Chevy Bolt EV 50,000 Mile Update
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2024
- People have asked me to do a 50,000 mile update on my Bolt EV, so here it is. I give a quick overview at the beginning, and a more detailed review with my experiences and opinions while driving the Bolt EV.
36,000 Mile Update: • Chevy Bolt EV 36,000 M...
4:24 Original Bolt EV Software and OTA Updates
5:12 Required Maintenance
5:50 Recharging
6:43 Driving Experience and One-Pedal Driving
8:54 Battery Life and Range
9:20 Hilltop Reserve Mode
10:31 Suggestion for GM: Brake Light when Stopped in One-Pedal Driving
11:48 Suggestion for GM: Battery Temperature Display
12:51 Suggestion for GM: Battery Conditioning Activation Control
14:20 Suggestion for GM: DC Fast Charging Speed Booster
16:54 Suggestion for GM: Adaptive Cruise Control or Super Cruise
18:04 Suggestion for GM: Interior Upgrade and Seat Option
19:27 Suggestion for GM: Streaming Media Options
20:17 Suggestion for GM: Charge Port LED
21:10 Interior Durability
22:41 Comparisons with EV Alternatives
30:19 Final Thoughts
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I specifically want to let you know that I just bought my 2019 Bolt LT. And it is because your videos convinced me that the Bolt is able to charge quick enough and the battery will show little damage as a result. I would prefer a lower price. But now that I have driven the car (223 miles so far LOL) I can not imagine how Chevy got so much technology in the car for the price. I also own a 2012 Nissan Leaf. It was my gateway drug into EV ownership. But it is your videos that convinced me to go all electric with all cars. And for that I wanted to say thank you for your hard work. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
You're welcome! Congratulations on your new Bolt EV! I'm glad you're enjoying it!
I was talking with a friend about getting a Kona Electric after his Ioniq Electric. Just the extra range alone makes all his local driving worry free. 😀
I wouldn't be surprised if Bolt EV ended up being the most reliable GM car.
I think it already is. I seem to remember a report stating that the Bolt EV was GM's most reliable car (the Camero was the least reliable).
The Camaro also get beat on regularly and would take that with a grain of salt since its motor and transmission have been successfully used in other platforms.
According to Consumer Reports, the Bolt is GM's most reliable car.
Where did you hear that from? Never had an issue with my 38,000 mile 2014 Camaro, and only battery swap on my 172,000 mile 2000 Camaro
...doesn't make other GM cars unreliable. I had an issue on my GM, but that's something in the USA cannot happen (steering column pin locked up).
It's really cool seeing miles being ADDED to the range when going downhill. So awesome.
I have 7500 miles and own my Bolt. Questions pop up like battery degradation, durability 50K+ miles. Thanks for posting the video. I love my car and love it even more now!
I am right around 32,000 miles and the only issue is when I don't go to work my wife steals the Bolt. It is a real fun car to drive, the 200 HP with instant torque makes it a very safe car on the highways. The only issue I have with the car is the front seats. I am 6'1" and 190 lbs, the seat is made for someone closer to 5'1" and 100 lbs. The weird thing is they have these tiny seats, but they have enough headroom for someone close to 7 feet tall. So far for 30,000 miles I have gotten regular rotations for free at my tire shop, bought windshield wiper fluid, and replaced my cabin air filter after 25,000 miles. I also have solar now and the EV electric rate is amazing. I bought a $20,000 solar system and it should pay for itself in about 4 years. With my old Ford Fusion Hybrid, I would pay $3000 a year in gas alone, not including all the other maintenance. If you are a commuter of over 100 miles a day, the Bolt is a fantastic car!
Dan Chase ive always found steering and braking better for avoiding an accident than accelerating.
Wow than I’m SOL. I’m 6’5” 280 😭.
Aaron ___ when you see a problem check mirrors check blind spot indicators pull left and accelerate boom! Out of the danger. Have done it many times.
50k and no noticeable degradation, that is impressive.
I started to see more significant degradation since, but mine appears to be a unique case among high-mileage Bolt EVs. Most of the owners with over 100,000 miles have reported only small amounts of degradation.
Excellent review. When the price comes down it's definitely at the top of my list. Tesla gets all the hype while GM quietly makes the most reliable, best bang for the buck EV.
Hopefully GM can do what they did with the Volt and bring more of the manufacturing stateside. That would cut about $4,000 off the price. If their projections for battery costs are accurate, the base MSRP could be in the high $20k in the next five years.
George Stone you can get a used one for under 30,000 check out autotrader.com even 2019 ones are being discounted.
And this is the year leases will be turned in and many got replacement batteries like mine did. We are planning on buying my premier lease that has the new battery and turn in our second bolt LT...which we got a great lease deal on at only $150 per month.
A ton of Bolts coming off lease with low miles ad prices below $20k!
Anybody notice that during the video his battery charge kept going up lol. California mountains + regen= greatness
True but before you can get to the downhill to regen, you must climb and climbing consumes more energy than it regens. That's what I see every time I drive over the Dublin grade in the Tri-Valley, NorCal. I really pay attention to the downhill and more often than not, when arriving at the foothill,I will have regened enough energy to get home and even have a mile or two surplus. Wow!
The forest experience, the silence, made this video a "must watch"! Thank you!
Great job on the video. I've got only 26,000 on my Bolt but much the same as yours...no issues whatsoever. Keep up the good work.
