Chevy Bolt EV: Driving from "LA" to Vegas on a Single Battery Charge
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- Опубліковано 3 кві 2018
- In 2012, a crew from Motor Trend and Wide Open Throttle drove Elon Musk's Tesla Model S from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in a single charge. If you haven't seen it, I recommend watching the original run: • L.A. to Vegas in One C...
I decided to recreate the trip in my Chevy Bolt EV. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think!
One thing I appreciate on News Coulomb videos is that they are on point and no unwanted rubbish. Every single minute of his videos is worth watching and they are very realistic with real world info. Well, his car too gives REAL world real range. Keep up your good work. And you are not biased. That's very important in this world full of die hard Fan boy nonsense.
Thank you so much. And if you ever feel I am being biased or misreading something, call me out. We are all here to learn from each other. I'm just doing the best I can to provide data.
He said it best, "No Tribalism". Great vids.
It's impressive that even after 50000 miles at around 70 mph this car (which is not aerodynamic as a Model 3 or a S) can do about 240 miles. It has got an impressive powertrain.
... and it has a much better interior capacity and much better seating position than a model 3 (oh and it costs half the amount as well).
@Floriduh Man yup, the shape of the interior volume in the Bolt is much more optimal as well.
Thanks for this video. I have a 2023 Bolt EUV I'm driving from Las Vegas to Manhattan Beach and back. I will probably stop at Barstow both ways. After watching this I feel very comfortable with this trip.
Thanks for watching! There are a lot of charging options along that route now, so the trip should be pretty easy for you. The one thing I'd advise most EV owners to do is to plan around not being able to charge in the city itself. Chargers in LA are usually really crowded.
So this is what Bruce Willis is doing on his free time?
Caught me. 😁
😂😂🤣🤣💀
Yippee-ki-yay
Hey Bruce: ;-) when you hit the I-15 how many miles did you have on the GOM?
@@samueljackson856 He even caught Samuel L Jackson on his comment to. We promise man their is no snakes in this comment section!
Another great video. I purchased a 2018 Bolt EV last month and your videos helped me significantly in making my decision. Please keep them coming.
Thank you!
Ron If you don’t mind me asking how much did you pay? Thx.
Eddie Radovic I paid ~34.5k for the LT + DCFC + Convenience Package
Nice job! My dad's EE degree was from 1926, and I wish he could've lived long enough to see and drive my Bolt EV :-)
Thank you! This is an exciting time!
well dang, how old are you?
I bought my bolt in 2021. I really enjoy the car, especially with the high gas prices
I didn’t know Bruce Willis was making Chevy Bolt videos.
I'm getting my Chevy Bolt in a week and your videos are helping to ease my range anxiety a lot thanks.
Once again, another great video. Thanks, heading to Vegas at end of April. Looking forward to the drive.
Thanks! Hopefully Baker EVgo is up by the time you head out. I haven't seen ground broken for any of the other new public DCFC that should be going in in the next year.
Thanks to your informative videos, I felt comfortable attempting the drive to LV in my new Bolt.
Here are my trip stats, in cumulative kWh:
Pasadena to Victorville 20
Barstow 26
Baker 41
Primm 57
Vegas 66
No faster than 70mph both ways
Vegas to Primm 11
Baker 23
Barstow 44
Victorville 54
Pasadena 65
Used AC half the time
L3 charged in Victorville only each way. L2 charged overnight in Vegas hotel. Baker would be the ideal stop on way to Vegas.
Nice!
I enjoyed this a lot. Well done.
Thanks!
Come on EVgo Baker! I'm anticipating a documented non-Tesla cross country drive.... that would be a bear.
Electrify America going up fast with 150 KW chargers. About 80% of the Interstate will be done by the end of summer. The other 20% coming soon with important regional highways next.
Thanks for showing the progress on the Baker charging station. I hope they install more than 2 DC chargers . It looks like they have room for 4 or 5 chargers. The only car I have seen charging above 45 kW was a Hyundai ionic taking 70 kW . That was a video from were else ,Norway. It would be nice if you guys with the Big battery cars could have access to more charging speed. I know it's right around the corner.
my next car to be. Am using a 2011 Nissan Leaf with just 49 miles per charge leaf as for now, no air conditioning, and cruising at 50 mph. That 200+ mile range sounds worth the new investment, now if i just had somewhere to go besides class, i guess ride share side gigs driver would be an added possibility.
DeanRendar84 Yes try ride share. It is amazing the people you will meet. It really expanded my horizons.
Great video News and excellent comparison to Motortrend. Tesla does a lot of PR in secret without making it look like they do PR so it is great that you caught that.
Thanks! It's important to let people know about all of the choices they have for EVs, and what they are capable of. The more people who use their EVs like any other car, the faster EV adoption will be.
Keep up the great videos!
Great video man!
Thanks!
Thank you for your informative videos! I decided to buy a bolt because of you!
Awesome. Congratulations!
I love this video. Lots of good info. I was interested in the fact the speedometer never varied from 70, where my ICE car drops below the cruise setting and downshifts on big hills.
Thanks! Yes, part of the reason I drive in L is it holds cruise control speeds better. It takes a very sudden, significant grade before the speed is actually affected.
Thats another area electric cars are superior---TORQUE on the uphill, regeneration on the down, and the speed won't vary
Thanks for your always illuminating real road experiences with the Bolt. I am at the end of a 3 year lease of a BMW i3 (which I have loved very much) but am moving over to a Bolt Premier because BMW has not kept pace with range advancements. Either car is a compromise but I am choosing to accept the Bolt compromise set ultimately due to the range vs. price equation. I have driven LA to Salt Lake City (and vice versa) many times in various (mostly ICE) cars...however, I did make that trip once in the i3. At that time there was very little charging even in Las Vegas. Your videos have convinced me that the Bolt offers REAL electric range which will cover 99% of my driving. Studies show that most charging is done either at home or at work (which is also my own experience), so I would argue that populating the Interstates with DC chargers is what ought to be happening rather than loading population centers (outside of work places) with that equipment. The US needs to do what Norway, for example, has done. Anyhow, charging needs to be between cities not within cities. AND my experience with public chargers is that they are frequently vandalized and/or not working for whatever reason. There are two major Greenlots chargers in Salt Lake (that used to be free city-sponsored DC chargers) that have been in a broken down state ever since Greenlots took them over. Until chargers proliferate into stations with multiple units (as Tesla has done with their supercharger locations) it is important that individual charges be well-maintained and that EV drivers can depend on them being useable when they get there. PS: my home charger (L2 Siemens) is totally supported by my home solar system.
Thank you! I have more real-world trip videos lined up. I'm doing my best to keep them entertaining and informative.
I have an i3 as well, and I am considering the Bolt. I will hate to lose the RWD driving dynamics of the i3, and the excellent build quality of the interior, but I just simply need more range.
