Liked the dirt road driving footage. We leased a Bolt for 3 years. I really miss it. We drive on a few local roads, but mainly freeways, so the handling is not a thing for us. (back roads are for the motorcycle!) We noticed that we felt very relaxed when we got to our destination- there is no vibration and very little noise. We did feel that the seats were uncomfortable. You compared a car with no payment to a car with a payment, which is misleading for those who are choosing between two new cars, but helpful if someone is deciding whether to keep their old paid-off car, or get a Bolt. We have solar panels, so between that and suddenly working from home, we paid $42 for all our electricity for 12 months. Our electric company seems to keep giving us $ for having electric cars, so our current electric bill is $-450 or so. We will get a check in June. However, that is unlikely to happen again, but in total, we got close to $4000 in credits. Having electric cars easily paid for our solar panels. We replaced the leased Bolt with a used Volt for $16000 at the time. I miss all electric, but we often go from San Diego to LA for the weekend, so the gas engine is convenient. However, it feels like a step back to have a plug-in hybrid. Another user commented that used Bolts can bought very cheaply. I would love to see the same analysis with a used Bolt, and with solar panels
Wait a minute! A huge part of your calculation is your monthly payments for the Bolt - but you forget to factor in the money you paid for your Cherokee. Not fair if you ask me. As for those low-resistance tires, they won't surprise you if you use your upper head. My Bolt is in the middle of its second Canadian winter and is passing the snow test with flying colors - not even to mention driving on dry clean roads. No problem whatsoever. All you need to do is remember your are not driving a tank but rather piloting a fighter jet. Personally, I LOVE my 2019 Bolt. I've had many cars in my lifetime, but this one tops them all. GM really nailed it.
Awesome review... you spent a lot of time putting this together! Chevy is currently putting huge discounts on the Bolt. I've seen new 2020 Bolt Premier's for around $26K. A used 2017 Chevy Bolt with around 20K miles goes for around $16K. Driving a Bolt in CA makes a lot of sense with $3.50/gal gas. In my area, gas costs around $2/gallon and electricity is .12 cents per Kwh, making a Bolt purchase not as big of a cost savings. Even without the big cost savings, I like the idea of never visiting a gas station and having to only deal with minimal maintenance costs.
I swapped the LRR tires on my Spark EV with some normal all-season tires and they've transformed the car's cornering capabilities. Ditch the eco tires, you will not regret it!
Nice video. I enjoyed it a lot. I think, though, that your comparison in dollars is a bit unfair to the Bolt. If you own a vehicle it is incredibly difficult to save money buying any new vehicle with monthly payments. For you, specifically, that's the way the math works. The ways to make this a fairer comparison would be to compare the Bolt to buying a new comparable vehicle, or even a new Jeep or you could keep the car payment out of it completely. In addition, I think your car payment is like nuclear high. This could be because time passing and a 2022 changed model will be coming out soon. I'm looking at a Bolt LT, for about 24k, trading in my Pilot for 8k and maybe putting in a couple thousand to get a nice low payment somewhere around $200 to $250 a month. If we used that number even in an unfair comparison against a car you already own, you'll see that the savings in gas will pay your car payments and then some. Your video is great! You went into a lot of detail and it is helping me lean towards buying a Chevy Bolt.
Yep I drive that much for work currently, 120 to 135 miles round trip for the time being on every 6 days of the week. Still cheap to drive the bolt ev currently using the 2017 bolt EV. Love it.
This is a great primer for new Bolt EV owners and drivers. I wish I'd watched this before I set out on my 1500 mile/2500 km road trip from Denver, CO to Edmonton, AB in April; returning home will be even better with the knowledge gained in this video.
Very good review. I have a 2019 Bolt in “Shock” neon yellow. My wife and I love it. You have hit all of the finer points and downsides. My only additional downside would be its cargo capacity w 2nd row seats down. If you every have to transport something bigger you will soon discover that it will either not fit or will stick out the back of the hatch. It is not a mini van replacement but I imagine most people aren’t buying it for that sole reason.
I am thinking about white. I love bold colors and metal flake, but white can be touched up with Rust-oleum scratch repair very easily. I'm into blending in the crowd too. :-)
I don’t think payment should count for the yearly overall, considering it wasn’t included with the jeep and it’s safe to assume anyone here is interested in buying a car. Therefore pavements should be included in both or neither
I own a 2019 Bolt EV and Love it. Nice review; just one comment about the OEM "charger" which is all I use because It is plugged into a designated 15 Amp circuit which s the only way you can get a charge rate of 12 Amps. Also the charging circuit is on board. the "chargers" are just a electrical regulator. I'm retired so this a perfect car for me.
Good review! ill be leasing a Bolt next week. The lease payment is cheaper than the amount of fuel that I use just going back and forth to work. Replacing my current daily (1999 Stratus) but still have my 1 ton dually for longer trips and hauling. There is a lot of incentives for Bolts right now, my lease is $121 a month. Hard to pass up especially when i can charge at work!
