Never Again!! Chevy Bolt EUV Road Trip
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- Опубліковано 26 чер 2023
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I am not quite two weeks into being a Bolt EUV owner (I'm loving it) and I cannot overstate how helpful this video was for me. Well done, friend. Thanks.
I recently took a 300 mile road trip and the biggest problem is too many charging stations have too few charging ports with locals taking advantage of free charging, or you come to a larger station but half of the ports are out of order. Rule #1, always have enough charge to drive to another charging station in case of problems.
Rule#1: ICE is best for road trips, but if it must be an EV, don't make a road trip in an EV that's not a Tesla
@@strangerdanger8462 *chevy silverado ev heavy breathing*
Love the first hand experience. I have a 22 bolt and drove it to Ocean City, MD and had to stop twice for charging. I had no issues.
Awesome content, I'm looking forward to get me a chevy euv for commuting . Thank you for the info 👍
When I was a younger man I would plow through a road trip and only stop for bathroom breaks when I needed gas too. You will find as you get on the wrong side of 50, a break every couple hours is a comfortable pace. To me, I prefer that. My older road trip buddies call it the 2 hour bladder syndrome.
I am currently in the Outer Banks. We drove here from Michigan. It’s about an 860 mile drive. Did it in a Model 3. Five stops, Longest was 30 minutes. In fact one stop was too short really. That was the one we stopped to get sushi, so we were eating and the car was telling us “You’ve a charged enough to continue your trip” for several minutes while we were eating! It cost us less than paying for gas would have and the tech in these EVs make it so they practically drive themselves. In fact my 17-year-old son did most of the driving (I switched out with him in West Virginia, he drove the rest of the way!) He put it in autosteer and other than changing lanes he didn’t have to do much. Easy peasy!
One thing that will make these drives easier is when GM switches to NACS chargers. The Tesla network is very reliable. I had zero problems/worries with any chargers en route. Even here in a vacation spot there’s a supercharger available! The only downside will be when Ford and GM and Rivian and Volvo and Aptera are all using the Suowrchargers too… there won’t be chargers immediately available every time anymore! I’ve never had to wait for a Supercharger nor had one not work the first time.
I don’t mind stopping either. It gives you a chance to get out and stretch your legs. And we found a sushi place we like in WV of all places now! Healthier than fast food (which would be the norm after stopping at a gas station.) People are in too much of a hurry. The journey is part of the adventure!
All great info and good learning points for new EV drivers just setting out. We do a slightly longer journey to Ohio every few months and it's getting better every time. in our 2017 Bolt, it was almost impossible to do until 2019 due to the lack of charging stations. In our 2020 Bolt it was viable but took 3-4 hours more than a gas car due to the Bolt's charging requiring 45-60 minute stops. In our 2022 Ioniq 5, we've cut those charge stops down to 20-25 minutes and can do the journey in maybe 30 minutes more than it would take a gas car just cranking out the miles.
All this in five years speaks to your point about we're already there and now just need to make it more convenient for the next wave of EV drivers who don't want to plan as much as the early adopters.
Very interesting to learn about this and the planning for a trip with an EV. And the dedication going into work on your day off... you do enjoy your job 👍
Dave, excellent video, thanks for sharing your insights and experiences. I think you take a very pragmatic view of things.
I'm like you. Whenever I did a road trip I never wanted to stop unless I had to. I just wanted to get to my destination asap. If GM ever finds it in it's good graces to build my Bolt I'm not going to be doing road trips like I used to. However, I'm prepared to wait at charging stations for about an hour when I do. It's going to be a bit of a culture shock lol. Gr8 vid as usual, sir. 🚙 🇺🇸 🔌
Dave,
Thanks for posting. I love my 2019 Bolt! But I use it mostly for around town diving. Level 2 charging at home is so cheap and the costs of owning my Bolt are so low that I can easily use other transportation options when I need to go long distances and still save money.
This is the way.
Exactly......Tell my friends that every time they drive sufficient distance to require an oil change, I have saved $1000 in fuel costs on my Bolt EUV. Will pay for any rental cars with my fuel savings.😉
Recently rented a Tesla for a 1,000 mile road trip RT. first 500 miles were 15mph above speed limit - trip took about 90 minutes longer bc of extra charging than the return when I just set it at the speed limit. The slower you go, the sooner you arrive
In addition to your closing comments, and adding to what others have said, too: the coming switch to NACS (Tesla charging network) is going to make road trips much easier. Great 2-part series on The Bolt On The Road!
