From my experience, home charger is not needed. 110V during evening hours plus overnight would charge the battery up about 80 miles. If your typical daily driving is less than that then no 220V charger needed. For rare occasions you can charge on public Level 2 and DC stations. There are plenty of them. Many are free. If you are a taxi driver or delivery guy then you might need level 2 charger.
That's the type of comment I was looking for in several of these reviews. For daily commutes like he mentions I thought the same that the regular charger over night would help do the trick. Cause if I considered investing in any time in an EV the 220 home adapter and the other expenses that come with it give me another type of anxiety.
Agreed. The new portable 240v dryer outlet type EVSEs are not that expensive and don't require installation -- but we find we don't need one, for the reasons you give.
Yup! The comment he made at 1:46 is pretty absurd advice especially if you're just using this as a regular commuter car at the national average. I even make 120mile round trips on Saturdays to see my family on most weekends and I have never missed the Lvl 2 charger. If I ever need one I have a transit center with a large bank of Lvl 2's a few minutes walk down the street. Factor in DC Lvl 3 for road trips and you really cover the overwhelming majority of trips. My apartment unit also doesn't charge me for any electricity (they like that I'm "demo"ing their car charge bay as a selling point amenity for new tenants) so I literally spend NOTHING for "gas" except for the rare occasion I go to Canada or to the beach. I think I can convince them to install Lvl 2 due to the property value increase but I don't because then I'd be invoiced for the electricity. The only conditions where what he said is valid is if you make large commutes every day to work or if you cannot shake the range anxiety so must simply always be 100% topped off.
Great review and acccurate. Best decision I ever made buying this car...laughing all the way to the bank. The Bolt is the perfect commuter car. Practical, easy to live with, reliable and extremely fun to drive. Range anxiety is pretty much non existent in this car. Have 26,000 on mine with no noticable battery degredation observed. 0 trips to the dealer. This is NOT the Chevy I remember. Costs me almost nothing to run...
Best ever car made by GM. I drive a 2018 Chevy Bolt and I love it. Fun to drive. One pedal driving, great range and handling. Fast and Super low maintenance cost. Best thing I have done for a long time.
Approaching 5 years since this video was published, and it still holds up. The casual presentation of information is a bit misleading...the comments are very well-researched, accurate, and insightful. I have been educating myself about the Bolt for quite a while, and I still learned some new things from this 4 1/2 year old video. Well done!
The programmable Siemens VersiCharge Level 2 charger costs $550 online from Home Depot, works wonderfully wired to a 30 amp breaker like your electric dryer and plugs into a NEMA 6-50A receptacle, can be programmed to start charging during off peak hours and be completed by or before a departure time which the driver sets. The car also chooses Charging amperage, 8- 12 amps. Also, the Leaf uses standard CHAdeMO while the Bolt EV uses SAE J-1772 Level II connector. Well worth the purchase. Wired a NEMA 6-50A to my electric dryer circuit breaker which I don't use anymore having purchased a natural gas dryer. My thinking is that if one replaces large electric appliances (dryer, stove, water heater) with natural gas, charging an EV during off peak hours should be a wash. The savings in in Gas purchase will pay for the appliances over time and offset the car payment.
I wonder what the total cost would be for driving the car 100,000 miles compared to a Honda civic gas. Including the price you sell both cars for after you're done with them.
So strange GM would include 4G LTE link but they can't push all of the updates they're needing in 2021. You still have to take it to dealer every single time.
You don't need Chevy branded home charging equipment. It is in fact a very poor value. A Clipper Creek HCS 40 is $565 and typically cost $250 to install in a typical home. That would require 8.5 hrs to recharge a Bolt from empty to full overnight. If your home requires upgrades to handle charging a Bolt you should make those upgrades regardless of whether you get an electric car or not.
Thank the motoring gods that New Zealand has not only 95 and 98 octane gas, but 240v domestic power supply as standard as well. Good job Chevy. Looking forward to seeing it come down-under. As far as I'm aware, the Teen Driver setting also lets the owner set limits on maximum speed and that's protected by a password system.