I’m enjoying your video. Very calm and very helpful for me as I have now put a deposit on a new Bolt we hope to get in a couple of months. The key point is that you really like the car. We don’t commute to work any more but we could have saved a fortune in money and time. Now I plan to plug it in and make all of my runaround town trips without stopping at the gas station or periodic oil damages. I’m glad you like your Bolt and best of luck in the future.
Couple things I have seen on other Chevy Bolt videos. The factory 110 volt charger that they give you is actually capable of taking 220 volts. You have to get some connection adapters. But the charger itself will take the 220 volts at I believe 12 amps. So it's still not as fast as a dedicated level 2 charger. But it's nearly twice as fast as using it on 110. For some people that could be fast enough for daily use. So if you happen to have a dryer outlet or the ability to wire in the 220 you could at least skip having to get the dedicated charging unit and use the one that came with the car. DC fast charging is not likely to damage your car as long as you don't take it to 100% all the time that's true using the level two also. Take a look at news Coulomb's videos he's got about 150,000 miles on a 2017 volt and almost exclusively fast charged it for most of those miles. And has seen I believe less than 5% battery degradation and 3% of that happened in the first 50,000 miles. Since most easy fast chargers in the country charged by the minute not by the kilowatt delivered you're much better off to arrive at the charger at a low state of charge, and only charge as much as you need to get to the next charger plus a little buffer. Don't charge all the way to 100% and arrive at the next charger at 60%. You're much better off to arrive at 5% charge to 60% and drain it back down to 5%. That's where the peak charging speed occurs in the lower half of the battery it's also where it's safest to keep that battery when fast charging it.
A little off-topic, but I found your comments about the tires very interesting, as I own a 5 year old Chevy Sonic, which is basically the same car with a gas engine. It handled terrible in snow (I'm in northern Illinois) until I replaced the tires this year, and wow! What a difference, it's like a whole different car, drives great in snow now. Agreed, Chevy should be ashamed of those original equipment tires, you'll be a lot happier when you replace yours. btw, after watching this, if I had to buy a new car today I'd consider the Bolt (with upgraded tires!) but I still have a few years left on the Sonic.
The reason it doesn't feel sure footed is the stock tires. Put some good tires on it and it will change drastically. You'll also lose range unfortunately (probably around 20 miles).
I’m cutting a 2020 Chevy Equinox and love it but the dealership keeps telling me about this. You probably have the greatest breakdown about this car I’ve seen. Well done mate.
People that have range anxiety just need to ask themselves, how many times have they let their cell phones go completely dead. Not very often, right? Well, same goes for EVs. When you see that your range is shorter than what you need when you get home from work or wherever, just plug it in and it'll be ready to go when you wake up the next day.* And of course there is always the DC Fast Charge if needed. When I was doing research before actually buying my EV I was surprised to find out that there were about a dozen charging stations within a few miles of my house. But I've only needed to us a DC Fast Charge two times in 6 months: As most EV drivers will tell you, the VAST majority of the time you will be charging at home. Like, 95% or better. Where I live electricity is about 10 cents per kilowatt, so to fill up from empty costs me less than $3. This is a blip I hardly even notice on my electricity bill, whereas my ICE car was costing me $25 or more per fill up, 3 to 5 times a month. * I work about 10 miles from where I live, so I've made myself a rule that if the range meter says 35 miles or less I plug in because that gives my a nice buffer in case something happens like we have a power outage during the night or something. I can still get to work and back. I imagine other EV owners will do a similar thing, depending on their situation and the range of their EV.
Friends I ran out of battery in the Bolt and coasted to a nice random person's driveway and borrowed one hour to get the three miles further to the charging station. Not cool, but not the end of the world either. When it says 14 miles left - you have no more than 14 miles left. Don't go that low.
@@cashewABCD I've had mine down to less than 5 miles (unintentionally) but that's the lowest. The range estimator is really hard to get right because it depends on so many variables, but agreed: For the most part the range it gives is close unless your driving scenario changes radically. For example, if you're driving slowly around town your range might say 100 miles because you're hardly depleting the battery at all. But if you then jump on the highway and race up to 70 mph that range is not going to be accurate anymore. In fact it might be radically lower in that situation.
Damn you have expensive charging stations where you live. The one at my work is $5 for 2 hours and this is at an airport. There is a level 2 charging station down the road from where I live that is free. Almost all the charging stations near me are free.
No no no. Your math is wrong. You included the monthly payment for the Bolt as part of the cost but for the Jeep, which I assume is already paid for, those costs are not there.
7:03 personally I have never seen a public charger that cost money. Every level two charger I have ever been to and the hundreds that are in my city are always free
Nice video. I heard the tax credit is done because GM reached their number of vehicles. With the 2022 announced, there are some nice incentives going right now which is making me research. I will probably only drive 10,000 miles a year so not having maintenance and hopefully no drivetrain repairs for 15 years is appealing to me. Seems like my 2013 car with about 80,000 miles on it is starting to $500 dollar me which isn't that bad, but the time spent getting it repaired is a hassle.