Good job making the brief overview and then the longer video also.
Agreed about the brake lights and the bolt. They really need to stay on after you come to a full stop. Worst case, the bolt can Auto apply the parking brake, as we know it can already do this if you were going up or down a hill and come to a stop using one pedal driving.
Now that's the type of car I need. Low to no maintenance.😉👍🏾 I'm hoping for more charge station on the east coast especially South East. Great video.😀👍🏾
Thank you!
Thanks for the vid! A week ago I bought a used (certified) 2017 with 21K miles. I'm loving it. Having ridden an electric motorcycle (Zero SR) for three years, I know a bit about range anxiety. (Zero gets around 100m at highway speeds). This is my first experience with fast DC charging, and I'm a discouraged that it's a bit expensive. However, I doubt that I'll ever really need it, except for longish out-of-town trips.
Thanks! It also depends what plan you get. If you have AAA, they have a free membership deal with EVgo, and Electrify America only costs Bolt EV drivers about 6 cents a mile. 🙂
You should update software. It could improve battery maintenance and other factors that you as the driver would not necessarily be aware of. Nice video!
Thanks! Heading over tomorrow. I'll be sure to document my experiences before and after.
This is a big slap in the face of oil producing Middle East that strangles our necks with high oil prices for many decades. EV is a big leap for mankind
Definitely! It's hard to describe how liberating EV ownership is.
I’ve been looking at EV deals online, and I’m going to get an EV of some sort. I have a feeling Saudi Arabia is going to be quite upset as soon as this country as a whole moves away from petrol and towards cleaner, safer, cheaper electricity.
you guys realize electricity is mainly produced form fossil fuels in the USA, right? Need to move to nuclear power and renewable energy like Europe but long road ahead in the US.
@@justagiraffe2868 Not quite. The world still needs lots of plastics and plastics are made out of oil.
I agree with your comments about what you hear while driving an EV. When my Honda Clarity is in EV mode, I've noticed sounds I would never have heard with the ICE running. I'm looking forward to taking my car to the local wildlife refuge... run it in EV mode and get closer to the animals without spooking them with ICE noise.
*_News Coulomb, you have set the bar for commitment to dissemination of good information about the Chevy Bolt. I have a dark blue 2017 Premier Edition Bolt and have been watching your videos with great interest since I got this wonderful EV. You have helped countless people who have been drawn to your most excellent videos. You are performing a valuable public service._*
I have the Model 3 and really find the autopilot wonderful on long distances. The adaptive cruise control is wonderful on shorter...I don't think I'd want to be without either. But as a Chevy family I am happy you're getting a kick out of the Bolt!
Yes, if that type of functionality is something you're after, the current Bolt EV won't cut it.
I have considered the Model 3 (especially since I could order one directly right now), but the self-driving functionality isn't something I care about.
We have His & Her's Bolts EV, we love them, but the one thing that I cannot stand about it is the seat comfort.
Can't you buy a seat cushion?
@@jbiv1971 Yeah, we did buy aftermarket seat cushions, but should we ever have to when purchasing a $40,000 car? Or two of them?
Great job on this. I thought your observations and recommendations were right on the mark. I hope GM considers those ideas that could be accomplished through software updates. Thank you for taking the time to compile these thoughts.
Thanks!
Love it. Talks about all the things that GM could do with a software update but never goes to get the software updates that may include those things.
Thanks! Hopefully, we can get some of those OTA updates with significant improvements.
Awesome how you set up the camera to show the information screen while driving!
Thanks!
My original tires lasted exactly 16,000 miles with 38 psi all around. I drove it like I stole it and that was the reason. If I drove like my grandma, it might last 60,000 miles. I replaced the Michelin with Nitto Motivo and lost 20-25% in range. For example, for a full charge to 100% I would see 217 miles on the oem Michelins, I would see only 185 miles on the Nitto. But wow the grip from the Nitto is much better and the surprising thing was that the Nitto was quieter.
Yes, I get the miles I see because most of my driving is on freeways. That puts very little wear on the tires.
It makes sense that the Nitto tires are quieter; they should have thicker tread.
Thanks for your tips, hacks and advice on Bolt EV. I love everything about my Premier. Thanks for showing us how to range plan for long distance trips. I believe Califmexifornistan's I-80 corridor needs some quick chargers other then the Tesla superchargers in Tejon, Harris stinky Ranch and Gustine.
I have the cloth seats and safety package. I’m at 27,000 miles and my battery pack was replaced at around 14,000, loose steering column at 24,000. I replaced the stock tires about 1,000 miles ago. It’s been the most enjoyable 1,000 miles of the 27,000. I experienced the joy of driving a vehicle with instant 266 lb/ft torque, the annoying spinoffs went away, loss of stability with aggressive steering went away! The car is Planted to the road, quick, and stable! Makes me want to pick up some driving gloves. Anticipated range dropped from average 238 miles to 224 miles but the miles are more fun and truer, no spinoff miles. The ride benefited also, quieter, sportier. The cheap bumpy ride is gone with the stocks. Also, car has a more aggressive stance. The tires I chose are BFG G-Force Comp 2 a/s in the same size as the stocks but they look fatter. Next was my sore displeasure with the cheap plastic on the dash. Then I remembered, a dash mat! Now I am enamored with this vehicle.
I just bought a Bolt Friday and I'm TOTALLY with you on the brake light thing. I was curious if it came on while using the Regen button. When I noticed it wasn't at a certain speed, ESPECIALLY at night, I got a wave of anxiety about someone rear ending my brand new car.
