accident.
@newscoulomb3705 yes, I was alone coming home from work. Thank you for asking. I miss my Bolt.
YREKA looks like just the town to do a weekend hang out or meet up in. As you say, they embrace the festive and also kul the station is right at the Y island off the highway. Is that an EE station? It too said Sky in the top of the screen. (@31:42 TesSC TAKE NOTE PLS). @33:03, looks like ski slopes in the background, so the spot has got creds for that too. @34:56, mad respect for being in striking distance of 200k.
@@thenetworkarchitectchannel Yes, Electric Era uses "Sky Chargers." I need to confirm, but they might be the same company that won a number of NEVI awards for the central corridors in California.
@@newscoulomb3705 correct me if im wrong, but I thought EE buys chargers (sksignet) and integrate them with their own proprietary Powernode hardware software platform battery, charge network, install. While Sky Charger is a "Charging Provider" who gets that solution from EE. Costco have acquired EE setups their chargers are branded as such but are more of a site host.
@@newscoulomb3705 yup, that's them.
Thanks Eric. I've been on 2 trips in northern California this year once in May and again in September. It's nice to see the number of chargers spaced nicely along the Freeway as you climb towards the Oregon border. It's good to have more options as you climb into the mountains.
@7:55, I am thinking independent owner / operators of free standing restaurants and c-stores will be doing setups just like that more and more. Not too expensive, but good return on investment.
Every time I hear that triple horn chirp, I am thankful they allow it to be turned off! 😅
Every charging station should have a credit card reader! Make the app optional for your frequent customers to get more functionality, stats, cheaper rates, etc. Folks on a holiday road trip or who need a quick emergency top off don't need an additional pain point to use your service!
I agree with Eric, having signs that indicate there are EV chargers at the next exit is HUGE. This will not only aid mainstream drivers that switch to EV to find where to charge. It will also signal to mainstream gas car drivers that there are EV chargers at exits they pass on their typical road trips. That will make considering an EV for their next vehicle an option. IMO, this will be a big help to EV adoption.
Agree, but it has to be done right. Washington State seems to have decided to install signs directing drivers to EV chargers back in the 2010's, but then decided to not do that anymore, so now, we're in a weird situation where some highway corridors have an "EV charging next exit" sign where there's an old 50 kW EVCS, but no sign for the exit a few miles down, which has Electrify America. Furthermore, many of the chargers that do have road signs, the road signs only tell you which exit to take, they don't tell you how to find the charger after you take the exit, so you still have to be able to navigate to the charger yourself, anyway.
I feel like the proper design of road signs for EV chargers is almost worth a whole video in and of itself, as doing it wrong can lead to frustrated, confused drivers, to the point where it's actually worse for the EV community than doing nothing at all. For example, signs should not be directed drivers to the fast ones (e.g. Electrify America), not the older, slower 50 kW ones. Chargers with chronic reliability problems should not get signage. Signs need to indicate which plug types a charging site supports so people don't show up, only to find they can't charge. Similarly, chargers that are exclusive to a particular brand of car should not qualify for signs either. There should also, ideally, be a nationwide standard for which charging sites do/don't deserve signs, as well as the size, format, and location of the signs, so that drivers can have a consistent experience reading the signs when they drive across state lines. (Unfortunately, the time to do this was back when Pete Buttigieg was running the US department of Transportation, as whoever Trump's appointee is sure won't).
I will also add that I think, for a charger to be advertised with a roadsign sign, it should be required to accept credit card swipes like gas pumps do. Being able to also pay with an app, or with plug-and-charge is fine, but it shouldn't be the only way to pay. The basic, humble credit card reader needs to also exist as an option.
@@ab-tf5fl Very good points, I agree completely. I would like to see the same treatment that gas stations get, with “icons” for each brand of charging station, just like gas stations and restaurants. Also exit ramps usually have another sign with an arrow for each “icon” to let drivers know which way to turn, and also the distance from the exit.
As gas stations add EV charging, that should be indicated on the sign that lists gas stations at the next exit. Just like diesel fuel availability is today.
Just got around to watching this, well done. You’re like a kid at Christmas at the Yerba stop but I gotta say that’s a great location.