Great review, however you missed talking about how the money would come around 10 fold in the future. Your biggest hit is the car payment. If you were to eliminate that. The savings would be crazy.
Yeah. I thought adding in the car payment was odd. To make that make sense, you'd have to add in a payment for the Cherokee as well, as if you just bought it again. Or ... the author of this video may be just stating his cash flow. Which is fine, but that doesn't make the Bolt more expensive when you step back and look at it.
Well done brother. I just bought a 2020 bolt 3 weeks ago. I myself have had 6 different 4 cylinder bug turbo tuner cars. To tell you the truth i got tired of the same old big power and sounds and smells. I wanted something full tech and fun. And this little bolt checks every f#$&@*g box
The model lost the tax credit and that is why the dealers are marking down the price by that amount to compensate for the loss of the federal tax credit.
For those who are wondering why I didn't include money paid for the jeep cherokee the truck was $1800 and bought 4 years ago there isn't a payment and that value over that time is so low it isnt really worth mentioning its about $38 a month. In addition I didn't claim the registration cost which in california the bolt is $645 and the Jeep is $135 a year. As a further disclaimer this video is based on my personal experience and not a jeep vs bolt comparison video and in my experience the jeep is far cheaper long term. The bolt is a better car to drive everyday and I do like it and will continue to own with a smile on my face hope this clears any concerns. Lastly some mentioned the amount for the tax incentive is incorrect those who pointed this out are correct thank you for showing interest and correcting my mistake. If you wish to know the tax incentive for any EV they can be looked up on the IRS website. Admittedly I should have done that before the video got made this is my mistake and I apologize.
I'm a new driver and how a car handles is a big deal to me. I have a tiny bit of driving anxiety. I've been thinking about getting this car. I will definitely be changing the tires
I think a more fair cost comparison would be to add the monthly payments for a similarly equipped 2020 Cherokee. On a 6 year loan the Bolt Premier would only be about $30/mo. more than a Cherokee Attitude/Upland/Latitude Lux. Your calculations are correct for your specific situation were the Jeep is paid off, but most people will not have a zero dollar payment. Otherwise good review. I hadn't noticed any problems driving in the rain in the 3 weeks I've had mine with the Michelin Selfseal tires, but it's raining cats & dogs right now and I'm the only open business in my industrial park t midnight, so maybe I'll go out and test the limits.
Nice review. I bought my 2016 Kia Soul EV+ used and have had it for about 6 months. It only had about 17k miles on it, one owner and in great shape. Best car I have ever owned or even driven. It's funny how opposite ICE and EV cars are. For example, ICE cars do much better on the highway than they do in city stop and go traffic whereas EVs do much better in city driving and worse on the highway. Also, running the heater in an ICE vehicle is almost free since it just uses heat that would normally be lost anyway during normal operation but uses quite a bit more energy running the A/C. On the other hand, EVs use a lot more energy running the heater but seem to do pretty well with the A/C (at least in my experience). I think it's because the A/C is connected to its own motor and can run at variable speeds unlike in an ICE car where it's tied directly to the rotation of the engine. But there's no question that, overall, EVs are more efficient in almost every way and have a much lower cost of ownership.
Good review. But I think it is unfair to add your car payments to the cost of operating to two cars. (in one case you have a car payment, in the other you don't). If you erase the Bolt car payment the Bolt is a much less expensive car to operate based sourly on operating cost.
This is the review I’ve been looking for. Very detailed, glad someone finally talked about the handling & now i’m completely sure the tires need to be swapped with normal ones once they start to wear out. I think most of the issues you’ve had were fixed with the 2022 Model. It’s more mature, not as quirky & dosen’t scream EV. Interior is now Black so easier to keep clean, alot of improvements in the 2022 model year, you should consider it if you’re not still paying for your 2020 if you want a slightly better version of your own car.
Even though I am interested in buying a different EV, I really loved your commentary on your experience owning the bolt! Thanks a bunch for making the video! -Matt
I own the 2017 Bolt, and yes switch the tires away from energy savers to performance all seasons and you will see a huge improvement with handling and weather. The energy savings are very little and not worth the trade in safety.
You don't have to buy the Premier Model, and you can get a used 2019 Bolt LT for 25K and with the current gas prices you will save a lot more $$$ and keep money in your pocket 😉. I bought a Bolt and the only thing I have to say is they could've done better with the seats.
the back up camera is a GM quality thing. We have had our escape since it was new 2 years ago and haven't had a back up camera issue once. Have been told by some owners at 100k miles it does need a coolant flush.