Congratulations! Yes, but I think it's okay to keep the habit of pressing the brake when you're at a full stop. It's a good reminder that we still have a brake pedal! 😁
@@newscoulomb3705 yeah I'm not comfortable enough yet to fully leave it alone.
I have probably watched over 100 EV videos to inform my next vehicle purchase. This video is in the top 5 most informative. Your candid comparisons of multiple EV's and perspective is helpful. I live in a state that has zero DC fast chargers but full Tesla Supercharger coverage, which tips the scales towards Tesla for me. The points you made about vehicle size are right on. Model X and Model S are huge vehicles and therefore not as easy to maneuver. Sounded like autopilot was important to you. What factor lead you to choose the Bolt over the Model S 60? If you could have gotten a Model 3 when you bought your Bolt would you have gone for the Model 3? Reminder, the Model 3 is not a hatchback...
Actually, autopilot/self driving isn't important to me personally, but I know too many people now who won't consider a vehicle that doesn't have it. I think GM is losing a number of customers by not offering it.
I had a number of reasons for choosing the Bolt EV over the Model S. They have similar capabilities for my travel needs, the Bolt EV is smaller and more efficient, and I will be installing a large solar array with battery backup this year (the price of the Bolt EV + solar array is less than the Model S alone).
The Model 3 is definitely a consideration, and choosing between it and the Bolt EV would be much closer. By the time I found out what the Model 3 was actually going to be, though, it was too late to put in a reservation. I was worried that it would be similar to the Model S with less efficient induction motors... that didn't turn out to be the case. I also thought it would only have the ~215 mile range... that didn't turn out to be the case either.
At the same price point, I think the Bolt EV is a better value (base/stripped down model), but as you add options, the Model 3 is a better car. Anything over $45,000, and the two are no longer in the same class.
What shape are the tires in at 50k miles - I presume regular rotations? Do the tires get lumpy or louder with age? Do you have any sense of degradation in the car overall at 50k miles, such as different steering feel or softer suspension? Or does it still drive like new? Have you looked at the brakes? Good to hear that there’s no perceived battery loss at 50k miles. Thanks for putting this together - I’m with you 100%!
The tires are at the end of their life. They'll definitely need to be replaced in the next 10k to 15k miles.
The rest of the car feels solid. The suspension and steering both feel like new. And the brakes couldn't have any significant wear on them; the number of times I've actually applied the friction brakes in the last year is in the low double digits.
I think the lack of noise, vibration, and harshness common in ICE cars is part of the reason. I haven't noticed any rattles, squeaks, etc.
Wow, 50 thousand miles already. I have a 2011Regal CXL RL2 i got the end of November begging of December of 2015 with 38 thousand miles. I am now around 56 thousand miles as of today.
I just got my 2021 Bolt LT for $239 a month and $0 down for a lease. So far, it’s a fun car to drive with a lot of torque. But my garage outlet won’t charge it. But few of my living sockets will. I might have to call an electrician
Great review! Super exciting to see how amazing this vehicle is.
Thanks!
Thank you for posting this.
Thanks!
I love one pedal driving.
Dude! I know exactly what you mean about the relaxing one pedal driving experience. It does, it feels like you and the car are more 'one', and able to experience the drive more than the car. Seems like some pretentious EV owner rhetoric... but... it's true :P
Just purchased a Bolt last month and love it. Goes forever on a charge and 119 MPG appears to hold true.
I have a 2019 Bolt with about 1200 miles on it. I have literally used the brakes a handful of times since I've owned the car: the pads are definitely NOT broken in (thankfully, the rotors appear to be good quality metal that is not rusting). I get 3 to 6 mi per kWh at 40 MPH in the winter - can't wait to see how well I can do in milder weather.
Your review is quite informative! You're a really good speaker too. I have one question on maintenance. I tried researching this before asking, but found nothing. Aren't there any points on the chassis that need greased or lubricated? It might have all rubber bushings and sealed bearings, but again I found nothing after an hour of research. I don't own a Bolt yet, but chassis greasing came to mind when you were mentioning maintenance costs. Thanks for anyone's input!
I haven't seen any lubrication points. Just bushings and sealed joints.
I have a Bolt and a Toyota Mirai. I don't have any miles on the Bolt to speak of, but I have 51,000 miles on my Toyota Mirai and other than a new set of tires (just changed them) I've had no expenses. I drove a canyon road every weekday for about a year, so I suspect that's what did the Michelin's in early. I am very glad to hear that the stock tires on the Bolt are still good at 50k, but I am not sure whether you've been driving multiple hairpin curves at 45 mph every weekday (the road I drove is hwy 74 between Lake Elsinore and San Juan Capistrano).
A majority of my miles are freeway, so I get away with fewer tire rotations and longer life. How are you liking the Mirai? I still prefer EV for light duty vehicles, but I really want to see GM push HFC for trucks and industrial uses.
What's the blinking red light? Currently have the Lincoln MKZ H and love 42mph and driving on E alone but lease is up. I'm looking to go full EV not getting a Tesla. Was checking out the '19 Bolt. Great video loved seeing the display while you drove, it answered many questions I had. I have many hills to regen on during my commute.
Thanks! The red light is just the camera light.
