I purchased my first EV about 10 months ago (GV60). My friends and family all think I’m an early adopter, little do they know. I really enjoyed this retrospective of the early days, but I’m also glad that I didn’t live through this myself. But you do a great job of telling the stories. To tell you the truth, your channel has become one of my must watch on RUclips. Who knew watching a battery charge could be so much fun?
Thanks! I have plenty of opinions, but I try to demonstrate more than tell. The GV60 is a great car, and it's definitely one of the newer EVs that can travel just about as fast as a gas car for typical travelers.
I never tire of your informational videos Eric, if you posted a video daily I would be here! Your videos from 2017 and 2018 are what motivated me to purchase my 2019 Bolt December 8, 2018. 6 years and a warranteed replacement battery later I am still 100% satisfied with Chevy Bolt. I am fortunate to be able to charge at my employer on a level 2 charger for free. Plus I utilize the former Volta chargers (now Shell Recharge) for free. I rarely charge at home but all I have is the 110 that came with the car. I will be retiring next year and hope to do some EV traveling, so your videos are always something I look forward to. Thank you Eric and Merry Boltmas to you too!
Loved this video. I learned all about EVs from you and Bjørn Nyland. I have now had 3 EVs and love them. This video brings back memories of your early videos. Thank you. PS, You might want to bring bat the video you did with Bjørn Nyland in a multi-car range test. That video was on his channel I think, but it was a fun watch even though I don't recall the Bolt doing especially well in that test. All the best.
Thanks! It's unfortunate Bjorn couldn't make it back out to the United States more. That was a fun video to make. I made the mistake of taking the wrong exit during that test, but the Bolt EV did okay. About the same as the M3P on performance rims. Of course, the RWD Model 3 and original Hyundai Ioniq ran away with it.
I enjoyed this look back to the early years. It reminded me so much of my first 650 mile trip in my 2019 Bolt. I spent a good amount of time pre-planning on plug share and Electrify America apps as well. And I did a spreadsheet listing every viable charger with distance, number of chargers and plug share score. At each stop I calculated miles to the next charger, checked plugshare for recent comments, added 30 extra miles, and headed to the next stop. Now, I just get in the car and drive. I know all the chargers in route by heart and can optimize time charging in my head. Plus, chargers are far more reliable.
This brings back memories of my first EV. 2015 Leaf which had a max range of 95 miles. So I really didn't take any long distance trips till 2020 when I got a 2020 Bolt LT. Great job thank you.
Great idea! Only thing I would ask for all your videos are chapter markers. I can’t watch them all because of their length but would love to skip through and see some key comments since your advice is so helpful.
@@newscoulomb3705 I did a manual version! I cut and paste your transcript into ChatGPT and ask it to make some timestamps for me! Don’t know what works for RUclipsrs as I don’t do this! But at least my manual way works for me next time I wanna watch a video without them and save a lot of time.
Happy Boltmas to you Eric. I recall charging my 2018 Bolt EV at that SLO EVgo charger many times and once at the Gilroy EVgo Charger. Such memories 😅. Thanks for sharing this story. 8 years makes such a difference!
Happy Boltmas to you Eric. I recall charging my 2018 Bolt EV at that SLO EVgo charger many times and once at the Gilroy EVgo Charger. Such memories 😅. Thanks for sharing this story. 7 years
Those of us on our first EV do not have this experience. Thanks for the view on what it was like to be a new EV driver back in the day. I don't have any more range with my Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally, but I can charge much faster (and of course we now have faster chargers to allow that faster charging).
Thanks! And I forgot to mention this, but I noticed it on review. I really only skipped one 50 kW charger (in Salinas), but my average leg between charging stops was 140+ miles. Even with modern EVs and faster charging, a lot of people aren't traveling that far between charging stops.
Hehehe 😀 I pretty much avoided Blink. I had a bad experience with my Volt using their L2 AC, and they never really got around to installing CCS1 on the West Coast. I always had high hopes for them, though. And who can argue with 1 am tacos?
I'm wondering if I should get a buyback 2017 Bolt EV. I'm seeing a few of these pop up at dealers. Weirdly, the new 10 year battery warranties show 2032 as the expiration. Does that mean these cars sat around for 2 years?
Yes, I think the battery was replaced in 2022. If I remember correctly, they actually stopped replacing batteries in 2022, and limited the recall to software moving forward (and only replaced batteries as needed). If I remember correctly, all the pre-refresh Bolt EVs (MY 2021 and before) had to have their batteries fully replaced, but the MY 2022 and after might have only received a software patch.