It seems like an unfair comparison when you factor in your car payment. Sure the Jeep has no car payment, it is old and paid for. It would have been a better comparison just to factor the cost of operation of each vehicle. The we would have seen a huge savings on the EV when compared to a gas powered car. Sort of apples to apples and oranges to oranges.
I thought the cost breakdown was a little odd. I get it that the presenter owns the Jeep outright. But, in general, it's a little unfair to compare the operating costs of one vehicle to the operating, purchase and interest accrual costs of another. One could at least take the purchase price minus tax incentives and divide that by ten, assuming a ten year ownership and dropping the car into the ocean when you're done. Looked at that way. You would end up saving around $2000 a year for ten years.
I really enjoyed the scenery from the driving footage you included! Super beautiful area. Also I think I want to get this car, but I guess I will be changing the tires because I like driving in the rain 😭😭 lol.
Do you consider time is an asset too? How much time you need going to the gas station, time wait in line. How much time you need to oil change, either DIY or service. Do the math on your hourly rate income x time you need to maintain a gas car. You are also assuming gas car has the same reliability as EV. EV is not for anyone, I installed stage2 charger at home and I use way less than then the EV range daily. It's such time saving transportation. If cost is top priority, get a used corolla at much lower insurance rate. Someone will argue it's not fun to drive, if fun is an important factor, you get what you like then. No need to look at the numbers coz fun is subjective and you cannot put a $ on it.
2020 Bolt here too. The absolute worst feature is the camera mirror. A normal mirror lets you glance at it and back to the road without changing focus. With the electronic mirror your eyes have to rack focus from infinity to the distance to the mirror, then back to infinity, which takes time. Reaction time could be reduced, I just leave the camera function off.
Contrary to wide belief, FC does not wreak havoc on batteries. Checkout News Coulomb on that. He has 150k miles on his Bolt, almost ALL on FCing. He believes he's lost about 5kwh due to degradation on his original 60 kwh battery. I'd say that's pretty good
Good video, only thing I would've added is how much the Bolt will cost you once it's paid off. I'm guessing that since you're paying ~$650 a month it's going to be paid off in just 3 or 4 years. Once it's paid off it'll be quite a bit cheaper than the Jeep. The math was similar for me and my Subaru, though I can't afford to pay mine off as fast. I got a set of Crossclimate 2s on my Bolt and they're great here in CO where it can be 60F one day and have 2 feet of snow on the ground the next. Haven't tried them on dirt roads yet though.
Great review. I’m considering getting a premier ASAP with all the discounts. With $7500 for a renegade trade in I can get the premier for $30,000 all costs included. Sounds like an ideal car for my 20 mile round trip commute when remote work ends.
I bought a 2020 Chevy Bolt LT at the end of 2020 for $21,999. I drive in town, except when I take someone to a doctor appointment out of town (usually just 45 miles one way). I have a plug to charge at work 220 volt to 80%. Best part is at the fishing pier there is a 110 outlet to charge while fishing.
Great video, one gripe is the premium model should of been fully loaded, as there is base premium and your Bose/auto headlight/active cruise control model. That's my gripe. Great video though.
the calculation for the Jeep assumed no cost for acqusition/financing but you included the monthly payment for the Bolt...don't understand that decision with your math. Also, the federal tax credits don't apply to the Bolt, correct, because the car has sold more than 200K units (same as with Teslas) ?
For those who are wondering why I didn't include money paid for the jeep cherokee the truck was $1800 and bought 4 years ago there isn't a payment and that value over that time is so low it isnt really worth mentioning its about $38 a month. In addition I didn't claim the registration cost which in california the bolt is $645 and the Jeep is $135 a year. As a further disclaimer this video is based on my personal experience and not a jeep vs bolt comparison video and in my experience the jeep is far cheaper long term. The bolt is a better car to drive everyday and I do like it and will continue to own with a smile on my face hope this clears any concerns. Lastly some mentioned the amount for the tax incentive is incorrect those who pointed this out are correct thank you for showing interest and correcting my mistake. If you wish to know the tax incentive for any EV they can be looked up on the IRS website. Admittedly I should have done that before the video got made this is my mistake and I apologize.
12:45 Yeah.... Chevy really picks EV tires with a precise focus on best miles per charge and NOTHING ELSE. My Volt came with some Goodyear FuelMax OEM rubber that was even better/worse than usual the ones you get if you buy the "same" tire retail, and they had some of the thinnest sidewalls I've ever driven on. That doesn't help the surefooted feeling AT ALL, and they shared the abysmal wet traction. After a year of that, I replaced them with Bridgestone Ecopia 422+ and it was a WORLD of difference for sacrificing about 3-5% of the range.
Finally someone who did the math and gave a realistic and relatable scenario when choosing between an older car and a new EV. Not only that, the math you did (key point - not factoring the grants in as a life saving factor) can be compared pretty much worldwide.