I've read two conflicting items about charging: 1) batteries do better if they are charged up to less than 100% - so leaving hilltop reserve on will help the Bolt battery last longer and 2) the Bolt doesn't charge up to 100% because Chevy left some "reserve" when it says it's actually at 100% so we don't have to worry about it on the Bolt. Do you use hilltop reserve? Or do you charge to 100% every time?
Should have watched the whole video - you answered the question already.
Those aren't mutually exclusive. GM definitely left an additional "buffer" of unusable capacity. Hilltop Reserve Mode technically reserves the top 10% of the battery, but it looks like it is actually 12%.
Great video format!
Thanks!
Are you happy with back-up audio warning system? With my '17 Premiere, it seems on-coming cars have to be within a very short distance - too close for comfort. The system on our '16 Acura RDX is much more sensitive, it can "see" pedestrians and bicycles - not so with the Bolt. I asked a dealer to check the system, they said it was working as designed.
I'm fine with it so far. For me, it picks some things I'm surprised it even detects.
Also I completely agree about adding more information to the Flow display. That page does nothing for me really. It only acts as a "Yea! we're in an electric car" when I'm showing my friends/family.
I like the Bolt, and part of me would prefer it over the 2018 Leaf I leased, but the Bolt didn't have the adaptive cruise and pro-pilot (which is really good btw). Even though the Bolt would be a better purchase from a basic practicality standpoint, but I really wanted acc and pro-pilot. I really like the e-pedal too, which I like because it allows me to one pedal drive even with a full battery. Eh, we'll see what the market looks like after I'm done paying for depreciation on the Leaf.
Yup. Those are valid points. That's why I think GM needs to include it.
Yes, if Bolt had ACC I would have gotten it over the Leaf for sure.
very nicely done,very enjoyable and lots of good info!
Thanks!
i shall now go to autotrader... great overview man! This was one of your best videos in my opinion... i notice now, the dealer i bought my spark EV from..... they are selling a bolt EV with 3 miles on it... premiere.... 2017.... 30 grand..... what a deal!
It will take 10 years just to break even when compared to a comparable gas model.
What comparable ICE hatch goes 0-60 in 6.5 seconds and is close to the Bolt EV after tax credit? Break even can be 0 years depending on that.
I want it if it's 30K only!!! Where is this? price of a Premier lower than an LT? WOW!
owcowbell, Making claims with no understanding is ignorant. Not everyone can get the tax incentive. In fact most people cannot. If gas was 5 dollars a gallon it would still take 11 years to break even on a Bolt
Mowcobell, no you are still incorrect. The 7500 payment in taxes is above what you have paid in all year. So at the end of the year after you have paid in taxes you still have to have another 7500 dollars in more taxes that you owe you can get the 7500 dollar tax incentive but VERY FEW people owe that kind of money at filing. Most people try and get a tax refund not owe taxes. So yes you are a troll making claims without knowledge.
You're pretty much at 1 view per mile now (feb, 19) :)
Haha!
Good stuff. I posted link to your video on the facebook at Chevy Bolt EV Owners Group
Thanks!
I can't help but wonder if some of those features you suggested are in those software updates you don't want to get.
I see in another comment that you went to get the updates, so I'll look for that video next. 👍
I love my Nissan leaf but the range is just adequate. My round trip commute is 36 miles. However add on AC, Lights, side errands I have to charge my car to at least 85% every day to make the commute comfortable (no flashing low mile warning getting home). Good news it fully charge from 10% to 100% is about 4 hours Level 2 charging (@4.4KWh). The Bolt interests me, BUT I bought my 2015 Nissan Leaf outright for $12K. Not interested in spending $30K.
Hopefully, used Bolts in the $20k range will go on sale in the next year or so.
EDIT: GM has asked 2017 Bolt owners to bring their cars in for a software update that better monitors the battery system; early-production cars had sudden loss of propulsion under certain circumstances, which this software patch is designed to better inform the driver when such circumstances apply. The OTA-updating feature is installed with the fix.
Video of a Bolt owner getting the update at a Chevy dealer: ua-cam.com/video/7wPTNXZdd7o/v-deo.html
More info on the TSB (it is not a recall): insideevs.com/chevy-bolt-battery-cell-failure/
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: L works in bumper-to-bumper traffic, but on the highway, you should try driving it in normal D mode, coast whenever possible, and use the regenerative paddle on the steering wheel to brake as needed. If I owned a Bolt, I'd feel more relaxed driving it that way, there. I'd feel uncomfortable having my foot on the gas all the time to keep speed up; I'd only want to tap it, occasionally, to keep up speed. Besides, the regenerative system is only about 30% efficient at recharging the battery, while coasting on the car's own momentum is much more efficient, over time.
Michael Ball I always use L and Cruise Control which goes down to 24 MPH and pull the paddle and hold, if still need more, let off and pull and hold and if still not enough pull and hod until stopped. Take a little getting used to but you will love it. Powering out of curves by resuming speed on the CC, and pulling the tab to slow for the next curve and power out by tapping resume. What fuuuun!
Such a bummer that GM doesn't offer the Bolt for sale here in the UK. Great video.
I agree completely. We need a RHD version.
DaviDeXtA Maybe they will once the states and Canada have enough?
I guess it's branded as the Ampera-e in Europe and they are talking about bringing it to the UK under the Vauxhall badge.
It will certainly be interesting to see if it happens, the city car segment is only pretty scarce at the moment with the Smart and e-Up! as the only entries both of which carry a fairly substantial price tag. Also remember that GM no longer has ties with Vauxhall having sold their subsidiary last year.