Yes. It's so exciting to see Northern California finally getting so much support.
No need to wait in line for the bathroom when there was a Starbucks right across the parking lot.. 😑
To bad Grandma's is closed. I ate there twenty plus years ago. From Oakland it would take an additional 1.5 hours in my EUV to Yreka. Another great video.
Proving I watched to the end... 🎄🎉
Eric I agree that the next wave of EV sales are going to be Americans who just jump in and drive on road trips and do not or forget to plan their stopping points (like bio-breaks) and have a "gasser" mindset and will take advantage of EV road signage along the way.
I drive a 2023 Kona EV and I never plan road trips anymore, I don't see the need. I just enter my destination into the NAV system and it guides me to chargers as needed. It even updates the list of chargers as I drive depending on driving conditions or if I decide to stop sooner for a restroom or meal break as it constantly displays the nearest chargers.
I want power prices on a sign like gas prices are
Not having an app/account for every charge system, novel concept. It's also how I feel about Streaming services for entertainment.
Imagine if, to pump gas, you had to had separate accounts and apps on your phone for BP, Shell, Exxon, Chevron, etc. And, every time you run into a new gas station you haven't visited before, you had to spend 20 minutes downloading and installing a new app, plus trying to get the app to work under a spotty cellular connection.
There is a very good reason why gas stations don't work this way, and, since there is nothing fundamentally different about the payment process for charging vs. gas, chargers shouldn't work that way either.
Great road trip.. always enjoy seeing your adventures...
I Have a Bolt EV too love the car... use it 99% for Rideshare.. 200+ miles per day.
But Road tripping is a PAIN.. I did a 2500 mile road trip right after I bought the car. about 50% of the time 50% of the chargers did not work or had some issue used EA almost exclusively , and it actually cost more money than my previous car, which was a 14 year old Prius. About $210 in gas for the Prius, and it was about $260 in the Bolt EV.. Plus an additional 15 HOURS of time spent charging, plus the 40 hours of actual driving.
Love my Bolt EV I really do.. but Road tripping it is a pain and expensive.
I could have done your entire road trip in this video , and never stopped at ALL.. and it would have cost me about $30 in gas. TOTAL.
I realize California is on a different planet for fuel prices.. $4.45/gallon !! God. We are under $3.0/ gallon
Jeez, I paid $3.25 for premium on Saturday in Perryville, MO.
@ryanfraley7113
Yeah.. California fuel prices are crazy. I think that was for regular too. We are like $2.80 or something
@17:10 never heard of Sky. Looks pretty sweet though.
The unreliability of Gas Pumps is out of hand, what if you run out of fuel on a road trip?! Unacceptable
Nice informative report. I'm wondering who owns the EV charging stations? Does the restaurant simply get a rental payment every month? Same with the Union 76 gas station with the sweet setup - does the gas station own the chargers and the flagship EV brand processes payments and maintains network equipment?
After 36 years in the traffic biz, I witnessed a 'Use Last' handicapped parking stall sharing sign that is new to me (30:00).
I think there are subtle differences based on the specific contracts and lease deals. In the case of Electric Era, I believe it is a "turn-key" solution, meaning they signed a lease agreement, own the hardware, and pay the power bill.
I've finally started to see the "Use Last" signs popping up, but I think they are mostly a response to confusion over whether ADA stalls are dual-purpose. The prevailing opinion that I've seen is that as long as one of the criteria for the parking stall is met (e.g., plugged in and charging), that is sufficient.
I believe that Skychargers owns the hardware at these NorCal locations and works with sites to host the stations.
@@anthonyc8499 So Skychargers LLC is a separate entity? Do we know whether they are working exclusively with Electric Era? Because they have some massive, upcoming NEVI awards for travel corridors in Central California.
@@newscoulomb3705 Skychargers are their own thing. My understanding is that they've got some Chargepoint stations but their latest builds have been ElectricEra.