Realistic? Not even close. Driving a paid-off piece of junk 48K miles per year is not a stable scenario. Nor is counting its ownership costs as zero, while "comparing" it to the payment at bad-credit rates on a new car you overpaid by a mile on. You need to compare the costs of a new Bolt now, to a new Cherokee now, using the same type of financing on each. Or, for a "used versus new" comparison, include new Bolt, used Bolt, new Cherokee, used Cherokee. And if driving 36K to 48K miles per year, the used vehicle should have very low miles, or you should hit it with a high monthly amount going into an emergency repair fund.
As others have said, awesome video. I especially appreciated the tip on reduced efficiency of high speed and a better route planner. I couldn’t quite understand the other trip planner you identified but a better route planner is one I did not know about until now and I have had a 2017 Bolt for over a year and before that I had a Ford Cmax Energi for eight years
For those who are wondering why I didn't include money paid for the jeep cherokee the truck was $1800 and bought 4 years ago there isn't a payment and that value over that time is so low it isn't really worth mentioning its about $38 a month. In addition I didn't claim the registration cost which in california the bolt is $645 and the Jeep is $135 a year. As a further disclaimer this video is based on my personal experience and not a jeep vs bolt comparison video and in my experience the jeep is far cheaper long term. The bolt is a better car to drive everyday and I do like it and will continue to own with a smile on my face hope this clears any concerns. Lastly some mentioned the amount for the tax incentive is incorrect those who pointed this out are correct thank you for showing interest and correcting my mistake. If you wish to know the tax incentive for any EV they can be looked up on the IRS website. Admittedly I should have done that before the video got made this is my mistake and I apologize.
It's safe to assume that a jeep you bought 4 years ago for $1800 has over 100k miles. The maintenance cost, when driving 30k+ miles a year will include more than just oil changes from here on out.
Right, the ever increasing repair costs of ICE cars. My fuel cost (2002 Camry) was about $110 per month and only $15 for my Bolt. Not to mention the first scheduled maint is a coolant change at 150K miles.
Wait, if you are going to take into a account the Bolt's payment, why didn't you account the Jeep's payments during its payment schedule? Doesn't that bias and taint the actually costs? Should you be comparing first year to first year?
Great video, Alex. I purchased a 2020 Bolt Premier, last March. Oasis Blue - same color as yours. I am only getting the tail end of the federal tax credit, or $1,875. The State of Pennsylvania also gave me a $750 credit. I paid cash, so no financing issues. I love the car - so much fun to drive. You have a long and rough commute - how long of a drive from your place, until you hit a paved road. I have a Level 2 Clipper Creek 32 amp charger in my garage, and local electric rates are well above the national average. Have you thought about going solar ?
Like your video style! However, why did you include the car payment in your comparison to the Jeep (which has no payment). Also if you're talking about car payments then you need to discuss resale value as well. In other words, which car has a higher resale value? It's surely the new chevy bolt! Having said that, the Bolt is much cheaper to drive and is better for the environment. I own a chevy bolt BTW!
It’s a good review- but... The comparison of the operating cost between your paid off Jeep and the new Bolt is rather useless. Any new car is good to cost more per month than an old paid off one. A better comparison might have been to spend the same 40k on a new Jeep vs the new Bolt. Of course in a few years the Bolt will be paid off and then, low maintenance, low energy cost and no payments will equal big savings. So I just feel the comparison that a Jeep cost less to drive is totally deceiving. But the review itself was very honest and on track.
I paid $2000 down for my 2020 Bolt. (I got that back from the California in form of a EV rebate.) I pay $182 per month for my lease, but since I've had solar power that has paid for itself in the past 7 years, my charging cost is ZERO. My registration is $360/Yr. So , I drive my Bolt for roughly $210 per month. Since I don't buy any gas which I am sure it would have been more than $210/Mo, I am driving this car for absolutly FREE! BTW, I also can drive in the car pool lane by myself. Although I usually don't.
I have the Michelin energy savers on my car too and I can’t ever go back to any other type of tire. I’ve tried other tires and the noise is way louder compared to the Energy savers. Just take it easy in the rain. Luckily in SoCal it’s not very often.
the 2020 Bolt doesn't have adaptive curse, only standard cruse. Your math is wrong, you can't take the cost of the Bolt and ignore the cost of the Jeep, you have to compare the cost of a 2020 Jeep with the cost of the 2020 Bolt to get your total cost.
You talk about the tires of the Chevy Bolt. If it is kind of bad in wet weather, it is probably worse in snowy weather, correct???? How is the wear of the tires (how long do they last)?
Your cost comparison assumes you already own the cherokee. You ought to AT LEAST compare as if you bought the cherokee used at the start of the first comparison year. Otherwise the comparison is meaningless. There is simply NO new car that would compare well against any paid off vehicle (especially when you ignore repair costs).
I was thinking about getting one used, most in my area are 2017 for about 12-15k but my question is why is the payment so high? That payment of 645 a month is up there with a model 3 standard range.