Excellent video. I’m thinking of getting this for my father who drives 40 miles each way from the suburbs into NYC 6 days/week. This wouldn’t work at Tesla supercharging stations, right? So how much would it cost to get a fast charger installed at home? Do you have one? Thanks
Thanks! Only Teslas are allowed to use the Supercharger Network.
"Fast" chargers are relative. I'd recommend getting a 40 A, NEMA 14-50 socket in the garage, and you can choose a charger that plugs in from there. It will fully recharge a Bolt EV overnight.
You can expect to pay $500 to $1,000 for everything.
Thanks for an overview, the Bolt is such a good stab at a compact electric car, it seems almost a version 2? On VW e-golf, they and the Up! are questionable buys in 2018. By 2019, probably will be passed over in their current form, and with range limitations? Put another way, e-Up owners are starting to sell over here in UK. But what is really damping it down here, is the leasing battery arrangement being mandatory on almost every Renault Zoe and all Smart for two electrics. I only buy used as I am fiscally challenged (!) and there is an absence of viable electric vehicles to the point I am left considering the i-miev for example, as a front runner. There is a clear situation emerging however, and it is taxation. As gasoline or petrol as we say here in the UK rises again, up nearly equal to a dollar in a month per gallon, and I fill our tiny Clio with $60 or so worth, it once more feels like someone is having a laugh. As soon as we get an EV, we will be saving £600 a year in tax. Who is going to make up that shortfall? Well at the moment, it is everyone who cannot afford to go electric. I know my country, and if the present government party stays in, they might not change anything for years. Makes me keen to get an EV bordering on it being necessary.
The Bolt EV might be closer to a Version 4 or 5. GM has gained a lot of experience over the last few years: the EV1, the Volt, and the Spark EV.
Gas prices are going up globally, but I think this is their swan song. Now that viable alternatives are available, it's a matter of time before a spike in costs drives a majority of consumers away from fossil fuels for good.
I don't know who will be left holding the bag, but I wouldn't want to own an internal combustion car after 2025. It will be unsellable; no one will take it. You'll basically be stuck with a giant rolling anchor.
Short heads up.
Chevy dealers who sell electric cars have free charging stations for chevy autos.. Never pay for charging again
Yes, they have them, but they aren't the most convenient. Something that should be factored into charging is the cost of your time.
Wow, how convenient! Lol.
*_Robert, NOT all Chevy Dealers are on board with this "never pay for charging again program'. My dealer would NOT let everyone who bought a Bolt charge it at the dealer charging stations. And I don't blame them. In 2017 when I got mine they were only sold in California, Oregon, and Washington State. That meant that dealers were getting all the Bolts they could sell. No way my dealer could have all those Bolt buyers charging at the dealer. Now with nationwide sales California dealers are only getting 6 Bolts a month to sell so maybe in 2019 they could accommodate people charging their Bolts at the dealer but I have found out that there is NO national policy that allows all Bolt buyers to charge at the dealer. NONE!_*
What really sucks it only openduring business hours and most are closed on Sunday and around 6pm during the week
Great video. Is your seat having wrinkles? My Bolt EV is 3 months old and I can see some minor wrinkles on my seat. I think the charging rate should be higher. Even the Ioniq has a higher rate. Hopefully they can fix that with an update.
Mine don't really have any noticeable wrinkles. I've mainly seen that on the leather seats.
I agree that the charging rates should be higher, but GM stated that they had two reasons. First is to increase battery life. Second is because they based it on the currently available charging network (and what was proposed to be built in the next year or so). Well, the Bolt EV already charges faster than most public chargers can provide, so really, the only thing GM could have done differently is to allow the 125 A rate to persist until 75-80% battery (which I think they should have done).
Still, with the current charging infrastructure, you are looking at taking a few minutes off of long trips, not the 40-50% reduction in charging times that I think we need to see.
The bolt lacks Highway Auto Emergency Breaking, it only has Highway Forward Collision Warning. I feel this is an important safety feature. Another glaring omission is Adaptive cruise. The Leaf has both of these features.
The manual control of the battery temp is a good idea. I would think that using the car's system to navigate to a level 3 charging station would be a good automated trigger.
My Premier is up on 8000 miles with no issues or squawks. Recall updates complied with no issues. Build date december 17. First electric bill was in February. Home electric bill has been 100 a month x 3 = $300 ----thats home use and Bolt EV driving 70 miles a day. Hopefully chargers will be installed at work soon. Looking forward to a Tesla solar roof one day with storage. Next EV will be in 2 years...a model Y or GM equivalent.
While I personally would rather have manual rack and pinion steering on a tiny car like a Bolt, I think it probably has electric power assist, and a way for “lane keep assist” to control it to nudge you back into your lane. And of course acceleration and deceleration with regen is also all done electronically. So in theory, the Bolt can have some basic self driving.
OpenPilot is working on the Volt, but I’m not sure they have it working on the Bolt. It basically uses a OnePlus phone with extra heat sinks and a fan to act of the computer and ties into the CAN bus. This is mainly for hobbyists who already are reading the CAN bus with a laptop.
I don’t think Chevy will or should put Super Cruise in the Bolt. It will make it a $50,000 car and nobody is going to pay that when they can get a model 3 for that price, but maybe GM can make a Cruise Lite for the Bolt which can do more driver assist.