Eric what are your thoughts between the Altel like you used at the 76 station in Yrecka versus the Alpitronic dispensers? Thanks for the video. ⚡🧑🎄
@@BradC44 Thanks! Electric Era uses SK Signet. I can't recall whether I've used Altel, but I still haven't had the chance to use Alpitronic. I think they look good, though. Especially the ones iONNA installed with 600 A cables. The Signets have slow start up times, but they are better than Delta.
This combustion thing is not ready for prime time ☠️
@@SteveBirkett I've read reports that no one even wants them. There's stagnant demand, sales are declining, and automakers are even cancelling production plans. People also hate that their tax dollars are subsiding them. Let the free market decide! Definitely a failed experiment.
@@newscoulomb3705 hey Eric and Steve....you guys are hilarious...ought to do a regular YT segment....maybe call it coast to coast EV or something like that! Through in a 3rd guy named Walter and you have a hit!
We did a 1200 km winter trip up to our sailboat to check on it yesterday and make sure she is getting through the cold Northern Ontario winter OK. On the way home on our last charge stop the 12vdc battery died (common Ioniq5 problem) fortunately it happened in the parking lot of a Canadian Tire store...7 minutes to buy a new battery and swap it out for the toasted one. 75,000km and 1st problem with the Ioniq...
Have Merry Christams you guys and a great New Year!
Cheers
Mike and All 🇨🇦
@@michaellippmann4474 Thank you, Mike! That sucks about your battery. I think mine lasted 6 years, but the Bolt EV is pretty good with 12 V. I'm glad it worked out. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Amazing 150k miles right? Would love a total maintenance cost summary, perhaps detailed mileage breakdown of when/what of all your maintenance costs over that time! (forgive me if I missed that video.)
Certainly tires, probably a battery coolant flush, a 12 V battery or two, brakes and rotors a time or two. And free replacement EV battery!
Love your videos, inspiring, looking at deciding on a used EV right now!
@@GGg-ic9ku Thanks! I'll try to do an update soon. 185,000 miles, on my fourth set of tires, original pads and rotors, second 12 V battery, etc. Sadly, I didn't keep track of the wiper blades, fluid, cabin air filters, etc. No other maintenance.
@ That’s just insanely great!
How often do you rotate your tires, check your alignment?
How do you keep your brakes and rotors since good condition? I suppose it’s because you drive it so much and talking to EV focus used car dealers, that’s a concern for cars that don’t have the high mileage, some have seen them sitting on car lots for months, barely used and the rust ruins the rotors and brakes and those need to be replaced. Driving like you do Seems to be the magical balm of Gilead for that.
@@newscoulomb3705 I forget, what is your charging strategy 80% of the time, do you charge to 80% and then do fast charging when you get close to 20% as you plan your driving?
What charging methods have you used over the life of your car? Seems the magic is rarely going over 80% unless you’re going to drive it right away. If you’re a townie keeping it between 45% to 70% seems to be the magic number based on some battery PhD videos I’ve watched.
I recall watching your range estimate update around 100,000 miles and it was just almost nothing in degradation. I’m sure even better when the battery was replaced with a new one ha ha!
Congratulations on 1 light-second!
I assume you have the 186,282 by now. This is one of the milestones I celebrate with my cars. Another is a lunar unit at ~238,000 miles.
I agree on the card readers. I'm to the point that I want to connect and charge as efficiently as possible. I use Plug and Charge with Tesla and EA as I have been unsuccessful in getting membership to work in the first case, and the app being annoying in the second. Plug in, and the car starts charging without needing to find the station and the post (sometimes much harder than it should be).
@@YeOldeTraveller Hah! Thanks. I am still short of a light second at this point, but it's coming soon!
I love the gas pump observation!
Question- have you considered what electric car you would get when it is time to move on from the Bolt, for whatever reason?
@@dancrane2 I'll be getting rid of my Volt before the Bolt EV, but I am not in a rush. I do need to have two reliable cars capable of long-distance travel, though, so that will be the main consideration.
I like the fact that you continue to use the Bolt. Switching cars every 3-5 years to get the latest and greatest tech is what the people on the other EV channels do, but it's expensive. As long as the Bolt continues to provide reliable transportation, you should stick with it.