In addition: Newer Tesla Superchargers will include the embedded CCS adapter so the Bolt & other EVs that use the CCS plug can keep charging for the foreseeable future. Don't think it'd be impossible for a dealership to offer a CCS to NACS conversion kit to Bolt or Kona or Rivian users.
The adapter will be sufficient when it's available. The next Bolt model (2026) will have a NACS port.
This is informative. I just couldn’t deal with stretching a 6 hour drive into a 9 hour drive due to the frequent stops. I used to drive from NJ to Indiana with frequency. 725 miles. I’d stop once or twice for about 10 minutes each and that’s it.
With a Tesla you would only add about 45 minutes and two stops. The Bolt isn't a great fast charging car, but is good if you want a city car.
Yep. Screw electric
He has one of the worst EVs to take a road trip in. Even without the the abysmal Electrify America network he is relying on, his car only charges at 50kW lol. Crazy bad.
I'm a road trip guy I live in Louisiana I take trips to Florida the Carolinas NJ st Louis/Branson Texas the Tesla has been fine for trips I've rented one five times this year not sure I'd want to figure out how to charge a bolt or a Nissan leaf on the road I do doordash too
@@michaelsuzio4268The 2023 and earlier models are not really intended for long road trips, though they can do them if you really need to and you plan your trip carefully. The 2026 Bolt should be much better with over 100 kW DC charging and a NACS (Tesla) charging port.
Can’t wait to see what Chevy does with the next gen bolt. That’s going to be my first EV. I’ve only driven Toyota. But affordable and with the exception of the recall I’m not seeing much issues with the vehicle. Well done GM
I’ve taken our Bolt EUV on two road trips from my home in Ohio. One was to Washington DC, the other to Northern Michigan. Like you, I’ve only had one charging failure. But it wasn’t a trip ender. Just added an extra ~25 minutes with a stop at a Harley dealership on their slow DC charger. Things will definitely improve when we get our Tesla adapter. Like you said, if the old technology Bolt is this decent at trips, the upcoming Ultium cars are going to be fantastic.
Thank you for a great video. I am in the process of getting a 2LT Bolt, and to be honest, I’m a bit concerned because this will be our only car, so we don’t have much experience; this is our first EV; hopefully there are more videos to come, again thank you very much
I think you'll love it
I currently have a 22 Santa Fe Hybrid Blue. I travel from Long Island, Ny to Fort Wayne, IN several times per year on 80 and 76. Averaging 70 - 75 mph, I can average 36-40mpg and only have to fill up once, usually deep into Pennsylvania. I'm just not ready for an all electric vehicle unless it's 350-400 mile range. I would definitely get another hybrid or plug-in hybrid.
I have a 2022 VW Taos that has gotten as high as 43mpg driving 73mph. All without the complexity of a hybrid drive and the Santa Fe Blue only has 6 more cu ft of cargo space. The gas engines are the same size. Also I got the Taos for 2,000 under MSRP which makes it 6,000 less than the base model Santa Fe. Then there's how much Hyundai's market adjustment was at the time which was some of the worst along with Kia in the US.
Love the take. I love my EUV.
It’s insane how many unavailable charging ports I come across. For such a push to shift from gas to electric. They’re doing a horrible job keeping us convinced this is a good idea.
Happy to here there no longer ending production of the bolt
Good videos Dave B. A couple of questions since you own a Bolt and sell Chevy's. The wife and I are thinking of a Bolt EUV Premier later this year (2024). Two things. POS (Point of Sale) $7,500 rebate. Is this viable?? The farthest we would travel would be 155 miles to my daughter's house.Then charge up. I think both of these options are good. What do you think?? We do still have a 2011 Ford Edge and 2005 Chevy Silverado (hauling and towing) So long trips would be the Edge. All the around town stuff (less than 5 miles one way) would be the Bolt.
