Well, kind of right.....AWD will always have superior traction to front or rearwheel drive in snow. It's the stopping and turning that will remain worse. The point is that regardless of the drive system snow tires are of great benefit .
@@Wised1000 No he's right, FWD with proper snow tires is better than AWD with "all" season tires. As you yourself pointed out, being able to move is only half the battle and being able to stop and maintain control is a much more important quality than being able to move. I'm willing to bet most accidents in my area are AWD crossovers on "all" season tires who where driving too fast because AWD lied to them and said "hey brah, you got traction, don't worry the roads aren't that bad I got you" right up until one or two wheels caught an ice patch or snowdrift and the others, hardened to a point of low friction by the freezing temperatures and ill suited compound in the tire, also just gave up.
@@AHungryHunky while I appreciate your passion, every RUclips video that has done this comparison busts that myth. Every test has shown that AWD/4WD with all seasons actually does better than FWD or RWD with winter tires.
Great snowy video guys. The interaction between you guys seems to be more friendly and less tense. I really like when you guys are having fun as father and son. Thanks guys
I live in a northern Ontario, Canada community with small but steep hills and lots of snow and ice from December to March. I know someone who commutes with this same car 4 days a week. He uses proper Blizzak winter tires and has no issues. I have a Niro hybrid with studded winter tires and have no issues. You don't need to trade in for an AWD or 4x4, you need good tires.
I can say our Bolt EUV with Michelin X-Ice tires is an absolute tank in the snow. I regularly am able to get up hills and go around stuck vehicles, even those with AWD and trucks in certain conditions. The only negative is the relatively low ground clearance just shy of 6". I lost very little range with the X-ice tires too. Maybe a 5% drop in range, if that. Biggest hit is simply colder weather. I can still get around 200 miles of range in the winter with highway driving around 70 MPH though.
I have the same tires on my bolt. I live at 8k ft on the side of a mountain and have yet to have any issues. I can't understand why they would make this video without snow tires
We owned three front wheel drive hybrids that came with the Michelin Green tires which were fine for Spring, Summer, and Fall. In the winter we switched to the Michelin X-Ice that are phenomenal in the winter weather here in upstate NY. The cars just never got stuck in the snow! Well it used to snow here and there were some really deep snows in the past ten years. This year so far no snow but we'll still put the Michelin X-Ice on the Bolt come next winter.
I always feel like it's a bit misleading to make it sound like these cars are $7500 less than they are. You still need to purchase the car for the original price and then hope everything works out with the federal rebate which I'm sure had a chance to not be completely smooth.
I actually went shopping for one a couple of weeks ago. Every dealer wants at least $5k markup, and most increased that to $10k after Jan 1st. I put a deposit down on a 2023 Escape instead. (I currently own a 2017 Volt so I was pre-disposed to get a Bolt, but not give the dealer more than all of my incentive!)
It's crazy how GM was able to lower the cost when the credit expired, and now that the credit is back, the dealers are marking them up to erase the credit for the consumer.
I should add that here in Oregon there is an additional $2,500 credit available to everyone and up to another $5k based on income, so basically the dealers are trying to claw back all of the $10k that most consumers would get. Yeah, it's disgusting. The Ford dealer isn't marking up the Escape PHEV even though it also qualifies for 80% of the Federal credit (and 100% of the state one)
@@dperreno I may need to check out the Ford. We have a Bolt right now, but the lease ends in less than year. We got a great deal on it, but I'm not getting another one unless we get another good deal!
@@keen7114 Having worked for first GM and then Ford for 32 years combined, I can tell you that the dealers are the bane of the automakers' existence. We virturally no control over them due to the extremely protective state francise laws. Our only recourse was if they were to defraud the company by claiming floorplan expenses or rebates that they weren't entitled to. Anything that they did to the customers was beyond our reach. But, of course, we were blamed for it. I don't begrudge Tesla for getting exceptions to the franchise laws in some states, I just wish that those laws would be changed for everyone.
This is more of a test of the tires than it is the car. I can verify that the stock Michelin Energy Saver AS on the Chevrolet Bolt EV operate well in light snow, even in temperatures down to the high 20s, but for real winters, you definitely want to put dedicated snow tires on the Bolt EV. There are plenty of Canadian and Midwestern Bolt EV owners who can attest to its performance with proper snow tires.
If possible I would like to see how well this car does with a new set of snow tires, and more importantly how much will they kill range. The low price of the Bolt really has me eyeing it but I live in the northeast and have to deal with the cold and snow too so I'm really watching your winter tests videos closely
I think on average you’ll see ~10% decrease due to the tires. Even with winter cold and winter tires, if the range is cut down 40-50%, it’s still a useable range. 125-150 is two days of my commuting if I risk running the battery low. About 60 miles round trip for me. Due to the cost of this car, that’s the only reason I would consider it right now. Otherwise I’ll be looking at PHEV or HEV for my next car and then EV for the vehicle after that.
What's funny to me is Tommy said "it's ONLY 3 or 4 inches" where I live we only see snow around every 5-7 years & that kinda blizzard shuts us completely down.
Put a set of Michelins X-Ice winters on it and you’ll be golden. X-ices made my 2020 EXCELLENT!!! Also use lower weight wheels (17-19lb) and you get some of range back while having grippier tread.
I love seeing videos with you two! I thought it was funny how Tommy is driving the car trying to make good laps for great camera shots and Roman is talking about everyone around them! TFL is the best! One of my favorite channels and definitely my go to for reviews when I'm considering a car purchase
We been running snow tires on 2 cars for a few years now and the difference is amazing. And the cost is not extra because you only run one set at a time so they last twice as long
Like Tommy had said previously, the real bummer is the way they deliver the tax credit. You have to be "rich" enough to owe the Fed 7500 first, then you can claim for the full credit. That put a regular couple with kids into the $150k and above income range after all the standard deduction. And the median of "mid-class" income in most states are way below that even assuming both of them get jobs that can pay up to 75k.
@@robb0995 thats BS. I don't know how do you calculated your number out. But I know a friend who made 68k before tax, married filing jointly using standard deduction, and only owe less than 4k to the federal. You shouldn't calculate the state tax or social security in since they are not federal tax. You have to make at least double what you said to owe federal 7500.
I have the LT2 in that color. (really wish it had been equipped with navi and bose but oh well...) and if one understands the inherent limitations it is an amazing car. I paid about 29k. Did get a $750 refund from the state of Pa though. It costs about $50/month to drive 1000-1200 miles. Remote start while it's plugged in warms the heater VERY fast with power from my (GM subsidized) level 2 charger. If you can live with a car that in the depth of winter has about 130 miles of range, and can keep it inside and charge it overnight BUY THIS CAR.
It's not anything to do with the vehicle but in New York state you're not allowed to blow your snow out until the road from your driveway. That's for obvious reasons which you pointed out
The debate about the all seasons tire and winter tires is done since a long time here in North. It's proven that the compound and the tire print of a snowflakes rating tire is a way better in both way, icy and snowy pavement. Winter tires are mandatory from december 1st to march 15 in Quebec.
The only people debating don't live where it actually snows. Or are cheap and attempting to justify their cheapness. Even though it's not mandatory in Ontario, I've always got snow tires on my car from early November to early April.
With our first Chevy Volt, we had the LRR OEM Goodyears....and my son got the car stuck on a snow covered hill near our house. We assessed the situation and I found the traction control was very aggressive in not allowing wheel spin. So I disabled it. And spent the next ten minutes explaining to my son, who had recently got his license, why we needed to turn the TC off to get more traction. So similar to Tommy, we had some wheel spin and the car moved forward with no issue. On our next Volt, I decided to get Blizzaks for the winter...and huge difference. I did the same hill in a similar snow fall and no problems.
In New Jersey you can get another $4000 off and no sales tax. Because in New Jersey 100% electric vehicles do not pay sales tax. The New Jersey charge up incentive will give you back $4000 for an EV that is less than $45,000 and has more than 200 miles range.