It's true that the cost would put it closer to the i3 or Model 3, but the Bolt EV still has advantages over either. With the Model 3, the main issue is availability. After that, it is use case.
News Coulomb, my crystal ball says the availably of a $54,000 model 3 will not be a problem, and if someone makes a reservation today, even without buying a used Model S first, they will be invited to configure this year, long before the 350,000 who are waiting for the $35,000 version.
The Bolt should have something that competes with ProPilot though, which cost about $650 on the top level trim.
GJ GM, now lets talk about volt gen3
The freelance designer that designed the Volt and Bolt has left the company. As GM did not pay him for his work.
I am thinking that the battery longevity is due to the low maximum charging rate. Fast DC charging at 50KwH is not considered high these days when people are looking at 100-200 and even 350KwH.
I wonder when someone will make a BoltSpy app.
The Bolt seems to have a lot more built-in numerical information on the drive train and energy usage than the Leaf does. I'm not sure how much more an app would need to display.
Now that would be cool. I wonder how rich the Bolt's API set is compared to the Leaf?
How about a Pano roof? Loving my Soul EV with it. I really relate to your observations about taking in nature with the roof open and windows down. It's kind of close to an electric convertible. Any ways, love the Chevy's. Look forward to owning one of their electrics when they build the right one for me. Had to go with the Kia this time....
I like to say Thank you for the great video's. I was thinking about getting a used Bolt 50, 000 Plus miles do you think it would be a good idea? also with the new look coming out. Do you think the price will drop on the old looking ones?
Yes. If you have software update 11.3 and no higher you can watch MP4 720P movies and videos ( using Handbrake to convert from other formats.
David Drake. We all know that will make driving safer.......
S Tho It only works when parked and up to 5 MPH. So no danger. The sound system is better in the LT model. Almost audiophile quality. You should hear and feel the cannons on the third day covering Picket’s Charge on the second disk of Gettysburg. Also helicopter swap swap in Apocalypse Now.
I had once thought that Tesla might go bankrupt because of the tough competition... But then I focused on autonomous driving and what car >I< myself would want to buy... and I realized that Tesla would not go bankrupt because people WANT Tesla's self driving autonomous driving feature and Tesla is #1 as far as self driving autonomous driving is concerned!!! Of course the technology of self driving autonomous cars is in its infancy so it can sometimes result in serious disaster if you trust it too much... but nevertheless it definitely is something that needs to be developed considering the fact that at least 30,000 people die from motor vehicle fatalities in the USA alone EVERY YEAR!!! So i can't but praise Elon Musk for attempting to develop the life saving technology of self driving autonomous cars!!!
I agree that I don't think Tesla is in danger of going bankrupt, but I don't like their business model right now. They are running many disparate divisions that would benefit from being allowed to coordinate with other companies and customers.
Just, Tesla calls it "autonomous driving" but it's not.
"Worry free driving up 50,000 miles". This is EXACTLY the reason the big three automakers avoided going EV right up until they had to. The big three, and all other ICE automakers make a big part of their money through selling replacement parts. Dealerships make a big part of their income through the regular maintenance of your ICE vehicle (oil changes, air filter changes, etc....). None of them are very enthusiastic about EVs because they're all about profits ($$$). None of them even invested into EV charging stations (unlike Tesla) and are all now regretting this decision.
In recent news, GM is looking to build a national public charging network.
@@newscoulomb3705 Well, better late than never.
Perhaps. GM has been funding other public charging infrastructure programs prior to this, but that was not enough to appease those who still think GM is out to "kill the electric car."
@@newscoulomb3705 I'm aware of the GM EV story. From a business standpoint GM and the other ICE car makers were too steeped in their old doctrine. It took a start up to be successful at selling the EV to the mass market before they took notice and the big 3 have been playing catch up ever since.
It depends on how you define "catch up." GM sold more vehicles in the United States last year than any other automaker. Now, in terms of selling the vehicles we want to see them sell, they are behind. But those vehicles still aren't profitable, the manufacturing supply chain required for mass market production isn't in place, and the public charging infrastructure is just getting to the point where it can support a major shift to EVs.
Around the 24 minute mark you mention the driving experience/dynamic of the 2018 Leaf left you wanting more. Could you explain/expand the main difference or differences in the driving experience of the Leaf compared to the Bolt? Thank you.
I did a separate full review video of the new Leaf (the video was a bit boring because the Nissan representative asked me to not film), but just the key differences:
- It was a bit under-powered. It was livable, but the difference was noticeable coming from the Bolt EV.
- The steering was sloppy, but to be fair, it felt like it might not have been the production steering rack. It was also producing a clicking sound.
- Regeneration modes dictated accelerator pedal sensitivity. This is a big no-no for me, and a similar complaint I voiced to GM about the Volt (you couldn't use Sport mode while using Mountain or Hold modes).
- e-Pedal: The high-speed regenerative braking felt inadequate and weak, even with e-Pedal on. To be fair, the low-speed (sub 5 mph) was more solid than the Bolt EV's, but the reason for that is my other issue with e-Pedal: its reliance on friction brakes.
- The dash felt a little cluttered and dated to me, but that's probably just a personal preference (I much prefer the Bolt EV and Model 3 spartan interior).
Of course, I didn't know about it at the time of the review, but there's now the issue of #rapidgate. I wanted to do a full 1,000-mile trip review of the new Leaf, but I'm no longer sure it's viable.