I own a Bolt EUV Premier and just freaking Love It!. But I'm retired and don't drive much so for me, for as long as I can, EVs are perfect. This one is my 3rd EV already and I previously owned a 2020 Bolt EV and just loved it. I won't take it on road trips though, I know it can and it is being done, as I am not a patient individual myself. Someday, I think soon, when each gas station has at least 2 or 3 chargers and I don't have to plan my trip around where the chargers are then I'll hit the road with my EV. This was a nice and informative video BTW🙂
I'm retired & in no hurry, so I drive 60 mph on highways. A friend was driving us in her Subaru Forester at 80 mph here in Wisconsin & somebody passed her! So much for the recently increased speed limit of 70! Most people don't care about wasting gas & increasing air pollution when they drive. I don't see many subcompacts or even compact cars on the interstate I-94.
The opening never again happened me rolling 😂😅😂
😉Looking good, Dave!
Do you have any actually in stock? I see some "in transit". I'm looking for a test drive a Bolt EUV LT or Premier in NJ before I decide on buying it with cash and getting the $7,500 and $4,000 tax incentives and free charger wiring install -- assuming Chevy is still offering that.
Sure, the charging infrastructure is developing. Someday charging batteries will take as long as a gas fill up. My concern is the power supply. I hear reports of potential rolling blackouts this year due to the excessive heat expected. But I don’t hear of power plants being built to generate the additional electricity that will be needed. Thoughts about that?
In the past 6000 miles on my Bolt, I have used DCFC exactly once, and only used a public L2 charger once as well. Every other time has been at work (90%) or at home (10%).
I don't think people realize how easy it is to charge at home/work and how little they will need public chargers
In 60000 miles in my bolt I did DC charging maybe 10 times.
Great intro to the video🎉🎉 golden edit. I’m disappointed nothing eventful happened lol 😂 the EV charge drama was interesting.
Thanks! Hopefully it makes people smile
We took a 1700 mile trip from West TN to Houston Tx and back in my 2017 Bolt (New recall replaced longer range battery) and had no issues at all, aside from the amount of time it took to charge. I did not mine the frequency, but the time it took limited to 50 Kw instead of the higher amount of other cars. It proved to us that EV travel is very possible and fun. Now that the Bolt is coming back they really need to beef up the cooling system to enable faster charges. If they do that I may well buy another Bolt as I love mine. If not I will have to jump ship to Tesla.
Recently got 46 mpg on road trip in 2018 Honda Fit w/CVT. Took 5 min to fill the tank when needed.
The best I've gotten with my 2015 Honda Fit is 45 mpg on mostly highway driving in warm weather, at 60 mph.
@@williamlaine2116 - that's pretty good! Honda did a nice job with the Fit. It's a shame they discontinued it in the United States.
Thanks for your video and trip with the Chevy bolt.
Since you work for GM, what is the update on the 2024 Chevy Equinox EV??? When will they be released to the public for Sales??? Chevy Bolt is being discontinued end of 2023.
I would prefer the newer faster charging battery that the Equinox will provide, how much is the All Wheel Drive (AWD) option will be for the Equinox, and what will be the final pricing of the various models of the Equinox EV's such as the 2LT model???
Have not heard of any updates on this EV vehicle product.
thanks for any info on this EV. take care.
I loved my bolt so much. I traded it in fir an ioniq 6 for the extra range and faster charging.
Yesterday I purchased my Trax LT 2024 from this dealership the salesman named Crazy Eddie. I highly recommend him to anyone considering visiting this dealership location. He was very informative and interactive and worked with any problems you might have had while deciding to purchase a new car. You can tell that this dealership is different and has no BS (in a good way). They get to the point, but are also very welcoming and it's pretty quiet so that's a good thing YOU CAN ACTUALLY THINK peacefully instead of having 30 people walking all around. You don't have to worry about anyone rushing you out the door just to make a quick sale. I actually ran into Dave at the dealership and asked him "your Dave right?" He responded by saying "Yes". I told him "I watched your video on UA-cam and you're the reason why I'm here", He smiled and laughed. He's a nice guy and you can tell that he loves what he does. When I buy another Chevy I will not be going to any other dealership than this one.
Typically how long does it take once a car has been built before it gets to the dealership (Florida)?
I appreciate the honest thoughts on your trip and the inconveniences that come with an EV. I'm an old guy and have no desire to own one at this time. That being said, when my old hoopty dies( 02 Camry.) I may consider one for my run around town car. I have a Sienna for road trips. I'm like you when its time to head home, lets roll. I'd go crazy making stops everytime I needed a charge. Thanks Dave.