I have the exact same EV… with the exact same tires. Not the best in the snow with those tires. However, I have a second set of rims with winter tires mounted on them. THIS SETUP MAKES THE BOLT AN ABSOLUTE TANK IN THE SNOW. We live in Canada where we get a solid 5-6 months of snow and slush. This car is as good as our Mazda CX-5 AWD in the winter. The Bolt loses about 30% of its range in the winter due to heating and other conditions. We absolutely love this EV!
I moved from Texas to Colorado and had a 2006 2WD Dodge Ram with the 5.7 Hemi. That first snow fall was rough. Threw 600lbs of sand bags in the truck bed and that gave me enough weight and traction to get around. Good tires are definitely a necessity as well.
I would like to point out that this vehicle is really not 19k. Its a tax credit that has nothing to do with the vehicle purchase price. So it is a little misleading.
The highlight of the video is clearly the little snowblower on track just rolling around 😂. Very nice and reassuring video thanks! I have an AWD Kona and switch to a bolt EUV. I was a bit skeptical since I am in Quebec.
Conclusion if on a ‘budge’, purchase Bolt at lowest price and get a dedicated set of wheels with extremely aggressive snow tires. Only putting them on just before snow fall and removing them as soon as the roads are fully clear. Budget wise, that’s the best strategy.
We put Michelin Cross Climate tires on both our Outback and our Forester. We live in very mountainous area of north central WA state where we get 5-6 feet of snow every winter. We live on a private road, 5 miles from town which we have to plow and maintain ourselves. The Cross Climate tires are AWESOME on All road conditions. We no longer need to buy “winter” tires, as the Cross Climate’s are great in snow, ice, slush, rain and dry roads. We like them so much that I recommended them to my brother who has an Outback & lives in rainy Portland. My brother smiled and said that they already have them on their car. When ours wear out, we’ll buy another set.
We need ? We need ? You do realize the infrastructure is not ready for these cars right ? You do realize they are more harmful to the environment than gas cars right ? No we don't need these cars , we need to drill baby drill. Thats what we need.
My son had a Bolt when he was commuting from Denver to Berthoud every day. He put a set of Nokian tires on it. He claimed the car was great in the snow and near got stuck once in the winter. I have Nokian on my Subaru and they are the best I've had for winter driving.
I'm hoping that the significant Bolt reliability issues (mainly electrical) cited by Consumer Reports using 2020/2021 model year owner surveys are being addressed by Chevrolet. It's a little runabout I could live with, even with all-season tires since our NJ winters aren't so bad lately. However, I need to see those CR reliability rankings improve, hopefully starting with the refreshed 2022 model.
Honestly the Bolt would be more appealing if they just extended the rear out another couple feet like a wagone to have decent interior space. I was in one, looked nice but needed more cargo space. Can't be that much more for a little longer sheet metal
@@zilfondel yea but I imagine that the equinox will be wider, a nice subcompact wagon would just be neater in my opinion. I am not talking going to full midsize, just a few feet longer so it has a good cargo space while keeping the tiny wheelbase and width
I live in Ontario Canada and I’m in the southern region and still use winter tires starting in November or late October. Insurance companies also give cheaper rates for using winter tires. My vehicle is AWD and I really believe winter tires are worth having. Icy roads are obviously a whole different challenge to drive on. We haven’t been allowed to use studded snows for decades in southern Ontario and I’m not sure about the northern regions where snow gets more abundant. I remember seeing the grooves in the roads from the studded tires back in the 60’s. I think because the roads are plowed more often in the built up areas the tires are running on asphalt more than snow, therefore the damage.
It frustrates me how often you guys seem to say AWD is a necessity in CO while clearly knowing tires make the bigger difference. I have a Niro EV with hankook all weather's on them and reduction in efficiency has been negligible. EPA rating would be 3.7 mi/kwh, but since getting it I average between 3.9 and 4. The traction is far better than any all season I've driven. Sure, if I had to be out on the road all the time as a part of my job or something I'd want all wheel drive, but for general commuting/shopping the all weather's are great. (previously had the Michelin all weather on a Mazda 3 with his results as well.)
I don't like the tail lamps. They put those bigger lamps up in the normal area, but the brake lamp and turn signals are down too low in the bumper. Kia/Hyundai does this too. I hate it!
I live in rural Ontario, Canada, always owned front wheel drive small cars. I’ve run all season, all weather, and winter tires during the winter. Was really trying to avoid winters to save money in the short term. With the all seasons I spun 180 degrees while driving in a straight line and ended up in a ditch by a telephone pole. With the all weather I spun 360 degrees twice, on a curved on ramp, on ice (no snow). With winter tires, nothing to report. Drove my Honda Civic to work in a foot of unploughed snow, it was fun. Micheline X-Ice. I swear by them, and see no need for the extra expense, mileage reduction, and potential maintenance of AWD/4WD.
BOLT EUV 2022, I went true BLACK ICE and all extreme condition for 250km long, keep it under 80km/h with good ice/snow should be good, make sure you have good threads that grabs those small rocks along the way (zizgaz pattern) to have better grip and at least 1" high treading for tall snow digging .
I got a 2023 1lt. Only option was the dual level charger. It was $27000 OTD. I got $500 military discount. I also just got $4000 grant/rebate from the IL EPA. I had to have my electrical pannel re placed ( old zinsco). So I took the evgo credit instead of qmerit credit. The installers from qmerit wanted more for the new panel and 220 outlet. No evgo near me. I live near Joliet, IL. Since I had the bolt(October 22) I have had only a few inches of snow.(max 3 inches?) The bolt is ok in snow, you just have to snow drive ( keep distance, slow down, ect)
We had a full time 4X4 Ford Escape with the Michelin Green X tires on it and it got around great in any conditions you put it in. Even with the low resistant tires we still was only achieving about 22 mpg.
Fun video guys! Good info as always. I have to interject.. the thing that stands out to me most of all is the ridiculous arrangement of the of those brake lights. Not a good thing at all.
Here in Seattle, we only get maybe two or three moderate snowfall episodes a year. We DO get nearly 40 inches of rain...I would not purchase those expensive Winter-type tires for a Bolt. That is, assuming that the Bolt handles pretty well in the rain? I think a set of high-quality All-season tires will get the job done where I reside...If not, I will revert to driving my 2019 Kia Sorento, that handles well, because of the AWD, even in snow AND rain. I just slapped a set of German-made Continental all-season tires on the Sorento--cost $900 bucks, but really improved the overall grip. People forget how important tires are!
I live in Michigan and my wife and I both Drive front wheel drive vehicles and we always put our winter tires on in the fall. Makes all the difference in the world.
I think it being an EV is important in another way Roman, Instant Torque. I know the Chevy isn't a powerhouse by any regards, but still to people who are used to a gradual power grade, having all the power available immediately might be an adjustment in loose traction driving.
He was driving very poorly. I have almost no trouble in my Bolt. I have better tires maybe, they're 3PMS rated all seasons not for efficiency. 200HP and 250ft/lb of torque isn't a 'powerhouse in any regard'? lol at the privilige, my first car didn't even have 100hp, and my 2nd had 120. Still had a lot of fun in those old 'Roos, but driving the Bolt is soo much different.
Exactly...I think GM can do a lot more with their traction control programming in this regard. I had a spark ev and a prior gen bolt, both of which either had traction or spinning uselessly in snowy weather before I put on snow tires (in conditions most ICE vehicles would've been fine) simply because it couldn't put all that traction down from a stop. Perhaps the programming has been improved to modulate how much torque gets applied from a full stop in the new bolt but doesn't look like it has based on this video. I run snow tires on all our cars in winter but still there is more the manufacturer should be doing to make the car handle these conditions more intelligently too.