Also, I have the REx model, and it is downright annoying, having such a small tank. I have coded my i3 to enable hold mode, but why should I even have to do that? It makes no sense that, in stock form, the car would need to run the battery all the way down before the engine switches on. In demanding situations, the REx will not keep up and the car WILL reduce your top speed to about 45 mph - this is simply NOT safe on the expressway from any angle you look at it.
My BMW also lives in the service department. I have had many issues, fixed under warranty, of course. But, I do not wish to own this car outside of it warranty. It simply cannot be trusted to be reliable.
It is fun when all is well, but the short comings of the i3 and BMWs unwillingness to evolve the car have, unfortunately, made it fall behind pretty significantly in the EV segment.
That being said, how do you like your Bolt? I don't do very much traveling outside of my city and the immediate cities around it, but from time to time I do run to a city a little further (60 miles one way). Can the Bolt do that drive there and back without having to charge up? I would be traveling on the freeway at about 80mph. I know that EV range drops at a significantly higher rate, when at high speed on the expressway.
Also, in comparison to the i3, how is the handling and acceleration? The BOLT has some good looking performance numbers... Would you say that it is faster than the i3? I love the "go-kart" feel of my i3, and was hoping the Bolt would be the same, if not better.
First, my i3 experience, apparently, has been quite opposite from yours. It has never been in for any service other than the annual PM. I think the tires are extremely vulnerable and have had to replace two of them for side-wall injury (first flat tires in over 250,000 miles). I have never been slowed to 45 mph (though I am aware that is real and can happen). I coded my car (myself...with the help of a purpose-built flash drive I bought) on the first day. I live in the mountains of Utah near Park City and couldn't have bought the car at all without restoring the hold function to the German original. Why did they do what they did to the American version? Simply to get a better average MPGe to subsidize their ICE cars!! But I have "mastered" the hold function and have actually driven my car round-trip from Salt Lake to LA. The "clincher" for me was when I found out that BMW will not upgrade the battery for any price under any circumstances....so the 2015 range will be the range no matter what. I think that is extremely short-sighted.
As to the Bolt, it was built on April 4th but GM can't (won't) deliver it because of "a shortage of rail transport cars." The car is paid for; I received the license plates day before yesterday; the only reason I paid for it is because it's delivery was "imminent" (according to the dealer)....it was on the road to Utah (not rail but road)...but these representations were outright lies, so I am not happy with the supply chain at all.
I drove a Bolt Premier and it does have the same "scat" off the stop that is typical of EV's. Zero to 60 is a few tenths of a second faster than the i3. I, too, was/am concerned about overall build quality. I am partial to German cars...speak fluent German...and have visited the i3 plant in Leipzig...but that bias cannot get me through the backward policies regarding the battery and the failure of BMW to keep up with range competition. The Bolt Premier has great instrumentation; I'm look forward to CarPlay; I will miss active cruise control (a lot) and rain-sensing wipers...but that's about all. I am looking forward to making a round trip to Salt Lake without invoking the range extender -- and with a hundred miles of range left when I get home. But the big question is whether they will ever deliver it???? Nevertheless, the 1st payment is due within four weeks... So there is no perfect world; I hope the car makes up for the flaws in the supply chain. Finally, I'm a speed-limit driver, so comparison of ultimate speeds of the two cars is not on my radar. The accelerations are very comparable.
James Bevan thanks for you input/insight. I think I’ll go and test drive a Bolt. Getting some seat time in one of them would probably help influence my decision, a bit.
I currently have an X2 loaner, and the drivetrain lag is awful. I have grown too accustomed to the responsiveness of electric vehicles and never want to look back. 😎
A huge thank you, I am a petrol head, but, I have been looking at EV's, Teslas, to much $$$$, Leafs etc to little range, I had actually dismissed the Bolt, but after this, I will have to take another look and of course now watch all your videos to get the full picture.
It's definitely a good option for people, depending on what they need. Other good options are coming out soon at similar prices, too. Hyundai has the Kona EV and Kia has the Niro EV. Both will be very similar.
That "Kett Eng" Delivery truck was an Engineering on-road vehicle testing contractor out of Michigan.
I've been wondering about this very trip with the Bolt with all the elevation gains. And here you covered it. Did you shoot any video of the return trip? I'd be interested in how it does heading to the LA basin. I"m guessing the return is a little better on energy use? (Given an even set of weather conditions of course) Thanks again for the video and the time lapse. Was cool watching the regen when you descended Mountain Pass to Primm.
Yes, getting back from Vegas leaving with a full battery is about the same (a little easier because it's a net elevation loss). The bigger factor is wind, and that's really the reason you want charging along the way. With a strong headwind, this trip wouldn't be possible on a single battery charge.
Great video. I wonder if I were to do 66 mph off of cruise control to take advantage of some more coasting opportunities (?). A bit of a Newbie to the hypermiling game myself, so I may not know what I’m talking about
Coasting isn't all that feasible in the Bolt EV, but driving a slower sustained speed definitely helps.
The best cumulated data we have shows the Bolt EV's efficiency at 3.8 mi/kWh at 65 mph, so pretty close to 230 miles at that speed.
Having a ev for me would be a learning curve. I'm a lead foot and in my 2007 Chevy HHR on these long highway trips to Billings Montana we have hundreds of miles long stretches all over Montana. I'm traveling 100 mph almost on the norm without even realizing it until I look down and look and slow way down to 80 mph and 80 to me seems like 40. My Chevy HHR spoils me to cause even highway speeds I get 400 miles on a full tank of near 90 to 100 mph none stop speeds. If I do 70 like like you were doing I can get 500 miles on a full tank in my Chevy HHR. So having to watch my speed with ev's would be a major discipline learning curve for my lead foot in gasoline cars.
Keep in mind that this is now nearly 5 year old tech, and for these video demonstrations, I intentionally go within 5 mph of the posted speed limit. The 2020+ Bolt EV could make this trip at 80+ mph with very little effort. Also, the Bolt EV was never designed for high-speed travel anyway, as it has a top speed of 93 mph, which leaves you with a practical range of about 150 miles on a charge.
To meet your expectations, you're likely going to need to wait until the next generation of EVs coming out in the next couple of years, where EVs similar to your HHR will have 400 to 500 mile ranges at 70 mph and can recharge 80% of that range in about 20 minutes.
Great video. I watched the whole thing and really enjoyed it. I thought you went a little long on bagging on Tesla though. You mentioned that they had to concede speed and climate control, which is a valid point, but that was six years ago, and current 100 kWh models would make it just fine. Also, to say they overbuilt their network is a bit of a premature conclusion considering that their fleet will double in the next year or so. It's great that you are happy with your purchase. Focus on that and what your car can do. I found parts of this reminiscent of Pepsi's "Coke sucks" commercials back in the '80s.