@@junkyardrestoration4069 ok, I was thinking that could be the case as well. Enjoy your car, I’m looking for my first foot in the electric door since my hybrid took a dump.
Bolt lacks a "sunglasses compartment" and a Homelink built-in garage door opener. I noticed that right away. I have a two week old Premier on a Costco lease of 36 months. $280 a month.
Well..times have changed. I just got one from Paul masse Chevrolet for 26900.00 for the premiere package. Ny state has a 2000.00 electric car rebate so i am laughing past all the gas stations.
Your math is wrong. You’re calculating the car payments which should not be, someday you will be to changing your Cherokee will you calculate the payments of your new car too? If you’re going to compare costs then compare them new gas vs electric. Still I liked your video.
Great video. Nitpick: "level 3" is a colloquialism. It's AC level 1, AC level 2, and DC Fast Charge (DCFC). And . . . Not a good looking car? Seriously. Heh. I guess that's subjective. I think it is damn sexy.
i rented a 2018 bolt for uber, 2 weeks later my brother bought one,, damn him... but recently ive read alot of bad about fires and unsafe to park in garage,, while chargong
I own a Boltev 2019 Premier and the recalled battery has been replaced by the dealership at no charge. No more dangers of fires plus a bonus of increased mileage !! It’s an awesome car and fun to drive. Best decision I’ve ever made.
Liked the dirt road driving footage.
We leased a Bolt for 3 years. I really miss it. We drive on a few local roads, but mainly freeways, so the handling is not a thing for us. (back roads are for the motorcycle!)
We noticed that we felt very relaxed when we got to our destination- there is no vibration and very little noise.
We did feel that the seats were uncomfortable.
You compared a car with no payment to a car with a payment, which is misleading for those who are choosing between two new cars, but helpful if someone is deciding whether to keep their old paid-off car, or get a Bolt.
We have solar panels, so between that and suddenly working from home, we paid $42 for all our electricity for 12 months.
Our electric company seems to keep giving us $ for having electric cars, so our current electric bill is $-450 or so. We will get a check in June. However, that is unlikely to happen again, but in total, we got close to $4000 in credits.
Having electric cars easily paid for our solar panels.
We replaced the leased Bolt with a used Volt for $16000 at the time. I miss all electric, but we often go from San Diego to LA for the weekend, so the gas engine is convenient. However, it feels like a step back to have a plug-in hybrid.
Another user commented that used Bolts can bought very cheaply. I would love to see the same analysis with a used Bolt, and with solar panels
Your cost breakdown is exactly why I bought a used Bolt EV for approximately 1/3 of the original sale price!
These are as little as $19K brand new today. But his payments looks like he paid for price of close to $40K!
I've been looking for good deals on this car. Where do you find a new one for $19000?
@@normt430 thanks
@@normt430 Probably didn’t negotiate much.
@@millennial_weeb2382 Bolts dropped to $19K in the fall 2020. Some are in the $18's now!
Wait a minute! A huge part of your calculation is your monthly payments for the Bolt - but you forget to factor in the money you paid for your Cherokee. Not fair if you ask me.
As for those low-resistance tires, they won't surprise you if you use your upper head. My Bolt is in the middle of its second Canadian winter and is passing the snow test with flying colors - not even to mention driving on dry clean roads. No problem whatsoever. All you need to do is remember your are not driving a tank but rather piloting a fighter jet.
Personally, I LOVE my 2019 Bolt. I've had many cars in my lifetime, but this one tops them all. GM really nailed it.
I totally agree on the monthly costs. His comparison was apples and oranges. He should’ve substituted it with the monthly cost of insurance.
I agree, the cost comparison was really off the mark.
Agreed 👍
Awesome review... you spent a lot of time putting this together! Chevy is currently putting huge discounts on the Bolt. I've seen new 2020 Bolt Premier's for around $26K. A used 2017 Chevy Bolt with around 20K miles goes for around $16K. Driving a Bolt in CA makes a lot of sense with $3.50/gal gas. In my area, gas costs around $2/gallon and electricity is .12 cents per Kwh, making a Bolt purchase not as big of a cost savings. Even without the big cost savings, I like the idea of never visiting a gas station and having to only deal with minimal maintenance costs.
Is there a Federal Tax Credit?
@@Moondoggy1941 No, GM has used up all their tax credits. I think they ran out in mid 2019.
I swapped the LRR tires on my Spark EV with some normal all-season tires and they've transformed the car's cornering capabilities. Ditch the eco tires, you will not regret it!
It seems odd to compare the cost of two vehicles - one paid off, one with a loan. Other than that, great video.
Exactly.
Specially not taking into consideration that the Jeep would have unexpected maintenance.
I agree in your own personal example a paid off ice vehicle will most likely be cheaper than an EV with a loan. Not a fair comparison
Nice video. I enjoyed it a lot. I think, though, that your comparison in dollars is a bit unfair to the Bolt. If you own a vehicle it is incredibly difficult to save money buying any new vehicle with monthly payments. For you, specifically, that's the way the math works.