1:46 I'm sorry but that is just wrong: you do not _need_ an EVSE if your mileage/driving pattern does not nerit it. Our EV is charged on standard 110v nightly with zero issues because we don't do more than 30 miles a day (charging at 4 miles per hour x 8 hours). An EVSE is nice to have, not always necessary; and these days there are less expensive portable EVSEs that you simply plug in a dryer outlet: no installation charge (pun intended).
Perfectly. It's quite the opposite of being in traffic in a car that's low on gas. The slower you drive these things, the farther you will go. If your destination is closer than your range remaining, you will make it.
Driving in stop and go traffic extends the range on the Bolt immensely. The paddle brake on the steering wheel is perfect for stop and go. AC use is minimal draw at best. Heat draws more but stop and go is almost perpetual motion...
Red Phoenix Actually, I was wrong. I overlooked the Ioniq electric, but even then, I don’t think that’s considered long range, capping off at 124 miles per charge to the Bolt’s 238. I think his statement still holds that the Bolt is the most affordable of the long range EVs.
nosferaturr So what? It can be part of the extra cost Premier trim. Adding some some soft padding on the top of the front doors and on the armrests should only cost a few dollars. It's not as if they have to redo the whole interior.
Great review, Mr. Wardlaw! The Bolt EV seems like a pretty solid entry in its class. I feel like its "easier to swallow" design, great single charge range, and decent total pricing will draw many people (who would have though otherwise of EV's) to come flooding into dealers! Keep up the great work! I cannot wait until I can get my hands on a new Bolt EV. So, I can put it through its paces in my full review testings! Go, Car Gurus! 👍🏽 -DriveAndBeDriven 🚘 "The Quest To Record The Best!" 📽
Sedans don't sell. Tesla is the exception. Look at the sales figures. Pickup trucks and "sport crossover" types is what sells. Sedans are for your Grandfather.
How can GM get away selling the car for about a year, and not having it crush tested? Is the safety on it that bad, that they are hiding it as long as possible? Weird.
Great vry concise review of bolt,i myself & somebody else can b vry comfortable to put deir young teen learning drivers on seat of bolt due 2 vry safe one pedal regenerative braking on top of GM "onstar" teen drivers safety check system
manoman0 Next best thing 1 mph incremental up and down from the wheel. I pick a hole accelerate to fill it and push set. Them push up or down as appropriate. I OWN the freeway. Heads turn when I hit the “gas” and end up in the far left lane (or the Express lane) at speed.. Highway transitions are a breeze like a Porsche or a Viper.
He's driving a car. Many people wear sunglasses while driving because it helps to better focus on driving, and not how much your eyes hurt and having to squint. As someone who is sensitive to sunlight, it causes severe physical pain to NOT wear sunglasses when it's sunny out. I'm sorry, but I'd much rather be able to see than have concern whether you're offended by wearing sunglasses. Besides, this is a car review. It's not a formal setting.
Good grief. I like the reliability reviews for the Volt and I like the taller headroom of the Bolt but let's be serious. $37000? And that's in the U.S. I'm in Canada. I could by an F-150 for that. When it's down around $18000 for the Volt and $13000 for the Bolt without taxpayer subsidization from the people who can't afford either car you will see the sales figures start to normalize.
Imagine NEVER going to a gas station again. Imagine your electricity bill actually going DOWN as well. That's what happened to me. It's a complete change. I bought solar panels and have them on my roof. I have an LG Home Battery being delivered next month. I'm doing the right thing: CO2 is killing us all and the early adopters (that's me) are showing the way, being good examples to the rest of the F-150 (1950) world. It's time to change. Imagine waking up, going out to your car, and it's ready to go 250 miles every day. Nobody every drives 250 miles. The average American drives 29 miles a day. It's absolutely AWESOME to drive. The INSTANT ACCELERATION is unbelievable. I beat EVERY Kind of car, every day, because it's silent, nobody hears the engine revving up, it takes them by surprise every time. The only clue that they have that I'm cutting them off is the fact that I've already cut them off. It's hilarious. I LOVE cutting off F-150s by the way. LOVE it.
Do 75-85 mph on the freeway n watch your battery drain your man juice fast than Jenna Jameson in her youth. Sport mode works well. One peddle driving is nice. The view SUCKS. LISTEN TO ME. Your a pedestrian predator from front angles. PS the air vents r in the floor and blow nice. I've had 3000 people n the car, zero people complained about heat or coolness.