Thank you for your feedback. I'll have to review the video based on your comment. I'm actually surprised to hear that criticism because I felt I was being fair and realistic in my assessment.
Dude awesome car anyway!
Thanks!
Great video, it what happened at Greenlots charger? What was charging rate? Flat cost? Thanks!
Interesting. Thanks! You finished with 31 miles left, and the Tesla had 65. Remember though, that the Tesla did the run at 55, whereas you were doing 70. It would make for an interesting comparison, if you have the time, to do it again at 55. My guess is that you would finish with more than 65 miles of range left!
55 is too slow.
The speed limit is just fine. The unfortunate part is the lack of police out there enforcing it. They want to make some money, get out there and start giving people speeding tickets. The state makes money and everyone gets to enjoy safer roads. Win/win.
When the EVgo Baker comes online hope to see you make the same Vegas run with the AC on to compare your efficiency.
The fans were on, but there was no real load because it was only 80-90 degrees. It wouldn't have made much of a difference, though. I arrived with about 15% battery left, and the AC at full blast would only increase power consumption by 3-4% at those speeds and load.
The bigger test is that I would be driving 75 mph to better keep up with traffic, and that would have a much greater effect than AC or heater at full blast.
AC doesn't use that much. Heater in winter can cut your range in half depending...
Very informative! One question: I noticed you were driving in Sport mode. In your experience, does that reduce your range?
Thanks! I always drive in Sport Mode because I prefer the pedal sensitivity. I haven't noticed any difference in efficiency.
In this case, I used cruise control to maintain a consistent speed, so Sport Mode wouldn't have any effect for most of the drive.
NPsargam Great Question 🖒👍😁
I just loved reliving the drive. I lived in the OC from 2001 to 2010, in Orange and Costa Mesa and made that drive quite a few times on business. I had to go to trade shows in Vegas a lot. I stopped at the same Chevron in Baker every trip.
About the car, when I get a new car, the Bolt is on my short list though I may only have access to tier 1 charging as I live in an apartment building. But then my commute is maybe 9 miles each way on the days I go into work. I see it strictly as a city car.
Though for my needs, a used 2016 vintage Leaf would likely do. But in the mean time my 2004 Focus I bought in 2008 in Fullerton for $4600 refuses to die which makes it the cheapest driving I will ever get. I figure I will drive it until it needs a major repair then buy my retirement car to last me the rest of my days.
Thank you!
Yeah, for your commute, the Bolt EV would be overkill. If you occasionally need to take long trips, renting is probably the best bet. A plug-in hybrid like the Volt or Prius Prime would also work well.
Planned a trip on paper for Vancouver (canada) to Las Vegas, and oh my is there ever a massive charging deadzone on Highway 93. between Twin Falls Idaho, and and Ely Nevada. About a 420 km (260 mile) stretch where the only place to charge is an RV park, possibly the only one in the USA who doesn't seem to be willing to let EV's charge, right smack dab in the middle of that deadzone. Be forewarned if you ever look at going up that way.
Go I-5 all the way through California, or I-84/I-15 through Salt Lake. Heck theres no fuel for 200 miles for an ICE that stretch of 93 also. #avoid
Sometimes you can hit a strong headwind, and the baker station would be nice. Then you can also charge in baker and have plenty to drive around Vegas and come back to Baker. RE-fuel for the drive home to LAX.
Yeah. Baker is going to be immensely helpful.
I would love to do a road trip from Farmington Hills, MI to Long Point, ON in this car during the summer. Does Canada have public chargers in state or national parks for EV road trippers ?
You should look up Buddy Boyd and Bolt Across Canada. He was able to drive coast to coast.
Thank you for being unbiased. it helps so much I'm thinking of. moving to pa I I'm in Maryland or North Carolina. my heart wants Florida. plan to get a bolt in 2 years. plan on using my. spark part time for Lyft or uber.
Take a second look at Pittsburgh. Growing tech sector (including Uber and Facebook), low housing prices, and if you're approaching retirement age, it's also a really good choice, too:
www.cnbc.com/2017/11/29/among-the-best-cities-to-retire-pittsburgh-comes-out-on-top.html
pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2016/06/23/pittsburgh-ranked-1-city-in-u-s-to-retire-to/
Cost to charge? Here in MN it appears I need a second meter and could get off peak 4¢ KWH the public chargers are how much?
Have you checked the speedometer with a GPS? Because it looks like you're going way slower than 70 mph (or all the other cars are driving at 90+)
Based on what I've seen (police and CalTrans radars), the display is within 1 mph of actual. There are definitely people who drive 90-100 mph on that stretch.
Nice video. I like when I can get info that I can actually “apply” to my own driving experiences...Thanks!
PS: I’m not sure if my bolt is less efficient. I always watching my efficiency record and driving style. I drive like a grandma and my efficiency is 4.2 miles/kWh. (I would estimate 40% highway driving) It seems to drop fairly quickly at highway speeds and I don’t do more than 65 mph.
I WISH mine would rate 4.2miles/kWh at 70 mph :-(
Need to fill with Super!
Check your tire pressure. It should be around 40-42 PSI for maximum efficiency.
I think the problem with the Charging networks is that they need to be built out for holiday travel. Sure there may be a lot of unused stations for most of the year, but then there are the videos of 50 Teslas cueing up for super chargers on Thanksgiving weekend. With your video sped up, I am pretty sure that was a rolling stop you made at the stop sign entering Baker.
Hah! It's still California, so I think CHP would have almost ticketed me for blocking the intersection. :-)
In addition to the minimal elevation change I wonder if the less dense air at 1200 ft actually made a difference?
I don't think the difference in air pressure at those elevations makes much of a difference, but given that it's desert, the lower humidity levels could. Regardless, the Bolt EV could make this trip at posted freeway speeds consistently on a single charge, and the only major impacts would come from wind, rain, or snow.
owning an EV really encourages drivers to observe the posted speed limit and as more people adopt this mode of transport, i feel the highways will become safer. what are the evgo charge firgures on the trip p/hr?
I'm not sure what you mean by charge figures. Rate or cost? Even the basic 50 kW add 100 miles in 30 minutes. The 150 kW will be 300 miles in 30 minutes for vehicles that can take it.
The price structure varies, but it's around $0.20 a minute, which is about 6 to 8 cents per mile in the Bolt EV, depending on conditions.
Preach!
Driving the speed limit does not make the roads safer.. it's differential speed that causes accidents. What they should do is raise the speed limit to what people are actually driving... 75-85mph.
To me speed is the EV'S main failure.
I run 85-90 regularly in my area.. speed limit is 80.
If everyone went slower the amount of congestion will go up significantly.. and I garantee you that will result in MORE accidents.