To be fair newer cars charge must faster
@@markshellard Dave's Bolt is a 2022. I understand they are getting better,but not to the point that I'm going to buy one.
@@mikenonya6382BOLT is on the way out as it is an outdated platform. Equinox EV is replacing it. But, Merry Mary hinted that an Ultium updated BOLT is a possibility.
I just took my first trip. On the way down I did 500 miles south on I-95 to NC. I used A Better Route Planner (ABRP). No problems with the trip or charging.
Coming back I took the western route (86 to 29 to 81) avoiding DC to avoid Memorial Day traffic. I used the Chevy app in the car (Bolt EUV) and when down to 50 miles I said find charger along route. It worked ok, but going all the way down to 50 miles remaining was to low and I had to find chargers not directly on the route. There were a couple of times along 81 that I should have started searching at 75 miles.
Overall both worked well. Method 1: Plan out the stops with ABRP or Method 2: just drive and when between 50-75 miles left hit the 'find charger along route button'.
Chatting with folks at the chargers there seems to be a concern among other EV drivers that about the Bolt's charging speeds and the amount of time they take to charge. For the Bolt the max amount is 50 kW and the optimum charging is between 10% - 55%. That works out to a 30 min stop every 2 hours. You can charge longer and take fewer stops but charging above 80% is not work it.
4:57 Great call out. Clearly there is economic opportunity for new charging stations along Route 80, tempered a bit with the Tesla network opening up. That Bloomsburg and Bloomsbury area is a natural point for most of NJ and NYC drivers to need a charge and a break.
Bought my bolt EUV back in October 2022. Fast charging was abysmal with CCS I mean absolutely terrible.m
Fast forward to 2024, it’s gotten better, significantly better and more reliable.
Hey Dave, I don’t have a garage. Is it ok to keep my Bolt outside in the sun?
It's the ideal commuting and short range trip car, and very broad definition of short trip (200 miles round trip). 240 mile range is 8 times my current daily commute. Bigger City is 80 miles away so full charge does this trip with ease. It can work for other situations but for us it is the ideal 2nd car and we just take the ICE CRV when we are going more than 100 mile trip
The Chevy Bolt was the best choice if one wanted an EV.
Did you see the new insta 360 go 3? Seems like a cool camera. I know your team GoPro but the flip up display seems cool for vlogging
The Bolt does AC charge at 11kW, which is better Level 2 charging than many other EV's. For owners who mainly charge at home, this is a nice bonus.
i dont know any ev that charge under 11kw
Agree with your assessments. I would add that right now EV are best used in cities or metro areas that are densely populated. But as time goes on if we canbget to 500 mile range and 10 minute charging, then the game changes and ICE's are obsolete. And I don't think we're that far off. Curious, what was the total mileage and cost. My 2015 Golf TDI averages low 50's on the highway especially in Summer so I'm curious how it compares. Of course at some point it will be obsolete as well. Great video. Thx.
Maybe with a Bolt or Nissan Leaf. With a Tesla I can get 200 miles in about 20 minutes. I don't know about you, but for me I need to stop every 200 to 250 miles. When I do, I'm using the restroom, buying food and or drinks, then walking back to the car. Doing this in under 20 minutes can be difficult and the car will be charged more than what I need to make it to the next stop. The only times I will say an EV isn't good for a road trip is if you are towing or are the type that doesn't stop and just pees in an empty bottle.
For reference, I have 149k miles on my Tesla and easily 50k have been road trips all over the US.
Hey Dave, what’s your opinion on most EV manufacturers moving over to Tesla’s NACS charging standard?
The major fluctuations in pricing and chargers not working when on a road trip is the main reason I no longer have my bolt. 33.7 kw of electricity is the equivalent to 1 gallon of gasoline, if they are charging 0.48 per kwh that translates to $16.17 cents per gallon equivalent. Additionally you will need one app and credit info for charge point, one for charge America one for evgo and so on.
I am glad you realize the limitations of the car but also the added confort. BTW, you were in a subpar EV, max charge at 50kwh is practically inexistent in any other new EV, maybe some city car from Nissan to be that slow.
I only do plugshare for route planning. Lol. And invest in a Tesla adapter. Some hotels have Tesla Destination chargers outputting 16kW AC, with the right 80amp adapter, you could get a decent charge relatively fast.