@@anthonyc8499 Very unlikely, used Bolts are flying off dealers' lots because they're so desirable. You don't have to speculate though, you can ask the dealer for the ownership and service history of any vehicle you are interested in. You're not committed to anything by just asking.
High amp L2, 48+amp, would be good for overtime stops, like leisurely dining, better than waiting in line for DC for an hour? Cheaper. I haven't tripped yet.
For my 2-day trips to Colorado from San Diego, each day is about 500 miles, and takes me about 12 hours. Driving and rest stops (while I charge) use 11 hours, so stops dedicated to only charging my Bolt add only about an hour.
The Achilles heel of the Bolt is definitely the DC charging speed, hopefully they fix that when it's re-released. If I were road-tripping in one I'd definitely want to arrange my charging stops to coincide with meal breaks, or at the very least some stores or other attraction to wander round while I wait. I didn't know EVGo chargers were limited to 30 minutes, is that still the case? If so, that's a good reason to go elsewhere, especially when we now have many more choices.
Yes. The only thing offsetting that weakness was the range and efficiency. It wasn't really a weakness at the time it was released due to the charging infrastructure, but over the years, it hasn't kept up with new cars and new chargers. EVgo stopped the 30-minute cutoffs awhile ago, but it was a serious issue when the Bolt EV first came out.
Fully expected to do my first EV christmas road trip with the Bolt only to be greeted by my second battery failure in 6 months/20k miles. Shame it's been so unreliable so far.
Oh, that sucks. I'm sorry to hear that. I wonder whether there was an issue when they swapped the original battery. Other than a bit of BMS sway, I have had zero issues with my replacement battery.
Merry Boltmas! I leased my first Bolt Premier end of Jan 2017 and subscribed to your channel shortly after that! Nice history of DC Fast Charging!!
I purchased my first EV about 10 months ago (GV60). My friends and family all think I’m an early adopter, little do they know. I really enjoyed this retrospective of the early days, but I’m also glad that I didn’t live through this myself. But you do a great job of telling the stories. To tell you the truth, your channel has become one of my must watch on RUclips. Who knew watching a battery charge could be so much fun?
Thanks! I have plenty of opinions, but I try to demonstrate more than tell. The GV60 is a great car, and it's definitely one of the newer EVs that can travel just about as fast as a gas car for typical travelers.
I never tire of your informational videos Eric, if you posted a video daily I would be here! Your videos from 2017 and 2018 are what motivated me to purchase my 2019 Bolt December 8, 2018. 6 years and a warranteed replacement battery later I am still 100% satisfied with Chevy Bolt. I am fortunate to be able to charge at my employer on a level 2 charger for free. Plus I utilize the former Volta chargers (now Shell Recharge) for free. I rarely charge at home but all I have is the 110 that came with the car. I will be retiring next year and hope to do some EV traveling, so your videos are always something I look forward to. Thank you Eric and Merry Boltmas to you too!
Awesome! Thank you!
Loved this video. I learned all about EVs from you and Bjørn Nyland. I have now had 3 EVs and love them. This video brings back memories of your early videos. Thank you.
PS, You might want to bring bat the video you did with Bjørn Nyland in a multi-car range test. That video was on his channel I think, but it was a fun watch even though I don't recall the Bolt doing especially well in that test. All the best.
Thanks! It's unfortunate Bjorn couldn't make it back out to the United States more. That was a fun video to make. I made the mistake of taking the wrong exit during that test, but the Bolt EV did okay. About the same as the M3P on performance rims. Of course, the RWD Model 3 and original Hyundai Ioniq ran away with it.
I enjoyed this look back to the early years. It reminded me so much of my first 650 mile trip in my 2019 Bolt. I spent a good amount of time pre-planning on plug share and Electrify America apps as well. And I did a spreadsheet listing every viable charger with distance, number of chargers and plug share score. At each stop I calculated miles to the next charger, checked plugshare for recent comments, added 30 extra miles, and headed to the next stop.
Now, I just get in the car and drive. I know all the chargers in route by heart and can optimize time charging in my head. Plus, chargers are far more reliable.
That was an adventure!
This brings back memories of my first EV. 2015 Leaf which had a max range of 95 miles. So I really didn't take any long distance trips till 2020 when I got a 2020 Bolt LT. Great job thank you.
Any road trip vids are great, and a "retro" trip does give a great comparison to what is going on today.
Great idea! Only thing I would ask for all your videos are chapter markers. I can’t watch them all because of their length but would love to skip through and see some key comments since your advice is so helpful.
Thanks! I've been trying to add timing markers, but that takes time too. I'll make it a point to add those when I can!