@@kens97sto171 What they should do is have police out there enforcing the current speed limit, not raise the speed limit. If the limit is 80, and you go 85-90, all that will happen if they raise the speed limit to 90 is you'll go 95-100 and complain that they should raise the speed limit to what people are actually driving.
@@mjc0961
No that's not what would happen, every road has an obvious safe speed you can go. Lots of places they set the speed limit at 45 when you could be going 55 without any significant risk. The speed limits in Texas are set at 80 in most places. Most people go 85 to 90 but stick closer to 85 for the most part. And that's plenty fast. If people wanted to speed currently they could because when you go from West Texas all the way across the state you'll be lucky to see one state trooper in 900 miles. Not much risk and people don't speed now.
what we need to do is use our police resources to worry about real criminal problems not revenue enhancement for people going 3 miles an hour over in idiotically low speed limit
Question: You think driving at 65 mph would give you a longer range on a full charge?
Currency wise how much was the trip from LA to LAS?
It's going to vary. The full battery cost me about $12 using EVgo DCFC and L2. A full battery costs me $3 at work.
The return trip was more interesting from an economy perspective. I experimented with the GreenLots charger, and it cost me $10 for about 30% battery. But I stayed at a hotel that had free L2, so it cost me nothing to get to 100% battery.
21:08 The screen says "Power:" but the units are kWh?
What wheels do you have. Chevy Cruze Eco. How much efficiency did you gain with them. Thanks
Yes, the are the Cruze ECO rims. I actually didn't see that much of an efficiency improvement. Around town or driving up hills, maybe 2% tops. Freeway driving, I never noticed a difference. They mostly just feel better to drive with.
Hi Coulumb, I know you don’t use the AC but do you have the fan on at all? Do you do anything to keep yourself cool?
I had the AC set at 70-72 F for the entire drive.
Great information to silence the critics
Would the end range have been better if sports mode wasn't active?
Probably not. Sport Mode is mostly just pedal sensitivity, and I drove most of this trip on cruise control.
Does the ev range always reset to 0 after fully charged? My volt doesn’t do that...
What is the maintenance like?
The Infotainment Energy Screen resets when the battery is recharged, but the trip display doesn't.
Other than tire rotations, there's no maintenance for the first 150,000 miles.
check out the Tesla supercharger in Santa Ana and in San Diego you have over 1 hour wait times just to get a stall sometimes.
Yes, I've heard the horror stories. I was speaking more of the route between LA and Vegas. Tesla has underbuilt the Superchargers in some areas, but they've overbuilt in others.
oh got ya, good point.
Alot has to deal with is majority of those SC being used in the cities areas are from people that can't charge where they live.
In our area with my wife driving I would like to see what the Bolt does, in terms of m/kWh, at 50 - 55 mph.
Nice video.
I do however take exception with the comment that Tesla has overbuilt their Supercharging network. If you read the Tesla forums you do see a lot of complaints about lack of supercharging location, or locations being full and people having to wait. If we think about the number of gas stations in Baker alone, once EVs become more common, we will need 5 to 10 times as many chargers in Baker as there are gas pumps because of the much slower range replenishment rates.
Yes, there are definitely areas where Superchargers are overcrowded, but I don't think it's due to a shortage of Superchargers. Rather, it's due to Tesla's over-incentivizing their use. By making them free to use in areas with high electricity rates, people who otherwise wouldn't use them are.
We see this right now with the public infrastructure. EVgo stations in metropolitan areas are overcrowded and typically in use by EV owners with free charging programs.
In terms of facilitating long-distance travel, Tesla could have achieved the same effect with far fewer chargers.
The free charging is part of the allure of Tesla vehicles and is what differentiates Tesla from the rest of the EV companies. That is why Tesla is a massively expanding their SuperCharger network. Just like Apple, it gains them many loyal buyers that own multiple Teslas and stick with the company.
True, it's technically not free. Tesla basically asked owners to pay for fueling their vehicles upfront.
I'm not necessarily opposed to that model. I'm opposed to then building chargers in densely populated areas. It's the combination of factors I disagree with.
High average speed of most of the traffic forces us EV drivers to waste kWhs. I noticed between Florida City and Key West I could have made it down and back on a single charge, because it was two lanes and the trucks were going 55. But on most highways people are way over the speed limit and you don’t want to be out there going 55.
Around here, no matter the speed the fast cars are going, there are always people driving below the speed limit on the right.
Could u please let me know... About battery degradation?
Love your videos...and the Bolt EV is great car. If the CCS fast charging Network was better I'd definitely consider one. But where I live I could not even get to the next city.. and then they only have a level2 charger. Would take forever to recharge.
I'm not sure how an ICE would be the same time to get to Vegas... Why would I stop on short trip like that.
I could go round trip on one tank of gas.. running at 70mph.. I'd be on fumes when I got there... But I'd make it.. and then I could spend 5 min refueling the car and do it again.
to me that's the one major advantage of an ICE car. Range and quick refueling.
At least for road warriors like me..
I can drive 1200 miles in one day, only stopping for gas and a stretch break every 400 miles.. or so.
But if all you need is to drive in your own City or in the general area the Bolt EV is a fantastic car. I test drove a model 3 and a Bolt EV the same day. I'd take the Bolt.. more practical a more comfortable back seat period and more traditional controls while driving it. Really like the regen paddle behind the steering wheel. Unfortunately at least for now my needs to do not work with an electric vehicle. I drive too many miles in too short of time. To make it truly practical.
what do you think about a Bolt or Volt for Lyft rider share program??????!!!!!!
I think they are a great option. The Bolt EV especially.
Thanks for the videos! But I'm not sure about Bolts loving hills as you stated. Just driving up from Pasadena to San Fernando Valley reduces my range. Going up the hill is maybe 6 miles..my range drops -15 to -20. No cargo nor passengers, stock tires/rims 2018 LT.
Yes, but it's when you come back that you notice the difference. 😁
Really? Wowsers. Do you try to recapture any of that going down hill? I throw my Corolla in Neutral and can coast for a few miles into Lake View Terrace
One more tough test,still vry much in control & capable proved2b
i bought this car as a daily driver. it does not have dc fast charge which i read they are mostly near highways. in central ps it is either up a hill or down one. i doubt i will ever average over 4mi per kwh. my question is you are driving it seems in 90 deg weather and no ac. how much does the ac range take vs heat. i am happy with 150mi range with heat on. my wife would never tolerate no heat or ac for better range. so where would you be range wise on your drive with ac?
Once they get the prices down to a comparable sized gas model along with the range up and fueling time down these things will take off.
I have the 2016 ford focus EV. next one is a bolt
Useful video. I'd like to see you do the run flowing with traffic. That would be 'rea'l real world.
I have my limits. Typically no more than 5-7 mph over the posted speed limit. Anything faster opens you up to speeding tickets.