Dave I was waiting for this part 2 EUV Road Trip. Let me tell you I don't own a EV like most people I prefer my CAT Vehicle. I was really stressed out for you on your long road trip. I live in California and charging seems to be better out west but I'm still not ready to purchase a EV vehicle 30 min charging not a fan. I prefer going to bathroom filling up gas and on my way to next stop in 10 minutes time. Really enjoy your videos my friend.
Why don't all dealerships provide us with some fast DC charging (something like 50-80 kw charger)?
PA really has to get more charging stations installed.
Is the back of the Bolt EUV, with rear seats down, long enough for a 6 foot person to lie down back there to chill during charging? Even if at a bit of a diagonal? My gen 1 Volt, which was a lease that I liked a lot, actually did accommodate this. I would run the climate control to take a nap during lunch while charging at work. So am wondering if the Bolt has enough room back there for this?
yes thats a great idea btw.
What a lot of these videos fail to mention is how these road trips in EV would be with wife and kids . It's one thing to have to wait an hour by yourself to charge at these stop, it's totally different with your wife and two kids.
Thats a lot of whining and nag time!
Hello Dave, can you please do a quick video update regarding the latest software related with the batteries recall? or where's the best place to get info about it? The 2 dealerships around me don't know much :(
I took a trip from Milwaukee to Syracuse about a month ago and was surprised at how many charging stations there were along the interstate. just about every rest area had a couple of 150 kw chargers on the property if there was a restaurant there which many did. I'm not ready to add a cord and buy or lease a battery operated vehicle but I could foresee switching to a hybrid next and maybe a full EV in the future.
Bought my Maverick Hybrid a year and half ago. Now ready to go with a Bolt as 2nd kickaround vehicle. Getting solar as we speak.
where are you guys located in nj
When is equi euv coming out
Im good with, "slow down man" and stretch your charge out, sheesh. Relax brah🤙🏽
But Dave in 25 they are bringing the bolt back with the new battery system
I like to stop when i road trip. 20 mins here, 20 mins there...
Another thing what about those people that live in apartment complexes ones were they were 3 to 800 cars how are those people going to charge? It’s such a life inconvenience to have to sit on a level two. And there’s not many level threes out there and if there are they come in a two pack. When you look at the Teslas, sometimes they come in 20 or 30 packs why can’t they install more than two chargers at a time maybe you’ll find an occasional Walmart that has six but it’s difficult
I'm still glad I bought a 2021 Subaru Legacy Touring XT. 18.5 gallon tank, 450-500 miles of range, quick refueling at 150,000 gas stations in the country. Its just no hassle to live with and is a much nicer car than the same $37,000 would have got me with an EV. Now, when I get rid of it around 2030 things will be much different. I would think an EV would be the logical choice by then. TBH, I don't want to be an early adopter. When I switch from ICE to BEV I want it to be just as easy as my previous car to live with.
One of the reasons I traded my Bolt was the DC Fast Charging charging speed. I bought it during the pandemic, knowing I wouldn't be taking long road trips at the time.
I had the same thinking in the first few months. ( Trade it when Equinox EV comes out). But I realize the BOLT works fine as I'm use it to commute 99% of the time. Used DCFC twice since last November when I bought it.
Thanks for the video. Do you think Ford will have a big advantage after they cut a deal with Tesla to use their supercharger network?
I rented a Ford Fusion Hybrid a few years back and made the 1,000 mile trip from Chicago to Virginia Beach straight through with one stop for gas. The car kept flashing the coffee icon at me telling me to stop, rest and get some coffee.
Any EV that can use the Tesla supercharger network will have a vastly easier time on a road trip than an EV that is stuck with CCS/CHAdeMO, the other DC fast charging standards. They've tried to make CCS1 the standard in North America.
But its unreliability, lack of charging stations, and insufficient coverage over vast swaths of the US have prompted many people to buy a Tesla instead since Tesla foresaw that being able to charge fast to do road trips would be crucial for many people to switch to an EV.
Several of the automakers saw the writing on the wall regarding that, and no doubt had to deal with numerous complaints from their EV customers and on UA-cam about how CCS/CHAdeMO charging sucks, while using a supercharger was fairly mundane and boring by comparison because it just worked almost every single time.