@ab-tf5fl Thanks! I'm not really here to sell cars. I'll review them to tell people what I like/dislike, but I tend to hold onto cars for much longer than most people (let alone influencers).
Here’s some electron money. Safe journeys.
@@tkmedia3866 Oh, wow. Thank you so much!
Riven does a ok job with L2 with many having 11kw charging. Only ok because many of their more recent sites dont have any L2.
Plug and charge is becoming standard in 2025. The DCFC will have it and we just need car companies to update their software to be compatible. So no CC after 2025.
There will still be CC after 2025. The universal plug and charge feature still requires at least one payment account with a specific entity holding that personal and financial information. That cannot be allowed to stand as a form of gatekeeping for the public charging infrastructure. Keep in mind, a majority of EV drivers in the future will rarely use public fast charging, and they will not want their payment information stored with a third party. We're already seeing some mainstream folk complaining about there being zero options for paying cash to activate a charger.
@newscoulomb3705 I didn't literally mean no CC, I just meant it is stored in the car and you won't need to swipe it. Also everyone buys online and your cc info instored on cell phones, payment services, etc. It's a CC not SS number.
@@TheLobo91 And I'm saying it absolutely won't replace the requirement for credit card readers on the chargers themselves. Also, purchasing from specific vendors online is very different from having payment information stored by a third party. Universal plug and charge should be looked at as an additional payment option rather than the only payment option.
??? How much slower does DCFC on your Chevy BOLT/EUV occur in terms of percentage for example between charging outdoors at
45 degrees VS 85 degrees? (as I understand the Chevy Bolt-EUV) from (2022 and 2023) years, also don't have heat pumps, but at there slower charging speeds anyway, does it even matter?
It's more about the internal battery temperature. On this trip, the battery temperature was probably close to 60 degrees, which is why it was about 10 kW off of peak speeds.
The biggest issue for the Bolt's charging is the 150 A current cap, which limits it to 50-55 kW peak charging.
Heat pumps aren't any more effective at heating; they are just more efficient. So that wouldn't have made any difference.
@@newscoulomb3705 Thank you so much for the answer and the reply, but if I can pick your brain one more time, it's something I'm worried about and I think a lot of Bolt owners are, and if they're not maybe they should be: Future Repair Jeopardy for existing 2022/2023 Bolt Models: Do you ever wonder what impact Chevy's decision to discontinue the 100% EV BOLT line, might have on any future repairs for the
2022/2023 models? I'm not sure your aware of this, but there is talk among the decision maker's , Chevy might bring back the 2026 BOLT, but not as a 100% EV, but only as a hybrid, which I personally think would really suck. I would feel so much better buying a used 2022/2023 BOLT or EUV BOLT, if I got confirmation by the Spring of 2025, that it is coming back in production even if it's largely going to be built in Mexico now to reduce production cost: (That was the original plan, before a less friendly EV President was elected)
Totally agree all the apps are annoying.
especially if you need to update or reinstall the app and happen to forget the login or password that was set up…😢 we have enough problems with our streaming services (in Aus) constantly crashing and needing a phone to scan the QR Code to login. i can’t imagine dealing with that BS on the road with family on board.
Sounds like a case for Tesla at least the charging is easy
@@Milhouse77BS Yup. Nothing simpler than swiping your card and plugging in. As one post I saw said about Electric Era put it, "Just tap your card. No accounts. No BS."
Hey, let me ask you a question.Does your Bolt have issues with the Ac system?
My Bolt has the same mileage as yours and Ac System,fail at that mileage,its stuck at 72F*,speed 1,rear defroster not working.
@@magallon643 My AC still works fine. I'd suggest taking it into the service center.
@newscoulomb3705 Yea, they probably will charge me an arm to fix it,I heard of another influencer, his Bolt Ac broke and she paid $3000,00 dls for the fix in Seatle area,and I'm in California im thinking they charge me about the same.
Yeah, that pricing sucks, but I would bite the bullet and get it fixed.
I believe the Bolt AC does double duty, cooling both the cabin and the battery. And you definitely want the battery to be able to cool itself when needed!