I and my friends drive many areas at the speed we have many times in the past without being stopped. And that is generally the speed everyone else is going. 80 in my area although certain sections are regularly higher and others are lower. So maybe you or an adventuresome friend with you as navigator could do a segment you're comfortable with because of repeated travels. The object is to show the car as a real participant in todays traffic. No different than any other car.
I feel like there is a bit of projection going on. I notice a very vocal segment of the population discusses going 80+ in 70 mph zones almost always. For myself, I cap my driving at 5-7 mph over whatever is posted. But I also know many people who are uncomfortable with that and prefer that I drive slower (at or around the posted speed limit). Even though I wasn't passing many people, I was passing some. I think the median speed for that road is 75-80 mph.
Side note, when I was in Arizona on I-40 (posted 75 mph), EVERYONE slowed down to 75 mph or below when a Highway Patrol vehicle was around. The same is true for posted speeds in Oregon.
Where did you charge up when you got to Vegas?
I tried out the Greenlots charger in Tiki Village Resort because someone had posted that it was a true 50 kW charger (it wasn't... only 24 kW). I stayed the night at Whiskey Pete's in Primm, so I plugged into the ChargePoint.
How/what did you use to record the speedometer screen?
Just a GoPro.
Thanks! Any problems mounting on steering column?
Not really. Filming is the easy part. Figure 40:1 ratio of editing time to final video.
Wanted your input on EVgo and Bolt owners charging over 90-95%while others wait ...did you make a video on this issue?
There's certainly a question of etiquette, but EVgo has timed sessions. So first-come-first-served applies. After 45 minutes to an hour, the session ends, regardless of the car's battery level. If any EV requires more than 85% charge, I do recommend using L2 instead (unless no one is waiting).
Also, I don't think this is a model issue. I've had three instances where I had to wait for someone who was charging past 90%. Twice with a Leaf and once with an i3.
News Coulomb I mention the Bolt by name bc its the only one goes over 200 miles...but I'm sure the Kona will have same issues
I really don't feel like there is much of a difference. Charging past the point where the rate tapers can inconvenience others.
News Coulomb I have a i3 and it gets @70 miles in EV before gas kicks in. .. so driving from sac. To LA (which is not fun) I need to get it to 90% ish...but with a Bolt I agree with you its kind of silly to continue to charge all the way to 100% (which I've seen drivers do in L.A.)
how are you getting 4.6m / kwh ? my austin work drive is 54 miles one way and i get 3.8 - 3.9
ibedonc It depends on a number of factors. I was only going 70 mph for this trip.
I live in the country so most of my speed is 65 - 70 on hwys
I started with 276 miles max this morning @ 75f
How did you put display on your video?
I just set up a camera.
It's very informative but the background music is is very high its bother.
@6:50..... yeah lol in my Tahoe I set the adaptive cruise at 87 and can make it from San Diego to Las Vegas on 3/4 of a tank I’m a huge electric car enthusiast Tesla or not, however that’s the draw back with electric cars period now is I simply can’t do that whether I drive slow or fast I’m still stopping in Barstow for 20-30 minutes to supercharge :/
Don’t mind my poor grammar there lol at the end I was talking if I was in a long range electric car still having to end up charging where a gas or hybrid power car I could zoom all the way to Vegas no problem as fast as I want
Yeah, the speed issue is another problem. When a gas car has a 600+ mile EPA range per tank, it doesn't matter if you're doing 90 mph the entire time, whereas that's a major consideration in EVs.
I personally won't drive that fast, if for no other reason than to avoid tickets. How many speeding tickets have you gotten that way?
I actually wish California would enforce it more strictly. When I crossed the Arizona border, EVERYBODY slowed down to 75 mph, and there were AZ Highway Patrol in the center dividers every couple of miles.
News Coulomb I have never received a ticket of any form... I do agree California should definitely up their speed enforcement and traffic management game because I only really drive that fast in California. In town where I live in Las Vegas I keep it at or under 80 because NHP actually enforces some pretty hefty tickets for speeds over 80
And also to note I’m not doing 87 the whole time because it’s adaptive so if traffic slows down to 70 because of a cop then I will too
Any thoughts on that NYT article claiming it takes 5 and 1/2 hours longer than an ICE to go LA-Las Vegas-LA? Seems like they identified the worst possible scenarios of "route planning" as well as an unrealistic immediate turnaround in LV. Disappointing article.
www.nytimes.com/2019/06/22/business/energy-environment/electric-cars-charging.html
Yes, I'll be addressing it soon. I come from 20-30 miles father out, and it only takes 2 hours of charging for me to make the full 600+ mile round trip.
Did you use the AC on this trip?
I did run it a bit, but not very much (it wasn't enough to register on the energy screen). I don't recall now, but because this was the first time doing the trip on a single charge, I believe I was just setting a baseline (basically copying MotorTrend and WOT's run in a Tesla Model S85 only driving at 70 mph instead of 55 mph).
It was only about 85 F with a bit of cloud cover, so the cabin was comfortable just running the fan. Even on a hot day with heavy AC usage, it would only have used about 5% more energy.
The run I did with Alex Venz was a bit more realistic driving conditions (75 mph on a 100 F day), and the efficiency at that point was only 3.7 mi/kWh (200 to 220 miles total range in the Bolt EV). ua-cam.com/video/g7XN-DIHu8g/v-deo.html
News Coulomb - at 22:23 you showed the Energy Detail: Since Last Full Charge, and it shows 100% of the energy used was for driving, and 0% for Climate, and 0% for Battery conditioning.
Is that screen accurate? I've watched pretty much all your video and Climate and Battery conditioning are always 0%. I assume you had the AC off for the entire trip?
Most often (but not always), I have climate control off unless it's really hot or I need the defogger. In this case, the fan was on 6 (I always shut it off while recording for sound quality). Because it was overcast, the car was staying comfortable.
I do this trip again soon, so this could be a good baseline.
News Coulomb - Thanks! Down here in the southeast US humidity effects comfort as much as the air temperature does. I run my AC just about all the time.
I'd be interested in the Battery Conditioning energy used. Right now the RAPIDGATE/fast charging concern with new 40kWh Leaf is getting a lot of discussion. The Bolt and the Leaf are not the same, but seeing how much energy the Bolt uses to condition the battery could give folks some idea about how much of a problem it really is. From your videos it seems the Bolt never used any energy to condition the battery so maybe Nissan was right and active cooling just adds costs, and does little else *most of the time*.
There is definitely energy used while DC charging. The Bolt EV's display shows the net energy in and out of the battery, so when you see the charge rate less than 42-46 kWh (under 55% SOC), that is energy being used by the TMS. From my observations, the Bolt EV's TMS will sporadically draw 3-5 kW to cool the battery while charging. That energy will not show up on the energy usage display.
Does Bolt has TMS installed?
Yes, the Bolt EV has active liquid thermal management.