And with how fast Tesla can build out superchargers, it'll be a win for EV's as more of them show up as demand increases. More automakers being able to utilize them will also help to convince businesses to host supercharging stations since those EV drivers are more likely to patronize their business as opposed to the store across the street that doesn't have a supercharger available. That should help to address the supply and demand issue as more EV's show up, and people who can't charge at home, such as apartment dwellers, will need a reliable way to charge up their EV.
I’m with you Dave, thanks for doing these. Can’t wait to get a full EV! We have solar and are getting a level 2 charger installed here at home!
I bought my bolt knowing that I will never take it on a road trip lol no thanks
Gooood job
Great first hand experience. It just goes to back up sort of something I keep saying. These EV's might be hip and cool and all but over all "We Ain't There Yet" oh well. They need to get the inconvenience factor wiped out before these become viable for the masses
I was behind a Bolt today. This is the first time I saw the goofy taillights in person with the turn signal on.. It reminded me of the old Suzuki Samurai with the taillights in the bumper.
I just saw this video today and things have changed from when you posted this. I’m hearing that Mary Barra had a change of heart or wallet and the Bolt EV and EUV are going to continue to be built. I could definitely get by with an electric Bolt EUV 95% of the time. We rarely travel far enough to worry about charging but the odd time that I would need to charge is a pain. I can fuel up my car from empty to full in maybe 10 minutes and charging the EUV is definitely going to take longer than that. I don’t spend very long at rest stops. The availability of the Bolt EUV is still not very good in Ontario Canada where I live and the trade in value of my 3 1/2 year old GMC Terrain from a dealer is crap. Cost of getting a charger installed isn’t that cheap either from what I’m reading. We get a federal government grant but Ontario doesn’t offer any incentives anymore for getting away from fossil fuels.
I turned a six hour drive into a ten and a half hour drive.
As a Tesla owner since 2018, its so weird to watch these struggles that other EVs have in 2023.
Yeah lol it’s pretty weird being tesla charging speed and ease of finding chargers is crazy easy.
I have a 2013 model S and I agree
If it had faster DC charging and a heat pump for the heater I'd have already bought one. Hopefully Chevy gets a compact or subcompact Ultium out the door quickly to replace the Bolt.
People need to keep some perspective on EV road trips and EVs in general. Extreme views don’t help facilitate a productive discussion. Discussion for another time. I’m taking our Bolt from KC to Wichita (180 miles) and don’t foresee any issues. Wichita has adequate DC charging when we get there; looking forward to the experience. One question for you/maybe a topic for a future video: will GM be providing adapters for the Tesla charging network? Any insight you have would be much appreciated!
Looks like Dave went to Cedar Point.😅
Close, I was in Put-in-Bay
Nice 👍 did ya get a chance to film any golf cart reviews on the island?!
do it during the cold weather and lets see if you masked the trip xD
Probably drop about 30 miles of range
Looks like you went to cedar point.
I'm tempted to rent a Bolt for an upcoming 366 mile road trip (mostly interstate highway driving on relatively flat areas (not like I-80 in PA). If I set the cruise control at 65 mph (speed limit here is 70 mph on interstates) & did not use the air conditioning or the radio (daylight so no headlights either unless it rains), how significantly would this increase my range?
AC use wont affect range by much. A heater in the winter will draw much more power when warming up the car. Driving 65 vs 70 or 75 in a Bolt will give you about 0.5 miles per Kwh better efficiency, or about 3.8 miles per kwh on a warm day. Wind (headwind) and rain (wet road) can also affect EV efficiency more than a gas car, about 10% each if significant.
You don’t need to do any of this. Just plan a charging stop within a reasonable distance vs the range of the car and you’ll have a much nicer trip experience. Adding 5% more miles isn’t worth this trouble.
I hate to see the Bolt go, but with the Ultium platform and the newer ev's coming out the waiting for an hour to charge is taking a back seat. Now with NACS becoming the standard over the coming years it will get so much easier to change these EVs.
Chevy just announced this week that they will continue the Bolt on the new battery platform.
Dave, Will you be able to use Tesla chargers when GM gets their deal done?
How much did you spend charging the Bolt from NJ to OH? I estimated $40. If I drive a gas powerd car 510 miles ar 36mpg if gas is $3.35/gallon, I would have spent $47. and I would have arrived in less time than an electric car!