The ways to make this a fairer comparison would be to compare the Bolt to buying a new comparable vehicle, or even a new Jeep or you could keep the car payment out of it completely.
In addition, I think your car payment is like nuclear high. This could be because time passing and a 2022 changed model will be coming out soon.
I'm looking at a Bolt LT, for about 24k, trading in my Pilot for 8k and maybe putting in a couple thousand to get a nice low payment somewhere around $200 to $250 a month.
If we used that number even in an unfair comparison against a car you already own, you'll see that the savings in gas will pay your car payments and then some.
Your video is great! You went into a lot of detail and it is helping me lean towards buying a Chevy Bolt.
That was an EXCELLENT video, Alex.
Thank you
Yep I drive that much for work currently, 120 to 135 miles round trip for the time being on every 6 days of the week. Still cheap to drive the bolt ev currently using the 2017 bolt EV. Love it.
This is a great primer for new Bolt EV owners and drivers. I wish I'd watched this before I set out on my 1500 mile/2500 km road trip from Denver, CO to Edmonton, AB in April; returning home will be even better with the knowledge gained in this video.
I love the fact you mentioned the tires in the rain. Lousy tires can be terrifying!!!!
This is actually one of the best bolt reviews; better than most of the pros. Solid work and informative. Just signed paperwork for a 2022. Thanks!
Very good review. I have a 2019 Bolt in “Shock” neon yellow. My wife and I love it. You have hit all of the finer points and downsides. My only additional downside would be its cargo capacity w 2nd row seats down. If you every have to transport something bigger you will soon discover that it will either not fit or will stick out the back of the hatch. It is not a mini van replacement but I imagine most people aren’t buying it for that sole reason.
Shock is a great color I wish they kept it .
I am thinking about white. I love bold colors and metal flake, but white can be touched up with Rust-oleum scratch repair very easily. I'm into blending in the crowd too. :-)
I don’t think payment should count for the yearly overall, considering it wasn’t included with the jeep and it’s safe to assume anyone here is interested in buying a car. Therefore pavements should be included in both or neither
I own a 2019 Bolt EV and Love it. Nice review; just one comment about the OEM "charger" which is all I use because It is plugged into a designated 15 Amp circuit which s the only way you can get a charge rate of 12 Amps. Also the charging circuit is on board. the "chargers" are just a electrical regulator. I'm retired so this a perfect car for me.
Good review! ill be leasing a Bolt next week. The lease payment is cheaper than the amount of fuel that I use just going back and forth to work. Replacing my current daily (1999 Stratus) but still have my 1 ton dually for longer trips and hauling. There is a lot of incentives for Bolts right now, my lease is $121 a month. Hard to pass up especially when i can charge at work!
I’m enjoying your video. Very calm and very helpful for me as I have now put a deposit on a new Bolt we hope to get in a couple of months. The key point is that you really like the car. We don’t commute to work any more but we could have saved a fortune in money and time. Now I plan to plug it in and make all of my runaround town trips without stopping at the gas station or periodic oil damages. I’m glad you like your Bolt and best of luck in the future.
Couple things I have seen on other Chevy Bolt videos. The factory 110 volt charger that they give you is actually capable of taking 220 volts. You have to get some connection adapters. But the charger itself will take the 220 volts at I believe 12 amps. So it's still not as fast as a dedicated level 2 charger. But it's nearly twice as fast as using it on 110. For some people that could be fast enough for daily use. So if you happen to have a dryer outlet or the ability to wire in the 220 you could at least skip having to get the dedicated charging unit and use the one that came with the car.
DC fast charging is not likely to damage your car as long as you don't take it to 100% all the time that's true using the level two also. Take a look at news Coulomb's videos he's got about 150,000 miles on a 2017 volt and almost exclusively fast charged it for most of those miles. And has seen I believe less than 5% battery degradation and 3% of that happened in the first 50,000 miles.
Since most easy fast chargers in the country charged by the minute not by the kilowatt delivered you're much better off to arrive at the charger at a low state of charge, and only charge as much as you need to get to the next charger plus a little buffer. Don't charge all the way to 100% and arrive at the next charger at 60%. You're much better off to arrive at 5% charge to 60% and drain it back down to 5%. That's where the peak charging speed occurs in the lower half of the battery it's also where it's safest to keep that battery when fast charging it.
A little off-topic, but I found your comments about the tires very interesting, as I own a 5 year old Chevy Sonic, which is basically the same car with a gas engine. It handled terrible in snow (I'm in northern Illinois) until I replaced the tires this year, and wow! What a difference, it's like a whole different car, drives great in snow now. Agreed, Chevy should be ashamed of those original equipment tires, you'll be a lot happier when you replace yours. btw, after watching this, if I had to buy a new car today I'd consider the Bolt (with upgraded tires!) but I still have a few years left on the Sonic.