The only real problem is that this is made by chevy and they have committed to not promoting a robust charging network for cross country travel. For that reason, I think the tesla 3 will capture the lightening in the bottle for this market later in the year.
Kyle Styer I just test drove one in Philadelphia and that Chevy dealer had 4 Level 2 chargers (2 for public use) and they were waiting for 2 DC FAST chargers to be installed (1 for public use). I don't know if other Chevy dealer will be doing this ,but I'm happy my local dealer is doing it. BTW the car was awesome , I expect to purchase one before the end of the year (so I will not have to wait so long for refund of the tax credit). I wish the Chevy Bolt EV great success and the same for the Tesla Model 3.
It might be *nice* if GM would build a nationwide charging network, as Tesla has. But why do they *need* to? No one complains that GM has never built a chain of GM gas stations -- since that is what Mobil, Shell, Chevron, Sunoco, etc. do. Likewise, there are charging networks built by ChargePoint, EVGo, SemaConnect, Greenlots, etc. that are rapidly approaching the point where cross-country travel in a Bolt, or any other non-Tesla EV, will be feasible. OTOH, the vast majority of driving (EV or ICE) for most motorists takes place within a few miles of home. Thus, in-home charging, combined with the occasional charge at a public station seems to be working out fine.
Built in navigation systems are horrible. They require constant updating and generally you have to go to the dealer to do so. Google maps are superior to any such navigation system.
@@ramblinman7153 agreed 100%!! I have navigation on my Cruze and literally NEVER use it. It was more than a $500 option. If I need navigation, I use Android Auto. The interface is far superior, the maps update constantly, and the functionality is far better. The best part? It's FREE!! After one year with my Cruze, I'm getting a letter from GM that it is "time to upgrade" my navigation maps. For the "sale" price of $99/year! It's a joke. If I were building a car, I would never pay for navigation, unless you're forced to because they bundle it with the sunroof, Bose stereo, etc. I'd much rather not have navigation and keep the price lower since it really is obsolete.
I am interested in the EV, however they are going to have to work out some of the problems with them. One is the price. They need to get the price in the same range of a comparable gas model which would be at least half the current prices. Second they need to get the driving range up to around 500 miles using heat or air. Third they need to get the charging times down to 10 to 15 minutes empty to full charge. Right now they are not practical. At best they are an over priced toy.
Well price... I bought mine out the door, tax, title, and fees for 34k. Then add 7,500 for fed rebate and 5,000 for Colorado I paid 21,500. I commute 140 miles every day round trip in snow, negative temps, 90+ heat, and normal weather. I use use the heater in the winter and set to 70 I make the trip just fine. The AC is hardly a mention set at that same 70 it takes far less energy than heat, you can make 220 miles easy with the AC running. Now charge time on a public DC fast charger a quick 15min charge is more than enough to get me home from work should I need it. It's all use case but I'm one of the extremes that drives this car far and in horrible conditions daily it's done it all and impressed me. Not to even mention saving me $300 in gas monthly. I spend about $40 in electricity. I would say they are practical to many more people than you'd think. It just shows how far EVs have come and that we are honestly one step away from EVs that can road trip and have that 400 to 500 mile range. Not to mention this thing is surprisingly fun to drive, I wanted to hate my bolt only got it for the tax rebates and saving on gas. Pure logic and need to save money now I love the thing.
I was like wow that's slow but then he said it's pretty quick. I was like okay so I was comparing it to the wrong vehicle. my ram 1500 V8 5.7L Hemi and that thing could move it is the model all the people that race trucks use.
The "L" on the Bolt's shift handle stands for LAZY. Too lazy to lift ones foot from the accelerator pedal to place it on the brake pedal. 😎 I prefer to drive in "D". I lift my foot from the accelerator pedal then use the regen paddle on the back of the steering wheel to slow and bring my Bolt gracefully to a stop, while resting my ankle and foot giving them a well-deserved break. 😉
This car makes all internal combustion engine cars obsolete. 238 miles of range. $27,500 (after tax credits and rebates). That's remarkable. It's an affordable electric car with amazing range and great performance, produced by a proven car producer. That's remarkable.