Yes, some of the public chargers aren't that much cheaper than gas. But for everyday living charging at home it is about a 3rd the cost of gas and much more convenient. Here in NJ my electric rate is 0.13 per kwh... 65 kwh battery in the Bolt would be $8.45 to drive about 250 miles. At $3.35 per gallon & 36mpg it cost around $23 in gas and you have to spend time fueling up.
10 to 15 mph below... and get run into a guardrail i want to do 10 to 15 over. lol.
I look at electric cars and the infrastructure to charge them the same way I looked at computers in the 70s, 80s, and 90s... In a nutshell, "NOT consumer ready"!
I remember taking a computer class in 8th grade 1986.
I expected to be learning how to use a computer, instead I was instructed on how to program a computer.
This put a bitter taste in my mouth about computers. It wasn't until the early 2000 that computers started coming out of the box ready to go.
Electric vehicles in my mind are basically in the 80s and have a long way to go before they are consumer ready enough for me to consider one!
If the Bolt is discontinued, does Chevy have a replacement or are they just dumping it?
GM changed their mind and the Bolt nameplate will be back in the future on the new Ultium platform
Makes you wonder. If you driving 65mph, while taking a little less then an hour longer on 500mile trip, will actually save you time on the charger and could possibly be faster that way...
I think its good for us to slow down sometime...maybe EV is the way :).
I bought my 2023 Bolt EV with the intention of never using it for a long over the road trip. It will do it but you’ll run into the same issues Dave B did.
I have a 2016 Honda HRV that handles my long trips which is only once a year.
When battery technology advances to the 500 mile range I’ll sell the Honda and go totally EV and big oil can kiss my “ICE” goodbye.
EV’s rock and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
good point. lawn movers manufactories are moving to green., means battery. own ryobi 40 volt battery lawn mover for almost two years. no gas or oil and no complaining.
Fun fact one car charging at 50 kilowatts is using about the equivalent amount of electricity of 10 home air conditioner units running at 5000 watts apiece.
Real world experience from my friend this weekend:
I’m in Boise this week and decided to rent ab EV to drive from home to Boise. According to what I read, it only takes 15 minutes to charge and should only have to stop once on the way up. Not a big deal, right? Wrong. First it takes almost an hour to get to about 90% charge. Second, I had to stop twice on the way up and then had to find a charging station after getting to Boise as the battery was at 5%. It costs about $25 to go 160 miles. So about 16 cents per mile. Umm, for my sedan, at $4/gal, was 12 cents per mile. Given the charge time and the cost per mile, not even remotely worth it.
I can rent a Cummins RAM 3500 dualie, drive it around Manhattan and complain that it was too thirsty and that it was too hard to park too! Pickup trucks suck! It’s not hard to be unfair about any technology like this.
If that friend had rented a gas car for the first time ever, without knowing anything about the thing, they probably would have complained that it was too expensive because they paid for high octane gas even though the car needed Regular; they would have complained that they had to hold the pistol to fill up, that it smelled bad and that the check engine light was on, ‘cause they didn’t close the gas cap properly. They would have complained that the car had less range than the EPA rating too. Knowledge is key.
EVs have different charging speeds and different charging curves. Charging a battery is like filling a bucket with a firehose; fast when the bucket is empty, but the firehose needs to be constrained when the bucket is almost full, to prevent spilling. That’s why charging to 80% on road trips is always recommended for just about all EVs, with a few exceptions. You’re supposed to ride the fastest speeds you car can charge at and leave for the next one when charging is throttled. To do that, basic knowledge about the specific EV you’re driving is important, and involves way more than a vague ‘15 minute charging time’ promise.
The charging cost was high because your friend tried to charge too much on a single session, and probably used a charger that was billing by the minute instead of by the kWh. Your friend might also have used a defective charger or one that couldn’t provide the best charging speeds for that specific car. Again, things work better when you learn about them.
Your friend should simply learn from their bad experience and do better next time instead of throwing the towel.
The key to owning an EV is to know that they're a little different from gas cars. Unless your friend had no way to charge it once they got to their destination, charging up to 90% isn't usually advisable. I'd recommend 60-80% so you don't have to wait nearly as long since EV's charge slower the more full the battery gets. It's like a movie theater. When it's empty, people can fill in quickly and sit at any empty seats. But as it fills up, people slow down as there's less seats available, and it takes longer for that one person to move to an empty seat in the middle of the the room. EV charging is similar to that.