Can you turn on Air Conditioning while the car is being charged?
Yes, I do that a lot. When you're DC fast charging, you can turn the AC on after 50-55% battery, and it will take surplus power from the charger.
@@newscoulomb3705 , Thanks for the quick reply! What about on level 2 7KWH charging? At which minimum level you can turn on A/C? 50% is too high a threshold for it to turn on IMHO. My Prius Plugin's electric compressor only takes 1KW-1.5KW juice from the charger. The rest can be charged, what about Bolt? Are you saying if Bolt is drawn down to 10% I have to wait for it to charge to 50% before turning in A/C during charging?
You're welcome. You can run the AC at any time.
The L2 charger is 7.2 kW, and the AC doesn't usually take all of that. For DC charging, if you try to run the AC before 50-55% battery, it will "steal" some power from the charge.
Basically, you can run the AC any time, but it can slow down your charging a bit.
@@newscoulomb3705 Any update on Baker charger? Also what app do you use to find charging station Thanks
Hey thanks for doing this for us. I have 51,000 on mine. Any problems you have at all? Do you have latest upgrade for the system? I was having blank out of the center display now and then, but could reset it. I have had a few other minor glitches since. A little curious-is the Bolt more efficient in Sport mode? Did you have anything in the back? There is anEVgo just past the Nevada line did you know that? I talked to an engineer for Chevrolet, and he told me that knowing there would be not very many fast chargers installed when the 2017 Bolt came out, they designed it to have high efficiency ( but as I understand the old EV-1 is more efficient. Scuttlebut is with the same battery, at under 60, the EV-1 can go 600 miles. Now that is a game changer and a half!) This is a perfect Uber vehicle! I have fast charged it hundreds of times up to even 95% and occasionally 100% for extended runs for there and back. Nice to know it could make it to Baker. I live on a mountain. I have had 140 miles left to start, taken off hill top reserve charged level one at 2 amp for 14 hours to 210 or so down the mountain for 50 more to 260 down Rincon grade for 60 more to 310 and then down Valley Center grade for 45 more to 355.
Oops darn big fingers! Posted too soon. Did you know if you downloaded Torch browser for Windows any video being watched can be downloaded as well as a separate audio file? If you put that on a flash drive, and also MP4 720P movies, you can watch them on Gallery when parked? I will subscribe. How about starting a 250, 000 mile club, a 500,000 mile club and even a million mile club?
Bad big fingers on iPhone. Did you know that if you download Torch Browser for windows, if you are watching any video it can be downloaded as well as a separate audio file also? You can transfer it to a flash drive as well as movies that are MP4 and 720P and watch them on gallery while parked?
I'm actually running the original software. My load out was less than 50 lbs in addition to me.
The first EVgo on the Nevada side is in Las Vegas. ChargePoint has L2 in Primm (the clip at the beginning of this video is from there, where I spent the night after this trip). There is a DCFC location being built right before the Nevada border, but I don't know of the ETA.
What does it cost you for a full charge?
It really depends where. At work (my normal charging), it's $3.
Some businesses (like the hotel I stayed at on this trip) provide complementary charging to their guests, so free.
You never charge to full on DC fast charging, but recharging half a battery costs about $7 right now. I tested out one DC charger that was overpriced, and it was $10 for under half a battery, but I won't do that again.
Through a wall socket, it might cost $8 to $9 depending on your utility rates.
It seems that companies charge for time at the station and not the amount of energy used. At least the ones I got in my local search.
but ur not in "LA" and 230 mile range, how can you do it on 1 charge?
As I stated in the video, I'm recreating the Wide Open Throttle run in the Model S 85. It's technically not LA, but they had a valid point. That's where the charging infrastructure was still available.
Anyone ever tell you that Bruce Willis looks like you?
Yup. 🙂
EV charging companies should install chargers every 60 miles, give or take. EV owners will have different SOCs and different chemistry, but every long-range EV with a battery beyond 30 kWh will be able to make to the next and those beyond 60 kWh will be able to skip some. And yes, install those with 100 or 150 kW capability to enable the full capability of coming EVs.
Bolt, Ioniq, Kona and iPace will thank you.
While I agree in theory, that expectation is what is holding back the public charging infrastructure. The more realistic option is to bridge the gap between city centers with charging locations spaced 120 to 150 miles apart. If you buy a car with less than 150 miles of range at freeway speeds, you should really consider it a city car unless you are planning slow, leisurely road trips.
There's really no excuse for automakers to produce less capable cars than that, and it would result in a three to four fold reduction in required infrastructure development (that 60-mile standard is why some research quotes more than $2 trillion in charging infrastructure development costs).
I'd say the Tesla supercharger network and it's distances could be the raw model. We probably agree that you should be able to choose where to make a toilet stop or coffee break, not the fast-charger network dictating it to you.
www.tesla.com/en_EU/supercharger#
You don't have gas stations on freeways only every 120 miles (1,5-2 hours drive) either, do you?
And about the price tag? The supercharger network covers almost all freeways in western Europe and a decent amount of those in the USA, with 8 stalls on average. Double the number and fill the gaps and it will cover both continents good enough for many times more Teslas they exist today - for a tiny fraction of the money you mention. This is just scaremongering. With the revenue Tesla is making, it didn't cost 100 billion, not even 10, I'd guess it was much less.
I've done some math a time ago, you need 1 stall for every 40 EVs existing, give or take. With and average price of EVs around 50k$ this adds 1-2 k$ per car for infrastructure.
All those fuel stations weren't free either.
If somebody is really concerned about the costs, he could make those stations with different number of stalls, for example 6 stalls at major stations and 2 at those in between (or a ratio like this).
And the ratio between 60 or 120 miles between charging points is only a ratio of two, not three or four.
Edit: there are currently 1.2 billion cars in the world. Let's estimate the average price of a new car is between 15 and 20 k$, many cars are cheaper than those which are built in Europe, USA and East Asia (Japan etc.). This is a 20-25 trillion fleet that changes on average every 15 years.
Rome wasn't built in a day, so will the fast-charger network need some time too. It has to develop hand-in-hand with the EV production. In this and in the next decade the fundamentals for this century will be set.
Whoever misses the opportunity now will regret it later.
I agree that that would be the ideal, but we live in a more pragmatic world. Personally, I see two things happening:
First, the rise of "travel chargers." These would look like Tesla's Kettleman City and Baker Supercharger locations. Basic roadside services nearby, but the primary purpose is to guarantee a location to recharge, even during peak travel.
Second, public chargers at specific business locations (and business parks). These are technically "destination chargers," and most of Tesla's Supercharger locations fall under this category as well. These will be the ones someone would stop at because of convenience (to your point about the network not dictating your stops), but there needs to be a basic understanding that the few chargers at those locations will not always be available during travel.