@@newscoulomb3705 I did a manual version! I cut and paste your transcript into ChatGPT and ask it to make some timestamps for me! Don’t know what works for RUclipsrs as I don’t do this! But at least my manual way works for me next time I wanna watch a video without them and save a lot of time.
Throwback was cool to watch. Thanks Eric. Merry Boltmas!!
I like this retrospective approach. Helps to understand where we were at the time and how much better things are now. Thanks for the videos!
Love the video,,,love the hat......Merry late Christmas.....
Happy Boltmas to you Eric. I recall charging my 2018 Bolt EV at that SLO EVgo charger many times and once at the Gilroy EVgo Charger. Such memories 😅. Thanks for sharing this story. 8 years makes such a difference!
Happy Boltmas to you Eric. I recall charging my 2018 Bolt EV at that SLO EVgo charger many times and once at the Gilroy EVgo Charger. Such memories 😅. Thanks for sharing this story. 7 years
Merry Boltmas! This is a fun idea!
Those of us on our first EV do not have this experience. Thanks for the view on what it was like to be a new EV driver back in the day.
I don't have any more range with my Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally, but I can charge much faster (and of course we now have faster chargers to allow that faster charging).
Thanks! And I forgot to mention this, but I noticed it on review. I really only skipped one 50 kW charger (in Salinas), but my average leg between charging stops was 140+ miles. Even with modern EVs and faster charging, a lot of people aren't traveling that far between charging stops.
Merry Boltmas! Huge change from my 15 Fiat 500e, although 500e is a fun car. Other car is a 15 BMW i3 rex, great, short range.
Thank you, I enjoy your storytelling.
I miss going to the free blink chademo charger downtown at 1am while I ate tacos for 25 minutes and leave full. I miss my old leaf... lol.
Hehehe 😀 I pretty much avoided Blink. I had a bad experience with my Volt using their L2 AC, and they never really got around to installing CCS1 on the West Coast. I always had high hopes for them, though. And who can argue with 1 am tacos?
Blink is dead now. 😂.
Happy boltmass
I'm wondering if I should get a buyback 2017 Bolt EV. I'm seeing a few of these pop up at dealers. Weirdly, the new 10 year battery warranties show 2032 as the expiration. Does that mean these cars sat around for 2 years?
No, it means a new battery was fitted in 2022 as a result of the recall.
Yes, I think the battery was replaced in 2022. If I remember correctly, they actually stopped replacing batteries in 2022, and limited the recall to software moving forward (and only replaced batteries as needed). If I remember correctly, all the pre-refresh Bolt EVs (MY 2021 and before) had to have their batteries fully replaced, but the MY 2022 and after might have only received a software patch.
@@newscoulomb3705 as buybacks, do you think GM bought the cars, replaced the packs, and just let them sit in a parking lot for two years?
@@anthonyc8499 Very unlikely, used Bolts are flying off dealers' lots because they're so desirable.
You don't have to speculate though, you can ask the dealer for the ownership and service history of any vehicle you are interested in. You're not committed to anything by just asking.
@@newscoulomb3705well, I’m part of the Bolt EV club now. I can tell you all about the buyback boomerang bolts.
High amp L2, 48+amp, would be good for overtime stops, like leisurely dining, better than waiting in line for DC for an hour? Cheaper. I haven't tripped yet.
For my 2-day trips to Colorado from San Diego, each day is about 500 miles, and takes me about 12 hours. Driving and rest stops (while I charge) use 11 hours, so stops dedicated to only charging my Bolt add only about an hour.
The Achilles heel of the Bolt is definitely the DC charging speed, hopefully they fix that when it's re-released. If I were road-tripping in one I'd definitely want to arrange my charging stops to coincide with meal breaks, or at the very least some stores or other attraction to wander round while I wait.
I didn't know EVGo chargers were limited to 30 minutes, is that still the case? If so, that's a good reason to go elsewhere, especially when we now have many more choices.
Yes. The only thing offsetting that weakness was the range and efficiency. It wasn't really a weakness at the time it was released due to the charging infrastructure, but over the years, it hasn't kept up with new cars and new chargers.
EVgo stopped the 30-minute cutoffs awhile ago, but it was a serious issue when the Bolt EV first came out.
If you ever make it to Orlando, FL for a visit, Let us know and I'll put you up. You can park your 2017 next to my 2018.
Fully expected to do my first EV christmas road trip with the Bolt only to be greeted by my second battery failure in 6 months/20k miles. Shame it's been so unreliable so far.
Oh, that sucks. I'm sorry to hear that. I wonder whether there was an issue when they swapped the original battery. Other than a bit of BMS sway, I have had zero issues with my replacement battery.