Eh, for a bomb around town car, it would be great, charge when you get home (no need for a gas station unless it's a quick stop to clean windows, get food/drink, use the facilities), quick enough to outpace much of the traffic (or troll the "sporty car" drivers), enough room for somebody like myself who is at best obese, and small enough to work well in urban environments. My current drive to work is 3.5 miles of mostly residential roads, even of I go a ways for lunch on a road that has a max limit of 50mph (not always driven so slow either), this would be a perfect as a daily if you have something fuel burning for road trips.
You come to love it! I appreciate that the technology is a major shift from the internal combustion engine and should be reflected in the way the car looks, drives, and interacts with it's owner. remember how the first ice vehicles were ugly compared to most luxury horse and buggy carriages. I am waiting for 2 things to happen; 1 you send the car out to work in a fully autonomous (driverless) network for a company like Uber and it comes home in the evening and parks in the garage; 2 when a storm knocks out the power to your house your EV provides power via the 110 charging cord while the hot spot in your car continues to provide your house with internet access. These things are coming and the future looks pretty cool from a technology standpoint.
Obviously, You've never been to Europe. They're all like that there. It's the most useful shape for a car: easy to get in and out of, big easy hatchback, lots of space I easily throw my electric bike in the back WITH my GF's bike, and there's room for her to drop the seat down and sleep on the way home. It's short, which makes it easy to park anywhere. It's narrow, which makes it easy to park anywhere and you don't have to worry about getting DINGS from the asshole who parks next to you...etc. etc. etc. But forget all that. You don't get the significance of changing over to electricity, do you? No. You don't. Talking about the "looks" of this car is about as absurd as rejecting E=MC2 because of Einstein's "looks".
How often do people actually change their own tire? A good majority have roadside assistance or AAA with their insurance - plus, on EV vehicles or any vehicle where mileage is a concern like the prius - weight matters. if you can strip out 40 lbs of weight for a spare and jack, you get better mileage.
From my experience, home charger is not needed. 110V during evening hours plus overnight would charge the battery up about 80 miles. If your typical daily driving is less than that then no 220V charger needed. For rare occasions you can charge on public Level 2 and DC stations. There are plenty of them. Many are free. If you are a taxi driver or delivery guy then you might need level 2 charger.
That's the type of comment I was looking for in several of these reviews. For daily commutes like he mentions I thought the same that the regular charger over night would help do the trick. Cause if I considered investing in any time in an EV the 220 home adapter and the other expenses that come with it give me another type of anxiety.
They are cheap for one unless you are a moron and have to have someone else install it for you. It adds value to your home for another.
Agreed. The new portable 240v dryer outlet type EVSEs are not that expensive and don't require installation -- but we find we don't need one, for the reasons you give.
Yup! The comment he made at 1:46 is pretty absurd advice especially if you're just using this as a regular commuter car at the national average. I even make 120mile round trips on Saturdays to see my family on most weekends and I have never missed the Lvl 2 charger. If I ever need one I have a transit center with a large bank of Lvl 2's a few minutes walk down the street. Factor in DC Lvl 3 for road trips and you really cover the overwhelming majority of trips. My apartment unit also doesn't charge me for any electricity (they like that I'm "demo"ing their car charge bay as a selling point amenity for new tenants) so I literally spend NOTHING for "gas" except for the rare occasion I go to Canada or to the beach. I think I can convince them to install Lvl 2 due to the property value increase but I don't because then I'd be invoiced for the electricity. The only conditions where what he said is valid is if you make large commutes every day to work or if you cannot shake the range anxiety so must simply always be 100% topped off.
Tommy Roca I have a Chevy bolt Premier and trust me you need a 240 to charge it especially if you’re going to drive it every day😎
Great review and acccurate. Best decision I ever made buying this car...laughing all the way to the bank. The Bolt is the perfect commuter car. Practical, easy to live with, reliable and extremely fun to drive. Range anxiety is pretty much non existent in this car. Have 26,000 on mine with no noticable battery degredation observed. 0 trips to the dealer. This is NOT the Chevy I remember. Costs me almost nothing to run...
Best ever car made by GM. I drive a 2018 Chevy Bolt and I love it. Fun to drive. One pedal driving, great range and handling. Fast and Super low maintenance cost. Best thing I have done for a long time.