Thank you for your reply. I just finished watching your outstanding review on the 2018 Leaf ua-cam.com/video/pNTmFhcZ3Ew/v-deo.html
It answered all of my questions. Thanks again.
Thank you! I want to do another video review of me actually driving it soon.
FWIW, VLC says it supports Android Auto, so you may be able to get video playback during your charging sessions that way...
Peter Coffin How about apple CarPlay and VLC, or do I have to jail break?
E-Golf lack battery thermal management. Charging will throttle after several DC sessions. Also, battery voltage is lower so you get only 35/37kW max charging rate
Yeah, that's what I've heard, but I haven't had a chance to personally test the fast charging in the e-Golf yet.
News Coulomb When the Bolt 57kWh battery is topping at around 350.4V, E-Golf battery pack tops at around 323V (On the 24,2kWh battery).
Doesn't sound much like that but it does make a difference on long trip.
Also, I thought the Bolt could charge at 80kWh, did you ever try a 150kWh EVSE ?
It will charge at 80 KW when those charges are available. I believe most of the DC Chargers in this area are 50 KW or 20.
Bjørn Nyland just posted a video that shows 3% degradation on his Model X at about 30k miles. Have you seen something like that on your Bolt?
I also watched Bjorn's video. No, I haven't noticed any degradation so far, but I am going to do some deeper testing to see if I can find anything. Tesla vehicles are known for degrading a certain percentage at the beginning and then stabilizing, but it appears that GM and LG's battery construction and chemistry don't work that way.
I'm not a fan of GM or Chrysler products but I'm actually hopeful that a move towards EV will mean higher reliability since there's so much less to go wrong compared to an ICE powered car.
Very useful video - for both owners and GM. I agree with all your suggestions - how do we let GM know of our wish list?
Thank you! I'm not sure. I'll probably post it up in the GM-Technical forums... GM representatives seem to review information and suggestions that are posted there.
Vijay Shah I wrote a letter to Mary Bara CEO of GM, praising her vision and praising the Bolt EV and received a call from a designated lady from GM in Detroit as an ongoing representative. I even have her extension number. I talked about the uncomfortable seats ( I am a ride share driver-I drive about 200 miles per day) I will be talking about sudden loss of battery charge more than once while driving but not real serious. I checked my battery and since it does not say “Vista 2.0” ( according to Weberauto) I have the First Edition battery, and that is a symptom of that battery.
David Drake Wow, that’s a fantastic idea - I like it. Go straight to the top. Bolt is a fantastic car - I think I’ll email the CEO and mention it would be even greater if they offered a sunroof option. Thanks for sharing your idea!
Do you check the new updates to see if some of the qualms you have have been addressed? I guess I’m curious how you weigh updating vs not if something like the break lights turning on when stopped could be resolved by an update (just as an example).Thanks.
I wouldn't call these qualms, more of suggestions. Also, were the ones that are actually important to me implemented (fast charging, battery temperature display, control of battery conditioning, etc.), I'd hear about it almost immediately.
Cool, thanks. And thanks for the video, this is the first 50+k review I've seen on the Bolt. Hope it serves you a good long time!
Thank you, good info.
Have you messed with the lane-assist feature much? I tryed it and it seems to not drift into the left lane but, when it drifts towards the right lane, the car gets its wheels into the lane so, if theres a car there, you would be really close to, if not, making contact with it.The way it is, i dont think its usable really. can you adjust the amount of drift, maybe tighten up the tolerance in sway within your lane?
I have the LT trim, so I don't have the LKA. I'm not big on driver assist features, so it wasn't a high priority.
Hopefully, I can do a test and review on a fully-loaded Bolt EV in the future.
right, your better off not having it i think. my couple of tests on it tell me its not sensitive enough to keep you in your lane without drifting on the line and sometimes far enough out of your lane you would bepartially in the other lane. They could probably adjust the sensors or something, software update maybe, to make it so you dont drift out of your lane at all.
Hello, thank you for all your videos , they are very helpful. I have a 2017 bolt ev with NO fast charging capabilities. There is any adapter I can buy in order to at least charge it at the highest rate using electrify America ?
Thank you
50K on a Bolt - congratulations!
Great review if your car. I like the Bolt Eve lot. It gets a lot of praise from auto enthusiast and auto magazine people, but seems nobody in the general public knows about it. They all jump on Tesla bandwagon.
I'm with you, smaller hatchback is way more practical than the Model 3 sedan.
For my daily is EV's are kinda useless to me. I tend to drive 230-260 miles a day.. occasionally 400+ a day.
So it's Hybrids for me for now.
I like the Volt a lot too. But the lack of 3 seats in the back makes it useless to me also, and as you mentioned the MPG is not as good as others when operating on the ICE.. which would be most of my miles.
So for now.. it's used Priuses for me.
I'm really surprised the Bolt does not have adaptive cruise. You can get that in a base model Prius...
I drove a Hyundai Ionic Hybrid and liked it a lot.
Much more engaging than my Prius..
Unfortunately you can't get the full saftey package on the base model car, and that model has everything I would want in it except the safety package, and it gets better mileage.
Keep up the good work on your reviews... Look forward to your next one.
60K - 70K miles on a set of tires? How do you do it? The front tires on my Spark EV were shredded after 18K. Maybe if I lighten up on the pedal....
It's because most of my miles are freeway. If I were driving more curvy roads, these tires would probably be toast already. Though they do have decent wear resistance. I think you'd have to try to burn them out in less than 40k miles.