@@Jcewazhere If you think I'm privileged you don't know me. I haven't personally owned a car yet thets broken the 200hp mark, I was referring from a standpoint of a trend I've noticed where most automotive journalists and middle class consumers seem to believe that 200hp just "isn't enough" and cars need at least 250hp to be considered not "underpowered" when they get reviewed or people post about them online.
@@shehandesilva7530 I wouldn't know much about it, I basically have 0 experience driving EVs, all I know is that the instant power delivery really takes some getting used to from people I know that have switched to EV and from watching channels like TFL, I imagine that would apply doubly so in wintery conditions where the lightest application of power possible is typically the best route.
Being an Alaskan, I always ran snow tires most years on my vehicles. They are not that expensive when ordered from Amazon, usually about $500-600 on average and then installation was around $200. When purchasing from a local shop, that price would balloon to over $2k for the same tires after being installed. Now, we are in the lower-48 for medical reason (hoping to return home one day), and very few people run winter tires. I have never seen so many vehicles in the ditches or a city shutdown because of 2-3" of snow. Anyways, we would run our winter tires year round for 2-3 years (stud-less obviously) and then replace them with new ones. There was usually enough tread for a 4th year if needed and sometimes we would sell all four of them for about $100 bucks. They really do make a HUGE difference and everyone who lives in snow prone areas should think about buying some. Totally worth having a set and knowing the extra traction for accelerating, stopping and handling is there. With that, we are not running snow tires this year after such an expensive move. We have the all seasons that came with our car and they have done well enough so far. We do plan to install some winter tires next November though.
I thought running winter tires in warm weather would run the tire out quicker and harden them in the winter causing them not to perform as well if you use them on hot pavement then use then for the winter?
A GM product 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️. Is this the same vehicle that Chevy recommends to park outside just in case the battery catch fire? Good luck to those that decide to buy that car.
I have one of these, and I live in the Toronto area. The stock tires are hopeless in snow. With good winter tires on it, no problem. Same situation as any other car.
To All of the people talking about how they don’t want EV’s, to them I say then don’t buy one! But for people who actually are interested in electric cars, the bolt makes a lot of sense especially if you’re going to charge it at home. Unfortunately dealers are still charging markups on these, so it’s actually not that easy to get one.
@hoodieman04 how is it silly? For 20k your getting a car that's going to cost you 30 percent what you would pay in gas in maitnence on a gas car. The range is so high that unless your doing a long road trip your never going to have to worry about it and the car comes with alot of cool features built in like the advanced cruise control and 360 degree camera system.
@@appropriate-channelname3049 assuming you have 7500 in tax liabilities to take advantage of the tax credit it 'effectively' costs that much. then you have to deal with the inconvenience of charging it if you dont have access to a home level 2 charger. i have friends with EV's. they end up taking their gf's cars on vacations because taking an EV adds hours to trips. when EV's can charge up in 3-5 minutes they will be practical but that will never happen
Winter tires and two wheel drive car does amazing in the snow. No one really needs AWD for snow driving, unless you are going into deep woods with unpaved roads.
Honestly the most important factor in snow is your tire. You can drive damn near anything in the snow with the right tires. Where I'm from it's not uncommon to have two sets of tires. One set just for winter. You can also just buy snow "chains".
As someone who bouth a used Kia Optima with and I drive it daily for DoorDash putting about 1200 miles into the car WEEKLY, no you don't need AWD or 4x4. I lived in MN, and Minot ND. I never looked at my car wishing more traction. Stopping - YES. But as long as you have good al season tires, you are good to go. I do replace them every 60 000 miles, but when winter comes and I don't have enough traction it is because my tires ar getting there. And I always buy the most expensive tires. Now I live in Longmont CO, and I drive my 2009 Kia Optima still daily with 240000 miles on the ODO. New tires. And I have a brand new f150 Lariat with 4x4, and lately we got a lot of snow. Guess what I take to deliver food on my daily 400 mile -500 drive. Yes, my kia. the ford is good, i try to drive it it deep snow, but long as the car can spinn the tires 1 showel and I am out of any ditch in about 4 minutes. So - NO! Sorry guys I am the biggest fan of the show, but good tires is all you need. Listen to consumer report as well, they too say - traction is nice when you want to get going, but it's stopping and cornering is what matters, and in those conditions the AWD and 4x4 don't matter. I agree. I was a transportation supervisor for JBS out in MN. We had 30 semi trucks. And we never had issues with all season tiers. And all they have is 1 axle drive. And sure they are heavy but we had 3 feet of snow in 1 day. We worked every day all year around. All you need is good tire. My work pickup was a Tundra. And that thing was stuck all the time. Worn tires since it was a work truck. So you heard it from someone who is deeply involved in transportation and drives minimum 1200 miles a week. Top shelf tires, all season. The rest is just doesn't matter that much. Nice to have but you don't need it. It's the driver not the car.
Thanks for the 2 wheel drive/snow information. Consumer Reports pushed the use of seasonal tires vs all wheel drive and they are not wrong. But I still prefer my Subaru in a winter wonderland. Regarding the window fogging, do you know if you had the HVAC set on internal recirculation or fresh air? Defrosting with internal recirculation is difficult.
I actually learned this the other day myself, I dont recall my old cars having two different air circulation options, so the other day after reading the manual to figure out what the second button was I finally learned the proper ways to defrost, heat the car in the winter and use the AC in the summer. Learn something new every day apparently.
On winter tires vs AWD...why not both? Yes Subarus are great in winter, but our outback and WRX hatch are unstoppable with snow tires added to the mix too!
To defrost that window you use foot vents and it covers the windows to. Turn off the heat and keep the temp down fan down and it will keep the windows clear without using too much Heat power. I Drive my Bolt in Edmonton AB Canada.
in Oregon, you can get the Federal Tax Credit and $5,000 cash from the state for an EV purchase. Don't no the details of who qualifies, but if both were applicable it would drop the price of the Bolt to around $14,000 .
Well, even smaller ICE cars have similar problems in snow and ice conditions. I have a 2001 Monte Carlo and to go up snowy slopes from a stand still, it also spins its tires here in Illinois. So this is typical winter driving with smaller front 2 wheel drive cars. Plan to get a Bolt EV 2LT this spring 2023. I don't think there are any Chevy Bolt Tax credits for me here in Illinois, but I will ask them when I decide to get the car. Base MSRP price right now is around $29,000 not including Tax, Registration, license, and Doc fees. Thanks for the video.
Cool video. Wonder if the EUV will act similar. This video also confirmed that due to GM strange decision on the stop lights, the Bolt EV/EUV has reduced visibility when braking.
I have driven front-wheel drive subcompacts for decades in Wisconsin winters with all-season tires & no need for snow tires. I just would have liked larger wheels to get through drifts & snowplow blockades. The Bolt has larger wheels than my Honda Fit. I much prefer front-wheel drive over rear-wheel drive for holding the road.
Multiple things here... A) it's all tires & experience. Work at a ski resort in Montana and with studded Nokian 7s I haven't been late/missed work a single time in years driving my '17 Bolt and I've seen every winter condition you can possibly imagine. Subarus, giant SUVs etc. off the side of the road (tourists/bad tires etc.) and the Bolt happily chugs up and down the mountain daily. 1,000lb battery ~6" off the ground doesn't hurt. B) The wipers are the WORST in winter weather. So bad. Even on intermittent they aren't placed high enough to get into the heater zone so they freeze if you so much as sneeze on them. Expect to have Max Defrost @ 100% the entire time you're driving in snowy/icy weather. C) Driving in L (one pedal driving) is completely doable in any snowy/icy condition IF you're used to it and have a light foot. If you go around an icy curve in L and let up your foot too much you will end up in the ditch, but with care/feathering L can offer a ton of winter control. Just be ready to bop it into D fast if you really start sliding around. Anyways... tires, tires, tires and the Bolt makes an amazing winter.
Would love to see a retest with decent tires. GM could probably do a dual-motor option for the Bolt fairly easily (along with an RS package with proper hot-hatch suspension and tires) but 1) In the EV space range is king hence the crummy puck LRR tires, and 2) They already have more demand for the existing model than they can keep up with.