Approaching 5 years since this video was published, and it still holds up. The casual presentation of information is a bit misleading...the comments are very well-researched, accurate, and insightful. I have been educating myself about the Bolt for quite a while, and I still learned some new things from this 4 1/2 year old video. Well done!
You didn't show the rear view camera or the cargo area. Sell the tires when new & get the windows tinted.
Ivan Vojt what's up with latinos and tinting?
Don't need a dark tint, but it would look better with at least a little too.
Do the brake lights come on when you use the paddle or one pedal driving?
Yes
The programmable Siemens VersiCharge Level 2 charger costs $550 online from Home Depot, works wonderfully wired to a 30 amp breaker like your electric dryer and plugs into a NEMA 6-50A receptacle, can be programmed to start charging during off peak hours and be completed by or before a departure time which the driver sets. The car also chooses Charging amperage, 8- 12 amps. Also, the Leaf uses standard CHAdeMO while the Bolt EV uses SAE J-1772 Level II connector. Well worth the purchase. Wired a NEMA 6-50A to my electric dryer circuit breaker which I don't use anymore having purchased a natural gas dryer. My thinking is that if one replaces large electric appliances (dryer, stove, water heater) with natural gas, charging an EV during off peak hours should be a wash. The savings in in Gas purchase will pay for the appliances over time and offset the car payment.
I wonder what the total cost would be for driving the car 100,000 miles compared to a Honda civic gas. Including the price you sell both cars for after you're done with them.
So strange GM would include 4G LTE link but they can't push all of the updates they're needing in 2021. You still have to take it to dealer every single time.
That's an extremely good city runabout car/daily.
Chris Sorreda it’s a great daily driver for anyone with a daily commute of 100 miles or less each way.
You don't need Chevy branded home charging equipment. It is in fact a very poor value. A Clipper Creek HCS 40 is $565 and typically cost $250 to install in a typical home. That would require 8.5 hrs to recharge a Bolt from empty to full overnight. If your home requires upgrades to handle charging a Bolt you should make those upgrades regardless of whether you get an electric car or not.
CMCNestT 2404less@gmail.com. Convert portable EVSE for less than $350.
Thank the motoring gods that New Zealand has not only 95 and 98 octane gas, but 240v domestic power supply as standard as well. Good job Chevy. Looking forward to seeing it come down-under.
As far as I'm aware, the Teen Driver setting also lets the owner set limits on maximum speed and that's protected by a password system.
There isn't adaptive cruise control? I couldve sworn some have it
Premier has heated front AND rear seats, and heated steering wheel.
Thank you for including backseats confort, space and feedback on your trip
1:46 I'm sorry but that is just wrong: you do not _need_ an EVSE if your mileage/driving pattern does not nerit it. Our EV is charged on standard 110v nightly with zero issues because we don't do more than 30 miles a day (charging at 4 miles per hour x 8 hours). An EVSE is nice to have, not always necessary; and these days there are less expensive portable EVSEs that you simply plug in a dryer outlet: no installation charge (pun intended).
xchopp Yes talk to me. Address is 2404less@gmail.com. Convert portable EVSE for under $350.
I don't see storage in this video
How does the charge hold up in stop and go traffic?
I find that I get extra mileage in stop and go traffic!
Perfectly. It's quite the opposite of being in traffic in a car that's low on gas. The slower you drive these things, the farther you will go. If your destination is closer than your range remaining, you will make it.
Driving in stop and go traffic extends the range on the Bolt immensely. The paddle brake on the steering wheel is perfect for stop and go. AC use is minimal draw at best. Heat draws more but stop and go is almost perpetual motion...
will this car be available to UK drivers because its cheaper than the BMW i3 and has more range and is far better than the Nissan leaf.
Chris should review blenders, toasters, washer & dryers. He would be awesome!!
The Mazda Demio EV does 200km on a 20Kw battery with a “coil switching” motor. That’s equivalent to 600km with a 60Kw battery.
Thank you for that great Video and best wishes from Germany. I get my Ampera E / Bolt in 2 Weeks.
Looks like a cool car! I wonder how the model 3 will compare in price and performance.
Tesla sucks
@0:20 It is not the most affordable long range EV. That is the Hyundai IONIQ. The Bolt offers the longest range among the "affordable" EV.