The first can be done fairly rapidly, and it would do the most good. The second could take decades from now (even with >50% EV adoption), and we really just need to accept that.
Well, I would turn that around.
I estimate that shopping malls / business locations will offer 22 kW Type 2 AC chargers, which are cheap. Maybe also some DC chargers in the range of 50 kW CHAdeMO or CCS or Tesla Urban Superchargers (72 kW),
On freeways and highways - we have gas stations, right? All what they have to do is to equip their parking areas with AC fast chargers. Whether they are current 50 kW CHAdeMO/CCS or 120 kW Tesla or (in the near future) 150 kW CCS (the first ones in Europe) or even 350 kW (as CCS is designed for), this is a matter of demand.
All the infrastructure is there, all what petrol stations have to do is to add some parking/charging area and after a decade or two dismount some fuel stations and change them with fast chargers too.
A combined 50 kW triple-charger (CCS/CHAdeMO/43kW AC) costs in Europe about 30-40k €,
Yes, exactly those like Baker.
If that's not pragmatic, I don't see what is. All what a smaller station needs is a 500 kW power line now and a major station will need some 5 - 10 MW.
When an average house has a power line of 10-20 kW, that's a power line to a village of 1000 houses; nothing uncommon.
Oh, you wander why Tesla made so many stalls? Germans have tested it, the fastest way to drive a Model S 85+ or a Model 3 LR is to drive - 100 mph - and recharge / top-up at an 110+ kW charger. By driving slower you loose time.
So 70 mph? No. In a Tesla, you are wasting time. 85 mph, at least.
A guy in Germany drove 2400 km (1500 miles) in 24 hours, driving 100 mph and charging in between, averaging close to 65 mph, including charging.
With a 50 kW charger you make the fastest average by driving 70-75 mph and at 60-70 kW (what the Ioniq is capable of) the optimal driving speed is 80-85 mph, but yes, in a Bolt 70 mph is quite OK.
The only problem I see - there are far too many CCS fast chargers *in* Los Angeles and almost none on the road to Las Vegas. Baker, yes, and one single CCS stall in Victorville.
www.plugshare.com/location/53655
That's awful. No one is planning ahead.
Richard Petek Exactly Walmart and Target are figuring that out as we communicate, at least with EVgo.
The Testla model S that Motortrend used is an older car than yours and the weight of the Testla model S 85 compare to you're Bolt is very different also. It would be nice to see the Tesla model 3 and a Chevy Bolt go head to head for this same trip and see which electric car is more efficient. Also driving at 70mph in my opinion is very illogical in most drivers that's why everyone else passed you on the freeway. Let's see a 75mph run between the Model 3 and Bolt comparison in the future. Great video though.
This was definitely not a controlled experiment. For a comparison of the Bolt EV and a couple of Tesla models at the same speeds in controlled conditions, you can reference the Consumer Reports test: www.theverge.com/2017/8/3/16089758/chevy-bolt-tesla-model-s-consumer-reports-range-test
The Model 3 represents a huge efficiency improvement over the S/X lines, and it appears to have similar efficiency to the Bolt EV. The significantly larger battery gives it more range, obviously.
Because this was the first time I made the trip on a single battery charge, I stuck to the posted speed limit as a control. 75 mph would be pushing the limits. Under normal circumstances, that would be about 220 miles in the Bolt EV, but conditions can charge. Either way, 70 mph is more realistic than the 45 to 55 mph the Model S 85 was doing for segments of the trip.
News Coulomb The biggest factor in the test is the overall weight of the car. The Testla 75D weigh about 1000lbs more than the Chevy Bolt in the test comparison that's way in my opinion Chevy bolt beats it. The model 3 would be to the best candidate to have the range test in comparison to the Chevy bolt in terms of weight of both cars. The range of the model 3 can set to the same fully charged Chevy Bolt for comparison. Hopefully consumer reports can do the same test in the future. Still great car though.
Weight doesn't matter as much when it comes to steady state driving speeds. The Model 3 small battery will be the best comparison to the Bolt EV in terms of size, weight, and battery size. The Bolt EV will most likely have a longer range, but the Model 3 small battery will most likely have the better efficiency. The lower the speed, the less the difference in efficiency. Under 50 mph, the Bolt EV will likely still be more efficient because the tires on the Bolt EV have far less rolling resistance than even the aero tires on the Model 3.
So you feel comfortable disregarding the fact that the Model S used on that trip had the 21 inch wheels?
I'm not disregarding anything. I'm simply recreating the trip they did. The Model S 85 and the Bolt EV are very different cars beyond just the rims and tires. The Model S 85 could make it from the Inland Empire (just east of Los Angeles) to Las Vegas on a single battery charge. It turns out that the Bolt EV can too.
5 lbs total of per Wheel?
Yes. The stock rims are fairly heavy (around 23 lbs), and the Cruze ECO rims weigh just under 18 lbs.
What is the max speed of your bolt?
It's governed at 93 mph.
News Coulomb thanks, I've not made the jump to ev yet, still trying to learn as much as I can.
Has anyone ever told you that you remind them of Bruce Willis?
A few people. :-)
Hyundai kona will be out hopefully year end with 250 estimated range. Hopefully the efficiency will be similar to the ionic which is great
The Kona EV's efficiency looks very similar to the Bolt EV's, but we'll have to see how it holds up at real-world freeway speeds. I'm getting a bit concerned with Hyundai, though, because they don't seem to be able to release EVs in the United States very quickly.
News Coulomb good point about high way speeds. Car and driver tested a model 3 doing 75 mph and it only did 200 out of 300+miles in 28 degree weather. I would prefer to see ranges that the cars will get on the highway. It can be misleading to new drivers when they give the best condition ranges.
With the number of EV's predicted to surpass ICE vehicles in sales by 2024 the amount of charging stations are still way too few
The number of DC fast chargers must also multiply.
You should consider livening up the narration in future video, if at all possible. Vary your tone, and pick up the speed a bit
Thanks for the feedback.
Is that Bruce Willis?
I have a challenge for you. What if you did the same trip but stayed behind a semi truck so there will be less air resistance to slow down the car. I wonder how much would your mileage increase.
I could focus a bit more on efficiency runs. Most of the time, I'm on a schedule, so making it as quickly as possible is the goal, which is contrary to driving for efficiency.
Not a good idea, you have to be so close to the truck it isn't safe, plus it pisses off the truck drivers, and considering some of the people driving trucks now days, it really isn't safe. The trucking industry has been destroyed like pretty much every industry in our country, pay as little as possible for labor and get rich doing so. They'll put people behind the wheel of a truck that have no business being there in a heart beat to increase profits. Just check out some of the truck driver fails here on UA-cam.
Yup. I maintain the "mirror rule" with truck drivers. I try to keep my following distance so that the driver can still see me in at least one of their mirrors.