I made it through snow just fine in my little car 2 wheel drive all seasons, it was the ice that was the problem. I barely made it up a steep hill to my apartment, but it made it. My sports car on the other hand struggled in a dusting of snow, I'd get stuck in a flat parking lot.
If you don't need 4x4 for driving to mountains, you should be O.K. probably just with good winter tires. No need to spend money for AWD EV. Maybe you could test the difference on your Bolt :-)
One cool thing I'd like you to try is creeping in the snow. Since EVs can move much slower than an ICE car (under 1 MPH) if that can help you take off in the snow?
The beauty of the price of this thing is you can afford to keep multiple sets of tires, even if you need to pay for off-season storage. Just a pity that a) the car isn't a bit longer (e.g. for carrying skis) and b) it doesn't charge faster. Take a Bolt EUV with its greater length (or stretch the Bolt EV a bit which would also help with aerodynamics) and give it roughly 200 volt charging and don't change another thing, and GM would have a complete winner on their hands.
The driver here is the problem, as well as the tires. Add Michelin X-ice and the Bolt EV does very well in the snow. EV's provide very fine grain control over power, so if you're spinning the wheels, the driver is the issue. I'm three years into a Bolt EV and drive to my local ski hill just about every day without the issues you created.
I work in the service department of a Chevrolet dealership and today a Bolt came in. I got to park it outside for the next technician to service. It was interesting driving it as it made almost no noise.
It'll make even less noise if you disconnect the external speaker, which is legally required for pedestrian safety. You can hear the loud 'humming' sound it makes in the video.
I have driven two wheel drive, both front and rear wheel drive in snow and never had a problem. You have to have a brain though and know how to feed power in slowly. I used to drive a Chevrolet Caprice Station wagon from the 80s in a foot of snow in the outskirts of Philadelphia and never got stuck even while other people were sliding off the road and not able to get up a hill. I have no doubt 4WD and snow tires help but if you know how to drive in snow you can do it with 2WD.
It isn't only about 4x2 vs 4x4 but about front or rear wheel drive. E.g. ID3 or BMW i3 or Ioniq5/EV6 with 4x2 can manage snow on the road very well :-)
I live in the Catskill Mountains of NY and we get snow. I drive a Bolt with Bridgestone Blizzak WS80's in winter and I never get stuck, even on my 600 plus foot uphill driveway. All season tires are just bad in all seasons. That was a ridiculous test, you should know better!
My new Bolt does pretty good in the snow here in Colorado with the tires that came on it but when they get thin I will be glad to switch over to Michelin ice and snows! They make any front wheel drive car into a snow eating monster.
I drove a rear wheel drive conversion van for years in the metro Denver area. I rented the original bolt for awhile and the drivers seat was very uncomfortable because the cushion compressed so much that I would rub on the plastic trim edge around the seat
Haha. Yeah - I had cooper CS3 all season tires in northern Michigan and I got around no problem. They have 3x the snow you guys got there. I bet that car would have zero issues if you had proper all season tires that weren’t “energy savers”
Yes, if I lived in snow country, I would have winter tires However I live in Fl where we had 60 inches of rain in 2022. No issues with the stock tires on wet pavement here. Just for info, some of us are smart enough to live where it doesnt snow! lOL
I have CC2s on my Bolt and they've been great. Before my Bolt I had an old Subaru Impreza. I would say the Bolt is safer thanks to ABS, better tires, OPD, and traction control. While the 'Roo was more fun because I could play with the AWD and do donuts and drifting and stuff a lot easier. The 'Roo was only $1,500 when I got it while the Bolt was $15,000 so I was a lot more willing to throw the 'Roo around and have fun than I am in my Bolt.
@@Jcewazhere Thanks for the info! I am thinking of getting the Bolt for my wife to take to and from work. I love the price of it. It would be our first (hopefully of many) EV.
I know you talk about proper tyres later in the video - but this really isn't a good performance test of the Bolt in winter put proper tyres on it. Drive it in the same conditions. But drive it with the due care and attention required in heavy snow. We drive 2WD vehicles up in Canada all the time and the occasional fool will still head out with the wrong tyres - but it's not an impediment to daily winter driving.
My comment has nothing to do with this car and with the drivetrain comment you made. I’m in MN. Never had AWD/4x4. Never needed it. A good winter tire makes the difference and I can get through anything. And all of my cars have been lowered on aftermarket springs. So small drops of an inch average. Sadly I’ve only been to Colorado once so far. That was 8-9 years ago. Would love to live there. Maybe when the kids are grown.
First time I saw a Bolt up close and chatted with the owner was Saturday passed. I was/am impressed with the range he told me about. 350 to 400 km in Winter and up to 500 km in Summer. He's owned it for four years now, and is still very pleased with his EV Bolt. His Bolt is equipped with four snow tires, I noted. For me, food for thought!
To everyone talking about tires: You are both correct and incorrect. You are correct that winter tires will help a lot. You are incorrect that they should test with them. Why? Because tires are so important, that the crappiest of crapboxes will excel if given good winter tires. There is no point testing that, really. Also they often can't put different tires on vehicles that are loaners (tho this doesn't apply for the bolt as they bought it).
I liked my bolt for the short time I owned it. Great for commuter or second car. Just awful if going far enough need to fast charge. Oh and seats were way to narrow. Dug into my shoulders.
😂 You definitely need Winter tires. It's even more important than AWD/4WD.
Studded snow tires for the snow and ice shown here.
Facts
Well, kind of right.....AWD will always have superior traction to front or rearwheel drive in snow. It's the stopping and turning that will remain worse. The point is that regardless of the drive system snow tires are of great benefit .
@@Wised1000 No he's right, FWD with proper snow tires is better than AWD with "all" season tires. As you yourself pointed out, being able to move is only half the battle and being able to stop and maintain control is a much more important quality than being able to move. I'm willing to bet most accidents in my area are AWD crossovers on "all" season tires who where driving too fast because AWD lied to them and said "hey brah, you got traction, don't worry the roads aren't that bad I got you" right up until one or two wheels caught an ice patch or snowdrift and the others, hardened to a point of low friction by the freezing temperatures and ill suited compound in the tire, also just gave up.
@@AHungryHunky while I appreciate your passion, every RUclips video that has done this comparison busts that myth. Every test has shown that AWD/4WD with all seasons actually does better than FWD or RWD with winter tires.
Great snowy video guys. The interaction between you guys seems to be more friendly and less tense. I really like when you guys are having fun as father and son. Thanks guys
I live in a northern Ontario, Canada community with small but steep hills and lots of snow and ice from December to March. I know someone who commutes with this same car 4 days a week. He uses proper Blizzak winter tires and has no issues. I have a Niro hybrid with studded winter tires and have no issues. You don't need to trade in for an AWD or 4x4, you need good tires.
For 19k you can afford specific tires for every season 🔥
I can say our Bolt EUV with Michelin X-Ice tires is an absolute tank in the snow. I regularly am able to get up hills and go around stuck vehicles, even those with AWD and trucks in certain conditions. The only negative is the relatively low ground clearance just shy of 6". I lost very little range with the X-ice tires too. Maybe a 5% drop in range, if that. Biggest hit is simply colder weather. I can still get around 200 miles of range in the winter with highway driving around 70 MPH though.
I have a Chevy Bolt and I sure can't get close to 200 miles in the winter
I have the same tires on my bolt. I live at 8k ft on the side of a mountain and have yet to have any issues. I can't understand why they would make this video without snow tires
Agreed… ours too! We have Continental Winter Contacts. BEAST!
factory energy savers are the opposite of snow tires, need snow tires
We owned three front wheel drive hybrids that came with the Michelin Green tires which were fine for Spring, Summer, and Fall. In the winter we switched to the Michelin X-Ice that are phenomenal in the winter weather here in upstate NY. The cars just never got stuck in the snow! Well it used to snow here and there were some really deep snows in the past ten years. This year so far no snow but we'll still put the Michelin X-Ice on the Bolt come next winter.