Red Phoenix Actually, I was wrong. I overlooked the Ioniq electric, but even then, I don’t think that’s considered long range, capping off at 124 miles per charge to the Bolt’s 238. I think his statement still holds that the Bolt is the most affordable of the long range EVs.
Why don't these Reviewers use the Systems like Normal than no A/C or Stereo as it seems that... Or Heat?
Maybe Chevy can upgrade the hard plastics on at least the doors in a year or two if there are enough complaints.
And the price go higher as well...
nosferaturr So what? It can be part of the extra cost Premier trim. Adding some some soft padding on the top of the front doors and on the armrests should only cost a few dollars. It's not as if they have to redo the whole interior.
Nice review. I am thinking of getting one
Great review, Mr. Wardlaw! The Bolt EV seems like a pretty solid entry in its class. I feel like its "easier to swallow" design, great single charge range, and decent total pricing will draw many people (who would have though otherwise of EV's) to come flooding into dealers!
Keep up the great work! I cannot wait until I can get my hands on a new Bolt EV. So, I can put it through its paces in my full review testings! Go, Car Gurus! 👍🏽
-DriveAndBeDriven 🚘
"The Quest To Record The Best!" 📽
It just seems overpriced to me.
Looks good
Good job Chevy all you need is to make sedan look next.
Sedans don't sell. Tesla is the exception. Look at the sales figures. Pickup trucks and "sport crossover" types is what sells. Sedans are for your Grandfather.
No ACC.. killed it for me.
Adrayven yea especially for a commuter, would be awesome to have that and some lane keep.
Nice car
How can GM get away selling the car for about a year, and not having it crush tested? Is the safety on it that bad, that they are hiding it as long as possible? Weird.
The safety sits behind the steering and is not an idiot. :)
M Oczakow On driver side front collision better than Tesla S! On side collision better than Volvo.
Great vry concise review of bolt,i myself & somebody else can b vry comfortable to put deir young teen learning drivers on seat of bolt due 2 vry safe one pedal regenerative braking on top of GM "onstar" teen drivers safety check system
The lack of adaptive cruise control is a deal breaker. Sorry, GM, no thank you.
manoman0 waaaah
yeah because you are going to spend soooooo much time on Interstate in this car
LOL
manoman0 Next best thing 1 mph incremental up and down from the wheel. I pick a hole accelerate to fill it and push set. Them push up or down as appropriate. I OWN the freeway. Heads turn when I hit the “gas” and end up in the far left lane (or the Express lane) at speed.. Highway transitions are a breeze like a Porsche or a Viper.
@2:35 You don't drive the range and you don't drive the battery. What use has a long rang if your ass hurts and sit in cramped space?
Call me old fashioned, but watching someone talking to me the whole time while wearing sunglasses I find just impolite. Take them off.
you are old fashioned
I thought that was weird too Geoff. Plus, it's the car being reviewed... why do we spend so much time looking at the reviewer?
ALWAYS hate that. I'll just TELL people: "Take your glasses off. I can't see you".
He's driving a car. Many people wear sunglasses while driving because it helps to better focus on driving, and not how much your eyes hurt and having to squint. As someone who is sensitive to sunlight, it causes severe physical pain to NOT wear sunglasses when it's sunny out. I'm sorry, but I'd much rather be able to see than have concern whether you're offended by wearing sunglasses. Besides, this is a car review. It's not a formal setting.
OK Boomer
Dont lie, the seats suck
Good grief. I like the reliability reviews for the Volt and I like the taller headroom of the Bolt but let's be serious. $37000? And that's in the U.S. I'm in Canada. I could by an F-150 for that.
When it's down around $18000 for the Volt and $13000 for the Bolt without taxpayer subsidization from the people who can't afford either car you will see the sales figures start to normalize.