@@ricpel9975
Actually the reason they will put anyone in a seat now days is due to a shortage of drivers. We have a shortage of drivers because FMCSA and the DOT rules kicked a lot of experienced drivers out of the driver seat due to "health" issues.. and also many drivers just quit... With the new rules and regs.. it's more work, more hours out on the roadand in general a big pain in the ass, and making less money. ..
Actually I've found that you can still gain efficiency while staying a safe distance from the truck... Be easy to test.. just slowly creep up behind one.. and watch the KW gauge.. you should see it drop.. find the sweet spot of improved efficiency and still safe distance.
I do this in my Prius occasionally. Generally I get 40mpg running 80-85mph. Drop to 65 behind a truck and I see 60+. But it's not worth it..
I'd rather get there faster and spend a bit more $$$. Not enough savings for the hassle..
@@kens97sto171 Not meaning to take this further off course than it has already gone but, the working class has been getting the shaft (at least in the USA) since the 1980's when our economy was turned into a Wall Street investors paradise. And like I said, it's not just the trucking industry.
www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/05/28/america-has-a-massive-truck-driver-shortage-heres-why-few-want-an-80000-job/?.72ca1e8d8068
www.businessinsider.com/truck-driver-salary-decrease-pay-cut-2018-9
With this video I realized I have turned into an old man. 😅 I won't go over 60mph
I love my Bolt but let's be honest here even once Baker comes online we won't be able to drive from L.A. to Vegas in the same amount of time we can in an ICE or PHEV. We live in the West San Fernando Valley (about 45 miles closer to Vegas than Ventura) and when we drive to Vegas we stop once for Lunch (usually in Baker) but that stop will only be 10-15 minutes and we're on the road again. Also instead of driving 70 we're doing 80-85 with the rest of traffic. Doing 85 in the Bolt would not be pretty thanks to it's dismal aerodynamics.
Once Baker comes online it will be theoretically possible to make the drive with just one stop but it's going to be risky and under the best of circumstances you're likely going to be rolling into Baker with single digit SOC.
Likewise on the return trip, leaving Vegas with a full charge, getting to Victorville won't be a challenge but will you be able to pick up enough range in 45 minutes to make it the last 100 miles? Seems questionable.
First, I wouldn't condone driving that much faster than the speed limit in any vehicle, but, yes, you can manufacture circumstances under which the Bolt EV will be slower than an ICE. However, for a majority of drivers, the time will be a wash.
The return trip is still the question because Baker isn't an ideal stop on the way back. The good thing is, it is a net elevation decrease, so a 15 to 30 minute stop at one of the 50 kW chargers being installed at Barstow would be good enough to make it back to the San Fernando Valley.
With the motor trend test they didn't start at 100% because they didn't start their trip directly from a charger. I would say it seems a bit more nerve-wrecking to try and charge a Bolt EV compared to a Tesla at the current moment, but not as bad as I would have expected.
No, MotorTrend did start with a full battery. They had recharged it fully after a range test they did the day before. According to independent reviews (such as Consumer Reports), the Bolt EV has a longer real-world range than most Tesla models, which is why I was able to replicate their trip while maintaining posted speeds.
I'm not sure why you think it's more nerve wracking to charge a Bolt EV. Tesla is better for people with no EV experience because it guides their owners through the whole process, but there are three to four times as many public fast charging stations as there Superchargers in the United States at this point, so the Bolt EV is a great option for a lot of people.
@@newscoulomb3705 I was just referring to when they first start narrating they mention the "NAV system says 215 miles to go." I don't know where they are at that point.
I think the biggest reason is that you can't tell which fast chargers are occupied and which are free (vs supercharging) so you have to drive around until you find one you want to charge at.
In the video of the model 3 vs the bolt EV from thousand oaks, there was almost triple the charging time with the Bolt.
@@overnightclassic2 Ah, I see. They were talking about having 215 miles left to drive to get to their destination. I believe they were about 10 to 15 miles into the trip already.
You can tell which chargers are occupied in the Bolt EV at this point. When you do a Google search (this can be done by voice command while driving), it will display the current status of the chargers and tell you how many are currently occupied. That functionality works for ChargePoint and EVgo at this point, but not Electrify America. It's not really a big deal with EA yet, though, because their 4 to 10 charger sites are rarely at full capacity.
@@newscoulomb3705 It doesn't look like EVGo stations are rarely full unlike Tesla superchargers.
@@overnightclassic2 Yes, EVgo sites are often full, but they are one of the providers that publish real-time status updates.Part of the issue with EVgo is that they have smaller sites (but more of them), and they provide free charging promotions. This makes them very busy in cities.
EVgo's highway locations, however, usually aren't occupied (most of their chargers have a ~25% occupancy rate), so they are fairly reliable for travel. I still like to check them first. With the Baker EVgo, though, it's not necessary. If all six of their chargers are full, there is a ChargePoint site and an Electrify America site just down the street.
What apps do u use to check for EV charging stations? Planning to buy an EV car, but battery range scares me.. thx
I use PlugShare to locate chargers. It is the most comprehensive because it is updated by the community. I also have ChargePoint, EVgo, and GreenLots apps, but I don't use them to find chargers, only to active them and maintain my payment accounts.
Are you related to Bruce Willis?
Hah! Do I get an inheritance?
You look like Bruce Willis in 144p resolution.
A "Die Hard" Bolt fan!
As he got closer to Vegas he probably watched the "Mercury Rising" and turned on the AC to cool down.
At 6 min in, you still haven't said whether or not you have the air on !
I should have mentioned it. I only ran the AC for a few minutes at the beginning, but by the time I got on the freeway, I was just using the fan. The energy information screen showed that no appreciable amount of energy was used for Climate Control.
I wasn't hot, and didn't feel the need for more than the fan, but I was suffering from the flu at the time. So who knows.
Regardless, from what I know about the AC energy consumption, it would have used less than 4-5% for this trip. Again, this just a baseline. I'll test it again.
how is the ride quality? I noticed ur tire PSI is at about 40, that seems pretty high for a vehicle that isnt a truck
The ride quality is subjective. The door panel and owners manual state 38 psi cold. Just driving will increase that pressure to 40 psi. Those are still very normal tire pressures for modern vehicles.
Sooooo can we e Bolt EV folks use the Baker supercharger or Tesla only???? Sorry new owner right here out of the IE who commutes up to Victorville and HD daily. Noticed the mall has a 44kw free charger tha has me interested
No. Tesla has shown no interest in opening the network to non-Tesla owners. But, the Baker EVgo charger should be open this month. I'll post an update when it goes live.
OK. thank you!Videos are great BTW
Thanks!
News Coulomb . Elon Musk wants only electric cars in the future. Bent over backwards to achieve that. Gave over his patents to give manufacturers information needed, and offered his charging network to any serious electric car manufacturer with at least 150 mile range.