@@magallon643 Unfortunately, I think there's a bit of a premium because it needs to be serviced by someone certified to work on EVs. The work could technically be done by any certified AC tech, but some mechanics refuse to work on vehicles with HV batteries.
Eric, I understand why you don't want to download more apps, but until we have one app to rule them all that can tell me the status of all dispensers of all network at my next charging stop, I have to download each networks app since that is the most reliable way to see the current dispenser/site status (so I can plan accordingly).
Sure. Something like Android Auto or PlugShare is fine, but I'm talking specifically about payment apps, which require me to also save my personal and payment in the app.
@@newscoulomb3705 I understand you are focused on payment, but for me PlugShare, Android Auto and some others are not reliable at giving me current station status making them not very useful in route planning (especially if you do not have a lot of redundancy).
Regarding payment options, CC readers are often broken at dispensers. Not sure if this is a hardware quality issue, being exposed to the elements or vandalism (or all of those). Unattended card readers are are also targets for skimmers.
Plug & Charge or in the case of the Bolt Autocharge is a preferred solution for me. Quick and easy.
I charged at that BP a few weeks ago and used the app. It was confusing because no numbers on the dispensers. Yreka? Because of Weed. LOL
Stopping at restaurants to kill time whilst charging, kinda defeats the purpose of saving money on fuel.
I never stop at restaurants to "kill time" while charging. I stop at restaurants because it is time to eat and I charge while I am eating.
You could eat a bologna sandwich in your car, not my thing tho
I've done both stopping at restaurants and eating in/next to the car. Depends whether I'm into the food options provided by the restaurant, or whether a restaurant exists at the point in the trip where my body decides it's hungry.
That said, I recommend always bringing snacks in the car when going on any sort of long road trip - regardless of whether the car uses electricity or gas.
Always carry snacks, so true
You guys in the Peoples Socialist Republic of California have astronomical fuel prices both gas and electric.
A socialist state that has the sixth largest economy in the world, home to Fortune 500 companies?
Yeah, the oil companies hate the $.50 tax per gallon, so they add an additional $1.25 charge on top of that.
They get away with it because, outside of Alameda county and San Francisco, there is essentially no useful public transit in this supposedly left leaning state.
And yeah, electric rates are high because the privately owned public utilities also "own" the agencies that ostensibly regulate them.
BP Pulse doesn't want EV customers - it wants combustible car customers.
Ditch the tesla app
Algorithm
Filling a gas tank takes less than 5 minutes, and gas stations are everywhere. No range anxiety, ever.
EVs are not going to take over America, for decades to come.
EVs don't really have range anxiety anymore either, unless you do the equivalent of driving on an empty tank with the next gas station 50 miles down the road. It's easy for gas folk to forget that most EV drivers have a lot of experience driving gas cars, too.
As for "taking over America," I don't think anyone expects that. There are 300 million gas cars on US roads, so it will take decades to replace them all.
However, 30% of all gas is sold to just 10% of all drivers. If those 10% of gas cars are replaced by EVs, gas companies will lose a third of their revenue overnight, they won't be able to continue paying lobbyists, most of the fossil fuels subsidies will start to drop off, and we'll finally have an even playing field (i.e., free market) between gas cars and EVs. That could happen within a decade.
@@newscoulomb3705 Of course range anxiety is still a thing. Tesla Superchargers are spreadout in 100 mile intervals, and only available on major highways across the country. Gas stations are everywhere, and a Camry Hybrid gets 600 miles on a tank of gas.
Model 3 or Y cannot compare to that!
@@DerekDavis213 what year do you think it is?
I never have had range anxiety driving my Kona EV, but I have had gas price anxiety many times during the 60 years I drove gas. When I road trip I just enter the destination into my NAV system and it guides me to chargers as I need them. I don't even have to think about it.
@@DerekDavis213 You're confusing "anxiety" with "awareness." I never build my trips around charging locations unless I want to feature or showcase those chargers; however, when I decide to make a trip in my EVs, I make myself aware of the chargers that are available along the route. That's not anxiety; that's just being aware of the capabilities of my car and building an itinerary.
It's literally the same thing pilots do when they set up a flight plan. You wouldn't say pilots have "airport anxiety."