Imagine NEVER going to a gas station again. Imagine your electricity bill actually going DOWN as well. That's what happened to me. It's a complete change. I bought solar panels and have them on my roof. I have an LG Home Battery being delivered next month. I'm doing the right thing: CO2 is killing us all and the early adopters (that's me) are showing the way, being good examples to the rest of the F-150 (1950) world. It's time to change. Imagine waking up, going out to your car, and it's ready to go 250 miles every day. Nobody every drives 250 miles. The average American drives 29 miles a day. It's absolutely AWESOME to drive. The INSTANT ACCELERATION is unbelievable. I beat EVERY Kind of car, every day, because it's silent, nobody hears the engine revving up, it takes them by surprise every time. The only clue that they have that I'm cutting them off is the fact that I've already cut them off. It's hilarious. I LOVE cutting off F-150s by the way. LOVE it.
No auto pilot. . .
fancy that, having to actually drive
Auto pilot is a gimmick. You are still legally required to keep your hands on the steering wheel.
Do 75-85 mph on the freeway n watch your battery drain your man juice fast than Jenna Jameson in her youth.
Sport mode works well. One peddle driving is nice.
The view SUCKS. LISTEN TO ME. Your a pedestrian predator from front angles. PS the air vents r in the floor and blow nice. I've had 3000 people n the car, zero people complained about heat or coolness.
The only real problem is that this is made by chevy and they have committed to not promoting a robust charging network for cross country travel. For that reason, I think the tesla 3 will capture the lightening in the bottle for this market later in the year.
Kyle Styer I just test drove one in Philadelphia and that Chevy dealer had 4 Level 2 chargers (2 for public use) and they were waiting for 2 DC FAST chargers to be installed (1 for public use). I don't know if other Chevy dealer will be doing this ,but I'm happy my local dealer is doing it. BTW the car was awesome , I expect to purchase one before the end of the year (so I will not have to wait so long for refund of the tax credit).
I wish the Chevy Bolt EV great success and the same for the Tesla Model 3.
Carlton Wilson Sounds awesome, what market is that? I'm in TN and don't see any chargers. Our city actually took some out...
You don't need a "robust" charging network if you have enough range. Teslas main selling point does apply here.
It might be *nice* if GM would build a nationwide charging network, as Tesla has. But why do they *need* to? No one complains that GM has never built a chain of GM gas stations -- since that is what Mobil, Shell, Chevron, Sunoco, etc. do. Likewise, there are charging networks built by ChargePoint, EVGo, SemaConnect, Greenlots, etc. that are rapidly approaching the point where cross-country travel in a Bolt, or any other non-Tesla EV, will be feasible. OTOH, the vast majority of driving (EV or ICE) for most motorists takes place within a few miles of home. Thus, in-home charging, combined with the occasional charge at a public station seems to be working out fine.
-84 mile deficit sir
Hold on no built in nav I wouldn't touch this with a 10ft pole.
seriously? it doesnt have software to badly emulate a $200 tom tom or a mobile app, that ties you to a stealership, and that is a problem?
Built in navigation systems are horrible. They require constant updating and generally you have to go to the dealer to do so. Google maps are superior to any such navigation system.
@@ramblinman7153 agreed 100%!! I have navigation on my Cruze and literally NEVER use it. It was more than a $500 option. If I need navigation, I use Android Auto. The interface is far superior, the maps update constantly, and the functionality is far better. The best part? It's FREE!! After one year with my Cruze, I'm getting a letter from GM that it is "time to upgrade" my navigation maps. For the "sale" price of $99/year! It's a joke. If I were building a car, I would never pay for navigation, unless you're forced to because they bundle it with the sunroof, Bose stereo, etc. I'd much rather not have navigation and keep the price lower since it really is obsolete.
I use paper maps to get where I'm going or I have a navigation thingy that I plug into the cigarette lighter.
It Needs a vegan interior option.
I am interested in the EV, however they are going to have to work out some of the problems with them. One is the price. They need to get the price in the same range of a comparable gas model which would be at least half the current prices. Second they need to get the driving range up to around 500 miles using heat or air. Third they need to get the charging times down to 10 to 15 minutes empty to full charge. Right now they are not practical. At best they are an over priced toy.