+1 to this. I've never had an AWD car in Colorado, but I do run X-Ice in the winter. Great for driving around the SUVs that get stuck.
I do the exact same thing with both a Volt and Bolt EUV. They're both tanks in the snow with the X-Ice tires on them.
Wheel spin matching the frame rate was a pretty sweet bonus
Yeah that was actually cool.
I always feel like it's a bit misleading to make it sound like these cars are $7500 less than they are. You still need to purchase the car for the original price and then hope everything works out with the federal rebate which I'm sure had a chance to not be completely smooth.
Exactly and it’s not a rebate it’s only a credit for UP TO the amount you owe in taxes
And like I said try and find one and if you do it 2ill be $35k
Is it Chinese?
@Tim Ferguson chevy is an American brand
Agreed. Also remember it’s only a rebate if you pay $7500 in federal taxes. Not everyone does that.
I actually went shopping for one a couple of weeks ago. Every dealer wants at least $5k markup, and most increased that to $10k after Jan 1st. I put a deposit down on a 2023 Escape instead. (I currently own a 2017 Volt so I was pre-disposed to get a Bolt, but not give the dealer more than all of my incentive!)
It's crazy how GM was able to lower the cost when the credit expired, and now that the credit is back, the dealers are marking them up to erase the credit for the consumer.
I should add that here in Oregon there is an additional $2,500 credit available to everyone and up to another $5k based on income, so basically the dealers are trying to claw back all of the $10k that most consumers would get. Yeah, it's disgusting. The Ford dealer isn't marking up the Escape PHEV even though it also qualifies for 80% of the Federal credit (and 100% of the state one)
@@dperreno I may need to check out the Ford. We have a Bolt right now, but the lease ends in less than year. We got a great deal on it, but I'm not getting another one unless we get another good deal!
Exactly, I'm so tired of these dealership scams. Ordered a Tesla to give the whole dealership system a middle finger.
@@keen7114 Having worked for first GM and then Ford for 32 years combined, I can tell you that the dealers are the bane of the automakers' existence. We virturally no control over them due to the extremely protective state francise laws. Our only recourse was if they were to defraud the company by claiming floorplan expenses or rebates that they weren't entitled to. Anything that they did to the customers was beyond our reach. But, of course, we were blamed for it. I don't begrudge Tesla for getting exceptions to the franchise laws in some states, I just wish that those laws would be changed for everyone.
This is more of a test of the tires than it is the car. I can verify that the stock Michelin Energy Saver AS on the Chevrolet Bolt EV operate well in light snow, even in temperatures down to the high 20s, but for real winters, you definitely want to put dedicated snow tires on the Bolt EV. There are plenty of Canadian and Midwestern Bolt EV owners who can attest to its performance with proper snow tires.
If possible I would like to see how well this car does with a new set of snow tires, and more importantly how much will they kill range.
The low price of the Bolt really has me eyeing it but I live in the northeast and have to deal with the cold and snow too so I'm really watching your winter tests videos closely
We live in Canada and our Bolt is fine. Actually, it's better than RWD Model 3s.
I think on average you’ll see ~10% decrease due to the tires. Even with winter cold and winter tires, if the range is cut down 40-50%, it’s still a useable range. 125-150 is two days of my commuting if I risk running the battery low. About 60 miles round trip for me. Due to the cost of this car, that’s the only reason I would consider it right now. Otherwise I’ll be looking at PHEV or HEV for my next car and then EV for the vehicle after that.
8.8% loss of range for our Bolt Euv with Brisgestone Blizzaks.
@@sebastian.tristan That's not saying much
Same
What's funny to me is Tommy said "it's ONLY 3 or 4 inches" where I live we only see snow around every 5-7 years & that kinda blizzard shuts us completely down.
Put a set of Michelins X-Ice winters on it and you’ll be golden. X-ices made my 2020 EXCELLENT!!! Also use lower weight wheels (17-19lb) and you get some of range back while having grippier tread.
I love seeing videos with you two! I thought it was funny how Tommy is driving the car trying to make good laps for great camera shots and Roman is talking about everyone around them! TFL is the best! One of my favorite channels and definitely my go to for reviews when I'm considering a car purchase
Without proper snow tires it makes no sense to torture the poor car.
We been running snow tires on 2 cars for a few years now and the difference is amazing.
And the cost is not extra because you only run one set at a time so they last twice as long
I drive a Bolt with stock tires...I absolutely agree that the traction on anything by dry roads is questionable
You are being much too kind. The stock tires on our Bolt are almost worthless in any amount of snow.
@chiplangowski3298
There worthless in a light rain...
Like Tommy had said previously, the real bummer is the way they deliver the tax credit. You have to be "rich" enough to owe the Fed 7500 first, then you can claim for the full credit. That put a regular couple with kids into the $150k and above income range after all the standard deduction. And the median of "mid-class" income in most states are way below that even assuming both of them get jobs that can pay up to 75k.
This is my problem, I would buy a new bolt but I have 5 kids on a teacher salary.
@@co88jo yep. EV credit was never designed for the real working class
Married, Filing Jointly has $7500 of tax liability at $65,295 of taxable income. That's hardly rich.
@@robb0995 thats BS. I don't know how do you calculated your number out. But I know a friend who made 68k before tax, married filing jointly using standard deduction, and only owe less than 4k to the federal. You shouldn't calculate the state tax or social security in since they are not federal tax. You have to make at least double what you said to owe federal 7500.
I like how you went in front of the car while wheels were spinning because you knew it wasn't going anywhere. 😂
That actually made me nervous! Sometimes the tires will suddenly bite as they plow snow out of the way and hit the pavement below.
@@joelarmstrong2580 Which is kind of what they did 20 seconds after he got back to the side! Nerve wracking!
I have the LT2 in that color. (really wish it had been equipped with navi and bose but oh well...) and if one understands the inherent limitations it is an amazing car. I paid about 29k. Did get a $750 refund from the state of Pa though. It costs about $50/month to drive 1000-1200 miles. Remote start while it's plugged in warms the heater VERY fast with power from my (GM subsidized) level 2 charger. If you can live with a car that in the depth of winter has about 130 miles of range, and can keep it inside and charge it overnight BUY THIS CAR.
It's not anything to do with the vehicle but in New York state you're not allowed to blow your snow out until the road from your driveway. That's for obvious reasons which you pointed out
The debate about the all seasons tire and winter tires is done since a long time here in North. It's proven that the compound and the tire print of a snowflakes rating tire is a way better in both way, icy and snowy pavement. Winter tires are mandatory from december 1st to march 15 in Quebec.
The only people debating don't live where it actually snows. Or are cheap and attempting to justify their cheapness. Even though it's not mandatory in Ontario, I've always got snow tires on my car from early November to early April.
Good take
With our first Chevy Volt, we had the LRR OEM Goodyears....and my son got the car stuck on a snow covered hill near our house. We assessed the situation and I found the traction control was very aggressive in not allowing wheel spin. So I disabled it. And spent the next ten minutes explaining to my son, who had recently got his license, why we needed to turn the TC off to get more traction. So similar to Tommy, we had some wheel spin and the car moved forward with no issue. On our next Volt, I decided to get Blizzaks for the winter...and huge difference. I did the same hill in a similar snow fall and no problems.
In New Jersey you can get another $4000 off and no sales tax. Because in New Jersey 100% electric vehicles do not pay sales tax. The New Jersey charge up incentive will give you back $4000 for an EV that is less than $45,000 and has more than 200 miles range.
I live in Canada and 2wd is just fine in winter if you have the right tires.