Cost of fueling also varies based on where you're charging. While this isn't always true everywhere, usually charging at home for your daily work commute will usually be cheaper than gas. And obviously on a road trip it'll cost more for the convenience of not waiting several hours to charge up, unless you're at a hotel for the night.
I have done numerous long range road trips in my 2020 Tesla Model Y, ranging anywhere from 500 to 6300 miles. I forget the exact costs, though I think my trip out to California (that 6300 mile one) cost around $875 in charging. Sounds high, right?
Well, gas prices were anywhere from $5-7 a gallon on average, and in Death Valley it was nearly $10 a gallon (sucks if you forgot to fill up beforehand). A 30 mpg car at $5 a gallon would've taken around 210 gallons, and cost about $1260. So overall not a lot of savings, especially when you consider all the time spent charging as well.
But keep in mind I'm not doing road trips every week/month either. For my daily work commute, I drive around 38 miles a day. Combined with weekly shopping trips, I drive about 1000 miles a month. I pay around 13 cents per kWh, which translates roughly to $40-60 a month extra on my electric bill. That's roughly 4-6 cents per mile. I also have solar panels on my roof, which I installed back in 2017, which helps to offset the cost even further.
Aside from the lower cost to drive it daily, I also love that I can preheat the cabin on cold days, or cool it down on hot days without carbon monoxide worries or someone driving off with my car because I left it running unattended, thanks to the electric heat pump.
Sure, it takes a few hours to charge. But I'm in my house sleeping, eating, watching tv, reading, surfing the web, gaming, etc. I'm doing other things while the car charges, so it's not a big deal. Although I could sit in the car if I wanted to, as it has games and built-in entertainment options too, which is useful at a busy supercharger.
Bottom line, EV's are different, but they're not all doom & gloom if you're willing to give them an honest try. Sure, they won't work everywhere. But they will in more places every year as more charging stations open up, along with longer ranged, cheaper EV's becoming available.
Dave I am glad you finished your video on the electric road trip. For a 73 an electric car/truck is like going to the moon. EV have a place in our life. But there is not an enough life remaining in a 73 year. Thanks for the information
Just keep running !
since electrify america charges by the minute the first few minutes are the cheapest so spend lest than 15 minutes at the charger
Love my Bolt EV !
I’ll stick with gas power!!! Absolutely insane!!
GREAT VIDEO! Very informative!
I don’t think the hopscotch method of travel is practical. It takes FAR too long to charge. Time is money.
I own a Bolt and have done plenty of long trips around the Midwest and the I've had a few DCFC hiccups over the years. Nothing catastrophic, just some stress & lost time. I've also driven from New Jersey to Iowa in my Tesla model X and the charging experience is night and day. Once Tesla opens the supercharger network these trip planning videos will seem so comical. In the Tesla I barely think about charging on trips. I just tell the car my destination and the car does the route planning including charge stops (and accounts for charger status). I know the Bolt will never get Tesla's route planning integration but I bet google maps will and at that point the experience will be 1000x better.
At 10:01 you said the Bolt is discontinued, is there a replacement? Why did they stop production?
GM is moving on the their new Ultium Platform... more range, faster charging, easier to adapt to a variety of vehicle types
GM is moving production capacity to (ie more expensive) SUVs and trucks
@@ronjohnson3129 bad move on their part.
I don't like evs, I prefer hybrids, I'm in the Uber business. That being said, I love the 360 camera on the bolt, and the easy gear shift buttons including one pedal driving on/off. Very intuitive. The climate controls are nice too including the big infotainment screen for Android auto. The car is very peppy too. I've driven a new bolt EUV, new bolt, 2023 Tesla model 3 SR...bolt is the winner. It's perfect. If I had charging at my apartments I'd almost drive it over my hybrid. But for long road trips, it would suck. The real world range is also way better than a Tesla. I've lived with all these EVs for weeks. So I know. Would love to try a Chevy volt. I love my fusion hybrid.
They are going to have to pry my internal combustion engine out of my cold clutched hands! That is a nightmare! Pretty soon people will be waiting a couple of hours just to plug in, and then another 1 1/2 waiting for it to charge. It is my understanding that if you have a lead foot you will see half the range. Maybe worse! Range anxiety is an understatement.
I think the bolt is worth it if you do the occasional long trip
i also saw a video of someone putting a sprocket on a wheel an adding an alternator so the car charges itself while driving,.....