Well price... I bought mine out the door, tax, title, and fees for 34k. Then add 7,500 for fed rebate and 5,000 for Colorado I paid 21,500. I commute 140 miles every day round trip in snow, negative temps, 90+ heat, and normal weather. I use use the heater in the winter and set to 70 I make the trip just fine. The AC is hardly a mention set at that same 70 it takes far less energy than heat, you can make 220 miles easy with the AC running. Now charge time on a public DC fast charger a quick 15min charge is more than enough to get me home from work should I need it. It's all use case but I'm one of the extremes that drives this car far and in horrible conditions daily it's done it all and impressed me. Not to even mention saving me $300 in gas monthly. I spend about $40 in electricity. I would say they are practical to many more people than you'd think. It just shows how far EVs have come and that we are honestly one step away from EVs that can road trip and have that 400 to 500 mile range. Not to mention this thing is surprisingly fun to drive, I wanted to hate my bolt only got it for the tax rebates and saving on gas. Pure logic and need to save money now I love the thing.
...LIKE YOUR REVIEW STYLE....
....BUT I WOULD NEVER BUY THIS CAR...;-0)........
I was like wow that's slow but then he said it's pretty quick. I was like okay so I was comparing it to the wrong vehicle. my ram 1500 V8 5.7L Hemi and that thing could move it is the model all the people that race trucks use.
The "L" on the Bolt's shift handle stands for LAZY. Too lazy to lift ones foot from the accelerator pedal to place it on the brake pedal. 😎
I prefer to drive in "D". I lift my foot from the accelerator pedal then use the regen paddle on the back of the steering wheel to slow and bring my Bolt gracefully to a stop, while resting my ankle and foot giving them a well-deserved break. 😉
Nice review. The car does leave me with an unremarkable flavor.
This car makes all internal combustion engine cars obsolete. 238 miles of range. $27,500 (after tax credits and rebates). That's remarkable. It's an affordable electric car with amazing range and great performance, produced by a proven car producer. That's remarkable.
"This car makes all internal combustion engine cars obsolete" another slightly over enthused fanboy
Eh, for a bomb around town car, it would be great, charge when you get home (no need for a gas station unless it's a quick stop to clean windows, get food/drink, use the facilities), quick enough to outpace much of the traffic (or troll the "sporty car" drivers), enough room for somebody like myself who is at best obese, and small enough to work well in urban environments. My current drive to work is 3.5 miles of mostly residential roads, even of I go a ways for lunch on a road that has a max limit of 50mph (not always driven so slow either), this would be a perfect as a daily if you have something fuel burning for road trips.
What? Bolt EV doesn't have built-in navigation? They expect people to use their smartphones for that? Hmm.. interesting...
Really wish GM didn't make this look like such a dorky car. It's so tall and narrow. Really ugly
You come to love it! I appreciate that the technology is a major shift from the internal combustion engine and should be reflected in the way the car looks, drives, and interacts with it's owner. remember how the first ice vehicles were ugly compared to most luxury horse and buggy carriages. I am waiting for 2 things to happen; 1 you send the car out to work in a fully autonomous (driverless) network for a company like Uber and it comes home in the evening and parks in the garage; 2 when a storm knocks out the power to your house your EV provides power via the 110 charging cord while the hot spot in your car continues to provide your house with internet access. These things are coming and the future looks pretty cool from a technology standpoint.
Not important
Looks is the least important aspect.
Obviously, You've never been to Europe. They're all like that there. It's the most useful shape for a car: easy to get in and out of, big easy hatchback, lots of space I easily throw my electric bike in the back WITH my GF's bike, and there's room for her to drop the seat down and sleep on the way home. It's short, which makes it easy to park anywhere. It's narrow, which makes it easy to park anywhere and you don't have to worry about getting DINGS from the asshole who parks next to you...etc. etc. etc. But forget all that. You don't get the significance of changing over to electricity, do you? No. You don't. Talking about the "looks" of this car is about as absurd as rejecting E=MC2 because of Einstein's "looks".
Yet it's much more stylish than a Prius. I've come to like it's looks.
The Bolt has self sealing tires because there is no spare tire, jack or lug wrench. On a $37,500 car!
No spare tire in the Tesla's either!!!
daytimeslacker I got two flats n a week and no one has tires in stock. Always a day wait to 5 days. Not a hour wait.
How hard is it to keep a donut?
How often do people actually change their own tire? A good majority have roadside assistance or AAA with their insurance - plus, on EV vehicles or any vehicle where mileage is a concern like the prius - weight matters. if you can strip out 40 lbs of weight for a spare and jack, you get better mileage.