I have the exact same EV… with the exact same tires. Not the best in the snow with those tires. However, I have a second set of rims with winter tires mounted on them. THIS SETUP MAKES THE BOLT AN ABSOLUTE TANK IN THE SNOW. We live in Canada where we get a solid 5-6 months of snow and slush. This car is as good as our Mazda CX-5 AWD in the winter. The Bolt loses about 30% of its range in the winter due to heating and other conditions. We absolutely love this EV!
I moved from Texas to Colorado and had a 2006 2WD Dodge Ram with the 5.7 Hemi. That first snow fall was rough. Threw 600lbs of sand bags in the truck bed and that gave me enough weight and traction to get around. Good tires are definitely a necessity as well.
I would like to point out that this vehicle is really not 19k. Its a tax credit that has nothing to do with the vehicle purchase price. So it is a little misleading.
The highlight of the video is clearly the little snowblower on track just rolling around 😂.
Very nice and reassuring video thanks! I have an AWD Kona and switch to a bolt EUV. I was a bit skeptical since I am in Quebec.
Conclusion if on a ‘budge’, purchase Bolt at lowest price and get a dedicated set of wheels with extremely aggressive snow tires. Only putting them on just before snow fall and removing them as soon as the roads are fully clear.
Budget wise, that’s the best strategy.
We put Michelin Cross Climate tires on both our Outback and our Forester.
We live in very mountainous area of north central WA state where we get 5-6 feet of snow every winter.
We live on a private road, 5 miles from town which we have to plow and maintain ourselves.
The Cross Climate tires are AWESOME on All road conditions.
We no longer need to buy “winter” tires, as the Cross Climate’s are great in snow, ice, slush, rain and dry roads.
We like them so much that I recommended them to my brother who has an Outback & lives in rainy Portland. My brother smiled and said that they already have them on their car.
When ours wear out, we’ll buy another set.
1. I'm really surprised that the plows aren't going.
2. I do agree that we need affordable EVs that are AWD
Great video.
We need ? We need ? You do realize the infrastructure is not ready for these cars right ? You do realize they are more harmful to the environment than gas cars right ? No we don't need these cars , we need to drill baby drill. Thats what we need.
My son had a Bolt when he was commuting from Denver to Berthoud every day. He put a set of Nokian tires on it. He claimed the car was great in the snow and near got stuck once in the winter. I have Nokian on my Subaru and they are the best I've had for winter driving.
Stop saying the tax credit takes the price down on the car because it doesn't. It provides a tax break when you file for your returns.
I'm hoping that the significant Bolt reliability issues (mainly electrical) cited by Consumer Reports using 2020/2021 model year owner surveys are being addressed by Chevrolet. It's a little runabout I could live with, even with all-season tires since our NJ winters aren't so bad lately. However, I need to see those CR reliability rankings improve, hopefully starting with the refreshed 2022 model.
Honestly the Bolt would be more appealing if they just extended the rear out another couple feet like a wagone to have decent interior space. I was in one, looked nice but needed more cargo space. Can't be that much more for a little longer sheet metal
That's will be the Chevy redesigned equinox awd coming out in a year or two. Ultium platform.
@@zilfondel yea but I imagine that the equinox will be wider, a nice subcompact wagon would just be neater in my opinion. I am not talking going to full midsize, just a few feet longer so it has a good cargo space while keeping the tiny wheelbase and width
I live in Ontario Canada and I’m in the southern region and still use winter tires starting in November or late October. Insurance companies also give cheaper rates for using winter tires. My vehicle is AWD and I really believe winter tires are worth having. Icy roads are obviously a whole different challenge to drive on. We haven’t been allowed to use studded snows for decades in southern Ontario and I’m not sure about the northern regions where snow gets more abundant. I remember seeing the grooves in the roads from the studded tires back in the 60’s. I think because the roads are plowed more often in the built up areas the tires are running on asphalt more than snow, therefore the damage.
It frustrates me how often you guys seem to say AWD is a necessity in CO while clearly knowing tires make the bigger difference. I have a Niro EV with hankook all weather's on them and reduction in efficiency has been negligible. EPA rating would be 3.7 mi/kwh, but since getting it I average between 3.9 and 4. The traction is far better than any all season I've driven. Sure, if I had to be out on the road all the time as a part of my job or something I'd want all wheel drive, but for general commuting/shopping the all weather's are great. (previously had the Michelin all weather on a Mazda 3 with his results as well.)
I don't like the tail lamps. They put those bigger lamps up in the normal area, but the brake lamp and turn signals are down too low in the bumper. Kia/Hyundai does this too. I hate it!
I live in rural Ontario, Canada, always owned front wheel drive small cars. I’ve run all season, all weather, and winter tires during the winter. Was really trying to avoid winters to save money in the short term. With the all seasons I spun 180 degrees while driving in a straight line and ended up in a ditch by a telephone pole. With the all weather I spun 360 degrees twice, on a curved on ramp, on ice (no snow). With winter tires, nothing to report. Drove my Honda Civic to work in a foot of unploughed snow, it was fun. Micheline X-Ice. I swear by them, and see no need for the extra expense, mileage reduction, and potential maintenance of AWD/4WD.
I got the new Michelin "Cross Climate 2" tires at Costco on my Chevy Bolt EUV. What a difference !!! And they are year round tires.
Hi! Did you experience any range loss?
If the Aptera actually makes it to production, then it will have an affordable AWD option ($2500 add-on)
BOLT EUV 2022, I went true BLACK ICE and all extreme condition for 250km long, keep it under 80km/h with good ice/snow should be good, make sure you have good threads that grabs those small rocks along the way (zizgaz pattern) to have better grip and at least 1" high treading for tall snow digging .
I got a 2023 1lt. Only option was the dual level charger. It was $27000 OTD. I got $500 military discount. I also just got $4000 grant/rebate from the IL EPA. I had to have my electrical pannel re placed ( old zinsco). So I took the evgo credit instead of qmerit credit. The installers from qmerit wanted more for the new panel and 220 outlet. No evgo near me. I live near Joliet, IL. Since I had the bolt(October 22) I have had only a few inches of snow.(max 3 inches?) The bolt is ok in snow, you just have to snow drive ( keep distance, slow down, ect)
We had a full time 4X4 Ford Escape with the Michelin Green X tires on it and it got around great in any conditions you put it in. Even with the low resistant tires we still was only achieving about 22 mpg.
Fun video guys! Good info as always. I have to interject.. the thing that stands out to me most of all is the ridiculous arrangement of the of those brake lights. Not a good thing at all.
Here in Seattle, we only get maybe two or three moderate snowfall episodes a year. We DO get nearly 40 inches of rain...I would not purchase those expensive Winter-type tires for a Bolt. That is, assuming that the Bolt handles pretty well in the rain? I think a set of high-quality All-season tires will get the job done where I reside...If not, I will revert to driving my 2019 Kia Sorento, that handles well, because of the AWD, even in snow AND rain. I just slapped a set of German-made Continental all-season tires on the Sorento--cost $900 bucks, but really improved the overall grip. People forget how important tires are!
I live in Michigan and my wife and I both Drive front wheel drive vehicles and we always put our winter tires on in the fall. Makes all the difference in the world.
I think it being an EV is important in another way Roman, Instant Torque. I know the Chevy isn't a powerhouse by any regards, but still to people who are used to a gradual power grade, having all the power available immediately might be an adjustment in loose traction driving.
He was driving very poorly. I have almost no trouble in my Bolt. I have better tires maybe, they're 3PMS rated all seasons not for efficiency.
200HP and 250ft/lb of torque isn't a 'powerhouse in any regard'? lol at the privilige, my first car didn't even have 100hp, and my 2nd had 120. Still had a lot of fun in those old 'Roos, but driving the Bolt is soo much different.
Exactly...I think GM can do a lot more with their traction control programming in this regard. I had a spark ev and a prior gen bolt, both of which either had traction or spinning uselessly in snowy weather before I put on snow tires (in conditions most ICE vehicles would've been fine) simply because it couldn't put all that traction down from a stop. Perhaps the programming has been improved to modulate how much torque gets applied from a full stop in the new bolt but doesn't look like it has based on this video. I run snow tires on all our cars in winter but still there is more the manufacturer should be doing to make the car handle these conditions more intelligently too.