Have you noticed the tires need more frequent rotation? I've read that on many EV's, the front tires wear much faster than on ICE FWD vehicles.
I haven't, but I think that is because I drive mostly freeway, and I have fairly good control of power modulation. I typically only spin the tires when I want to. :-D
News Coulomb Yes I just recently changed the front set at about 50,000 miles.
I think part of the reason you have not experienced any battery degradation is because the car does use those conservative charging rates. If you were allowed to defeat them, then they would start to get a bad reputation for bad battery life.
How did you get the center circle on the instrument panel to have the darker background - dark blue vs bright white?
I believe it was the in the display settings. Lock on night view. I'll verify.
News Coulomb that's be great to know
No brake lights when waiting at a stop in regen, how could have GM missed this one ? I would be afraid with all those people distracted/texting and what not (not that a brake light will wake up a texter but still..)
There is also a benefit to NOT having the brake light stay on when stopped at a light, such as the case with motorcycles and manual transmission cars on level ground, which is if you see someone barreling down on you, you can activate the brake lights many times to get their attention more that if they stay illuminated. If the brake lights stay on, it’s hard to make them flash.
I put over powered brake lights in my motorcycle, so I wouldn’t want them to stay blinding the guy behind me. The rear taillight was enough to be seen, the brake light would blind you. LOL
A lithium battery can become unstable and fail. A higher charging rate can cause the battery to degrade faster. Also, to keep from overheating, the charge should not be higher than 85%. Also, keep from having the charge go below 20%. That could cause further problems. Oh, and fires in them do happen.
We looked at a 2018 car earlier this year. I hated the seats. Kind of a deal breaker for us. I heard the 2019 is improved. So I will take another look. Otherwise I think we liked everything else about the car.
I never had an issue with the original seats, but I've sat in the 2019. It's a bit different, but not significantly (for me, anyway).
Ha, Ventura County, thought I recognized the area. How long does GM give for the warranty on the battery?
It's 8 years/100,000 miles.
I thought California is 15 year 150000?
*_Mark, no it is not._*
Actually no. My i-Miev has 10 years, 100,000 miles.
On 09:08 that cliff drop looks scary.
No guardrails. 😁
I think it's going to help. When harley davidson starts putting in ccs charging stations in for their. New electric motorcycle. Making it more easy for cross country travel
Are you sure they are going to use CCS? Most e-bikes use J1772 at best. The batteries are so small that DC fast charging might not make sense.
An electric Harley? You are jesting??
I felt so anxious just watching that range go down one point every 30seconds😬 but then it goes up again that's interesting am 50/50 about getting an ev it will make me too paranoid staring at that range all the time thanks for the video
Thanks! I typically don't watch the range. I'm aware of it, but I primarily watch the total energy (like a gas gauge). The mileage estimate is constantly recalculating, but it's not really that important.
10/25/2019: I am considering leasing a 2019 bolt. What are the number one safety cautions in regards to public and home charging. How do I avoid overloading the vehicle's charging rate at public DC Direct charger? Any recommendations for a particular brand of home 32 amp Level 2 EVSE
I would like to ask a question about the chevy bolt. what is the height of the hatchback when it is open, from the ground to the top of the hatchback
WHERE IS THE HAT??!!..thats the million dollar question
It will make its return. 😂
Since your B2B is over have you purchased an extended warranty?
No. I might consider buying an extended warranty on the battery/electronics when I get closer to 100,000, but that's about it.
As of the date I am typing this, there is still no $35,000 Model 3, nor is there any hope of getting autonomous drive on any of the current vehicles (they don't have the hardware).
Yes. I suspect that the $35,000 Model 3 is still a year out. People seem to forget that to get to that price point, Tesla first needs to offer non-Premium Upgrades, and they are in no hurry to do that.
I suspect that the Model 3 SR is less than 6 months out, but at $40,000 and a limited Federal Tax Credit, I don't like its value proposition compared to the Bolt EV, Kona Electric, or Niro EV. If an EV sedan is what you're after, I wouldn't get less than the Model 3 Mid-range.
New to channel: how many months/ years to get to 50,000 miles?
About 16 months. It would have actually been sooner, but I had some health issues for a few months where I wasn't driving or traveling very much.
That's a *lot* of miles, even for a travelling salesman.
At 12:39, isn't the "66°" linked to the temperature of your batteries ? I really doubt this is outside or inside temperature, you would be dead lol.
It's outside temperature in Farenheit.
Its Fahrenheit not Celsius
No led light for the charge port? I hope they add that in the future. I agree GM should offer leather seats.
With the Nissan Leaf ,when you pay 38 thousand dollars you get leather,pro pilot Bose stereo ,automatic emergency breaking. I don't care about those extra features,but I think those things might help sell the car for some people.
The Bolt EV does have leather seats, but they are essentially the same as the base cloth seats, so the only changes is the outer layer. What I was referring to was offering different seats entirely for the upgrade package: More cushioning, wider seat base, power adjustments, adjustable lumbar, etc. They would add about 100 lbs to the vehicle, remove about an inch of rear leg room, and easily cost another $1,000 or so. But if people are willing to pay for them, why not make them an option.
News Coulomb oh ok. I forgot about the special light weight seats. 😊
Great video, i had to watch 1.25x speed though.
1.5 looks normal to me.
Antanas Bennett brilliant!