@@Jcewazhere If you think I'm privileged you don't know me. I haven't personally owned a car yet thets broken the 200hp mark, I was referring from a standpoint of a trend I've noticed where most automotive journalists and middle class consumers seem to believe that 200hp just "isn't enough" and cars need at least 250hp to be considered not "underpowered" when they get reviewed or people post about them online.
@@shehandesilva7530 I wouldn't know much about it, I basically have 0 experience driving EVs, all I know is that the instant power delivery really takes some getting used to from people I know that have switched to EV and from watching channels like TFL, I imagine that would apply doubly so in wintery conditions where the lightest application of power possible is typically the best route.
Proper winter tires do more than 4wd/AWD
Being an Alaskan, I always ran snow tires most years on my vehicles. They are not that expensive when ordered from Amazon, usually about $500-600 on average and then installation was around $200. When purchasing from a local shop, that price would balloon to over $2k for the same tires after being installed.
Now, we are in the lower-48 for medical reason (hoping to return home one day), and very few people run winter tires. I have never seen so many vehicles in the ditches or a city shutdown because of 2-3" of snow. Anyways, we would run our winter tires year round for 2-3 years (stud-less obviously) and then replace them with new ones. There was usually enough tread for a 4th year if needed and sometimes we would sell all four of them for about $100 bucks.
They really do make a HUGE difference and everyone who lives in snow prone areas should think about buying some. Totally worth having a set and knowing the extra traction for accelerating, stopping and handling is there.
With that, we are not running snow tires this year after such an expensive move. We have the all seasons that came with our car and they have done well enough so far. We do plan to install some winter tires next November though.
I thought running winter tires in warm weather would run the tire out quicker and harden them in the winter causing them not to perform as well if you use them on hot pavement then use then for the winter?
@@occckid123 Never had an issue with that. Not too hot in Alaska, even in the summer.
@@27Zangle oh lol. I didn't know you live in Alaska but for the rest of America lol.
@@occckid123 I don't now. I explain above in the first post.
@@27Zangle but depending on where you live I guess you are not where it gets 70 in the sunmer?
A GM product 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️. Is this the same vehicle that Chevy recommends to park outside just in case the battery catch fire? Good luck to those that decide to buy that car.
I have one of these, and I live in the Toronto area. The stock tires are hopeless in snow. With good winter tires on it, no problem. Same situation as any other car.
To All of the people talking about how they don’t want EV’s, to them I say then don’t buy one! But for people who actually are interested in electric cars, the bolt makes a lot of sense especially if you’re going to charge it at home. Unfortunately dealers are still charging markups on these, so it’s actually not that easy to get one.
dont worry we arent
@@hoodieman04 You must be somewhat interested because you're here.
@@bwho i enjoy seeing how silly these vehicles are
@hoodieman04 how is it silly? For 20k your getting a car that's going to cost you 30 percent what you would pay in gas in maitnence on a gas car. The range is so high that unless your doing a long road trip your never going to have to worry about it and the car comes with alot of cool features built in like the advanced cruise control and 360 degree camera system.
@@appropriate-channelname3049 assuming you have 7500 in tax liabilities to take advantage of the tax credit it 'effectively' costs that much. then you have to deal with the inconvenience of charging it if you dont have access to a home level 2 charger. i have friends with EV's. they end up taking their gf's cars on vacations because taking an EV adds hours to trips. when EV's can charge up in 3-5 minutes they will be practical but that will never happen
Winter tires and two wheel drive car does amazing in the snow. No one really needs AWD for snow driving, unless you are going into deep woods with unpaved roads.
Honestly the most important factor in snow is your tire. You can drive damn near anything in the snow with the right tires. Where I'm from it's not uncommon to have two sets of tires. One set just for winter. You can also just buy snow "chains".
As someone who bouth a used Kia Optima with and I drive it daily for DoorDash putting about 1200 miles into the car WEEKLY, no you don't need AWD or 4x4. I lived in MN, and Minot ND. I never looked at my car wishing more traction. Stopping - YES. But as long as you have good al season tires, you are good to go. I do replace them every 60 000 miles, but when winter comes and I don't have enough traction it is because my tires ar getting there. And I always buy the most expensive tires. Now I live in Longmont CO, and I drive my 2009 Kia Optima still daily with 240000 miles on the ODO. New tires. And I have a brand new f150 Lariat with 4x4, and lately we got a lot of snow. Guess what I take to deliver food on my daily 400 mile -500 drive. Yes, my kia. the ford is good, i try to drive it it deep snow, but long as the car can spinn the tires 1 showel and I am out of any ditch in about 4 minutes. So - NO! Sorry guys I am the biggest fan of the show, but good tires is all you need. Listen to consumer report as well, they too say - traction is nice when you want to get going, but it's stopping and cornering is what matters, and in those conditions the AWD and 4x4 don't matter. I agree. I was a transportation supervisor for JBS out in MN. We had 30 semi trucks. And we never had issues with all season tiers. And all they have is 1 axle drive. And sure they are heavy but we had 3 feet of snow in 1 day. We worked every day all year around. All you need is good tire. My work pickup was a Tundra. And that thing was stuck all the time. Worn tires since it was a work truck. So you heard it from someone who is deeply involved in transportation and drives minimum 1200 miles a week. Top shelf tires, all season. The rest is just doesn't matter that much. Nice to have but you don't need it. It's the driver not the car.
Thanks for the 2 wheel drive/snow information. Consumer Reports pushed the use of seasonal tires vs all wheel drive and they are not wrong. But I still prefer my Subaru in a winter wonderland. Regarding the window fogging, do you know if you had the HVAC set on internal recirculation or fresh air? Defrosting with internal recirculation is difficult.
I actually learned this the other day myself, I dont recall my old cars having two different air circulation options, so the other day after reading the manual to figure out what the second button was I finally learned the proper ways to defrost, heat the car in the winter and use the AC in the summer. Learn something new every day apparently.
On winter tires vs AWD...why not both? Yes Subarus are great in winter, but our outback and WRX hatch are unstoppable with snow tires added to the mix too!
To defrost that window you use foot vents and it covers the windows to. Turn off the heat and keep the temp down fan down and it will keep the windows clear without using too much Heat power. I Drive my Bolt in Edmonton AB Canada.
in Oregon, you can get the Federal Tax Credit and $5,000 cash from the state for an EV purchase. Don't no the details of who qualifies, but if both were applicable it would drop the price of the Bolt to around $14,000 .
Well, even smaller ICE cars have similar problems in snow and ice conditions. I have a 2001 Monte Carlo and to go up snowy slopes from a stand still, it also spins its tires here in Illinois.
So this is typical winter driving with smaller front 2 wheel drive cars.
Plan to get a Bolt EV 2LT this spring 2023. I don't think there are any Chevy Bolt Tax credits for me here in Illinois, but I will ask them when I decide to get the car. Base MSRP price right now is around $29,000 not including Tax, Registration, license, and Doc fees.
Thanks for the video.
Live in Colorado too, gonna buy one of these in March as a secondary car. She’ll never see the snow. Have a 2019 Frontier for that.
Cool video. Wonder if the EUV will act similar. This video also confirmed that due to GM strange decision on the stop lights, the Bolt EV/EUV has reduced visibility when braking.
Looking forward to more videos on this car! I've been really interested in one. Wondering how the GM quality will hold up...
I have driven front-wheel drive subcompacts for decades in Wisconsin winters with all-season tires & no need for snow tires. I just would have liked larger wheels to get through drifts & snowplow blockades. The Bolt has larger wheels than my Honda Fit. I much prefer front-wheel drive over rear-wheel drive for holding the road.
I'm in Alaska and will have my new 2023 Bolt EV delivered next week. So this is a very timely video for me. Thank you.
Multiple things here... A) it's all tires & experience. Work at a ski resort in Montana and with studded Nokian 7s I haven't been late/missed work a single time in years driving my '17 Bolt and I've seen every winter condition you can possibly imagine. Subarus, giant SUVs etc. off the side of the road (tourists/bad tires etc.) and the Bolt happily chugs up and down the mountain daily. 1,000lb battery ~6" off the ground doesn't hurt. B) The wipers are the WORST in winter weather. So bad. Even on intermittent they aren't placed high enough to get into the heater zone so they freeze if you so much as sneeze on them. Expect to have Max Defrost @ 100% the entire time you're driving in snowy/icy weather. C) Driving in L (one pedal driving) is completely doable in any snowy/icy condition IF you're used to it and have a light foot. If you go around an icy curve in L and let up your foot too much you will end up in the ditch, but with care/feathering L can offer a ton of winter control. Just be ready to bop it into D fast if you really start sliding around. Anyways... tires, tires, tires and the Bolt makes an amazing winter.
Would love to see a retest with decent tires. GM could probably do a dual-motor option for the Bolt fairly easily (along with an RS package with proper hot-hatch suspension and tires) but 1) In the EV space range is king hence the crummy puck LRR tires, and 2) They already have more demand for the existing model than they can keep up with.
Classic Roman always concentrating on the negative!!!!
Good job Tommy on being positive!!!
I made it through snow just fine in my little car 2 wheel drive all seasons, it was the ice that was the problem. I barely made it up a steep hill to my apartment, but it made it. My sports car on the other hand struggled in a dusting of snow, I'd get stuck in a flat parking lot.
If you don't need 4x4 for driving to mountains, you should be O.K. probably just with good winter tires. No need to spend money for AWD EV. Maybe you could test the difference on your Bolt :-)
One cool thing I'd like you to try is creeping in the snow. Since EVs can move much slower than an ICE car (under 1 MPH) if that can help you take off in the snow?
The beauty of the price of this thing is you can afford to keep multiple sets of tires, even if you need to pay for off-season storage. Just a pity that a) the car isn't a bit longer (e.g. for carrying skis) and b) it doesn't charge faster. Take a Bolt EUV with its greater length (or stretch the Bolt EV a bit which would also help with aerodynamics) and give it roughly 200 volt charging and don't change another thing, and GM would have a complete winner on their hands.
Was able to get an EUV for 1k above MSRP with no forced dealer options, loving it so far even in the snowy northeast
Just did my taxes and got a whopping $0 for the tax credit. Still love my Bolt though.
I have not been able to find one available within 200 miles of me (except for a couple of dealers still trying to get 5k above MSRP).
The driver here is the problem, as well as the tires. Add Michelin X-ice and the Bolt EV does very well in the snow. EV's provide very fine grain control over power, so if you're spinning the wheels, the driver is the issue. I'm three years into a Bolt EV and drive to my local ski hill just about every day without the issues you created.
I work in the service department of a Chevrolet dealership and today a Bolt came in. I got to park it outside for the next technician to service. It was interesting driving it as it made almost no noise.
It'll make even less noise if you disconnect the external speaker, which is legally required for pedestrian safety. You can hear the loud 'humming' sound it makes in the video.
I have driven two wheel drive, both front and rear wheel drive in snow and never had a problem. You have to have a brain though and know how to feed power in slowly. I used to drive a Chevrolet Caprice Station wagon from the 80s in a foot of snow in the outskirts of Philadelphia and never got stuck even while other people were sliding off the road and not able to get up a hill. I have no doubt 4WD and snow tires help but if you know how to drive in snow you can do it with 2WD.
Winter tires - compulsory for all of snowy EU Nov - March.
It isn't only about 4x2 vs 4x4 but about front or rear wheel drive. E.g. ID3 or BMW i3 or Ioniq5/EV6 with 4x2 can manage snow on the road very well :-)
I live in the Catskill Mountains of NY and we get snow. I drive a Bolt with Bridgestone Blizzak WS80's in winter and I never get stuck, even on my 600 plus foot uphill driveway. All season tires are just bad in all seasons. That was a ridiculous test, you should know better!
My Bolt is coming next week and I have just ordered the Pirelli Ice Zero from Costco
My new Bolt does pretty good in the snow here in Colorado with the tires that came on it but when they get thin I will be glad to switch over to Michelin ice and snows! They make any front wheel drive car into a snow eating monster.
Did you buy your Bolt in Colorado and did you get all the tax incentives?
I drove a rear wheel drive conversion van for years in the metro Denver area. I rented the original bolt for awhile and the drivers seat was very uncomfortable because the cushion compressed so much that I would rub on the plastic trim edge around the seat
Haha. Yeah - I had cooper CS3 all season tires in northern Michigan and I got around no problem. They have 3x the snow you guys got there. I bet that car would have zero issues if you had proper all season tires that weren’t “energy savers”
Great my paycheck helped pay for that car.
Yes, if I lived in snow country, I would have winter tires However I live in Fl where we had 60 inches of rain in 2022. No issues with the stock tires on wet pavement here. Just for info, some of us are smart enough to live where it doesnt snow! lOL
I had a bolt in Buffalo NY blizzards etc. Never I mean never got the spinning wheel shot you got. It was a tough little beast on stock tires
Yesss! I knew all along that's what happened to you lol. Your videos are still the best!!! Much love Tommy!!
I've driven through snow in my Bolt EUV and never spun tires.
I would love to see a video of the Bolt with say the Michelin CrossClimate or similar. I live in Michigan. So we would need good winter driving too.
I have CC2s on my Bolt and they've been great. Before my Bolt I had an old Subaru Impreza. I would say the Bolt is safer thanks to ABS, better tires, OPD, and traction control. While the 'Roo was more fun because I could play with the AWD and do donuts and drifting and stuff a lot easier.
The 'Roo was only $1,500 when I got it while the Bolt was $15,000 so I was a lot more willing to throw the 'Roo around and have fun than I am in my Bolt.
@@Jcewazhere Thanks for the info! I am thinking of getting the Bolt for my wife to take to and from work. I love the price of it. It would be our first (hopefully of many) EV.
I know you talk about proper tyres later in the video - but this really isn't a good performance test of the Bolt in winter put proper tyres on it. Drive it in the same conditions. But drive it with the due care and attention required in heavy snow. We drive 2WD vehicles up in Canada all the time and the occasional fool will still head out with the wrong tyres - but it's not an impediment to daily winter driving.
These guys have the most fun job!
I put cross climate 2's on my Tesla and saw a pretty big increase in energy usage.
My comment has nothing to do with this car and with the drivetrain comment you made. I’m in MN. Never had AWD/4x4. Never needed it. A good winter tire makes the difference and I can get through anything. And all of my cars have been lowered on aftermarket springs. So small drops of an inch average.
Sadly I’ve only been to Colorado once so far. That was 8-9 years ago. Would love to live there. Maybe when the kids are grown.
First time I saw a Bolt up close and chatted with the owner was Saturday passed. I was/am impressed with the range he told me about. 350 to 400 km in Winter and up to 500 km in Summer.
He's owned it for four years now, and is still very pleased with his EV Bolt. His Bolt is equipped with four snow tires, I noted.
For me, food for thought!
To everyone talking about tires:
You are both correct and incorrect. You are correct that winter tires will help a lot. You are incorrect that they should test with them.
Why? Because tires are so important, that the crappiest of crapboxes will excel if given good winter tires. There is no point testing that, really. Also they often can't put different tires on vehicles that are loaners (tho this doesn't apply for the bolt as they bought it).
Michelin Cross Climate 2 tires - year round, 3 peak rated. I drive my bolt in snow and ice no problem.
I liked my bolt for the short time I owned it. Great for commuter or second car. Just awful if going far enough need to fast charge. Oh and seats were way to narrow. Dug into my shoulders.