The reason it doesn't feel sure footed is the stock tires. Put some good tires on it and it will change drastically. You'll also lose range unfortunately (probably around 20 miles).
Awesome review!!! I've had a very similar positive experience. Also, I'm going to take partial credit for your buying motivation 😋
Very true you did get me to take a serious look into one
I love my bolt. Thank you for the update on your bolt. I live in New Castle Delaware. Thanks again....
Great review! I'm into my second year of owning a 2019 and still love the car! My hat's off to GM, they really nailed it this time!
I’m cutting a 2020 Chevy Equinox and love it but the dealership keeps telling me about this. You probably have the greatest breakdown about this car I’ve seen. Well done mate.
People that have range anxiety just need to ask themselves, how many times have they let their cell phones go completely dead. Not very often, right? Well, same goes for EVs. When you see that your range is shorter than what you need when you get home from work or wherever, just plug it in and it'll be ready to go when you wake up the next day.* And of course there is always the DC Fast Charge if needed. When I was doing research before actually buying my EV I was surprised to find out that there were about a dozen charging stations within a few miles of my house. But I've only needed to us a DC Fast Charge two times in 6 months: As most EV drivers will tell you, the VAST majority of the time you will be charging at home. Like, 95% or better. Where I live electricity is about 10 cents per kilowatt, so to fill up from empty costs me less than $3. This is a blip I hardly even notice on my electricity bill, whereas my ICE car was costing me $25 or more per fill up, 3 to 5 times a month.
* I work about 10 miles from where I live, so I've made myself a rule that if the range meter says 35 miles or less I plug in because that gives my a nice buffer in case something happens like we have a power outage during the night or something. I can still get to work and back. I imagine other EV owners will do a similar thing, depending on their situation and the range of their EV.
Or, You might get to a complete halt on the limited-access road You are commuting on, due to an accident up front.
@@Greybone62 True.
Friends I ran out of battery in the Bolt and coasted to a nice random person's driveway and borrowed one hour to get the three miles further to the charging station. Not cool, but not the end of the world either. When it says 14 miles left - you have no more than 14 miles left. Don't go that low.
@@cashewABCD I've had mine down to less than 5 miles (unintentionally) but that's the lowest. The range estimator is really hard to get right because it depends on so many variables, but agreed: For the most part the range it gives is close unless your driving scenario changes radically. For example, if you're driving slowly around town your range might say 100 miles because you're hardly depleting the battery at all. But if you then jump on the highway and race up to 70 mph that range is not going to be accurate anymore. In fact it might be radically lower in that situation.
Excellent review. Very informative. Makes me thinking about buying one for my next card! Thank!
Damn you have expensive charging stations where you live. The one at my work is $5 for 2 hours and this is at an airport. There is a level 2 charging station down the road from where I live that is free. Almost all the charging stations near me are free.
No no no. Your math is wrong. You included the monthly payment for the Bolt as part of the cost but for the Jeep, which I assume is already paid for, those costs are not there.
7:03 personally I have never seen a public charger that cost money. Every level two charger I have ever been to and the hundreds that are in my city are always free
Nice video. I heard the tax credit is done because GM reached their number of vehicles. With the 2022 announced, there are some nice incentives going right now which is making me research. I will probably only drive 10,000 miles a year so not having maintenance and hopefully no drivetrain repairs for 15 years is appealing to me. Seems like my 2013 car with about 80,000 miles on it is starting to $500 dollar me which isn't that bad, but the time spent getting it repaired is a hassle.
Great review, however you missed talking about how the money would come around 10 fold in the future. Your biggest hit is the car payment. If you were to eliminate that. The savings would be crazy.
Agreed. The comparison shouldn't include the car payment, only the fuel and maintenance savings.
Yeah. I thought adding in the car payment was odd. To make that make sense, you'd have to add in a payment for the Cherokee as well, as if you just bought it again.
Or ... the author of this video may be just stating his cash flow. Which is fine, but that doesn't make the Bolt more expensive when you step back and look at it.
Well done brother. I just bought a 2020 bolt 3 weeks ago. I myself have had 6 different 4 cylinder bug turbo tuner cars. To tell you the truth i got tired of the same old big power and sounds and smells. I wanted something full tech and fun. And this little bolt checks every f#$&@*g box
I also drive 2,500 miles a month
there is no adaptive cruise control. it just tells you the distance of the car in front of you. the $7500 federal tax credit is expired for chevy.
You can hack acc with comma ai.
The model lost the tax credit and that is why the dealers are marking down the price by that amount to compensate for the loss of the federal tax credit.
For those who are wondering why I didn't include money paid for the jeep cherokee the truck was $1800 and bought 4 years ago there isn't a payment and that value over that time is so low it isnt really worth mentioning its about $38 a month. In addition I didn't claim the registration cost which in california the bolt is $645 and the Jeep is $135 a year. As a further disclaimer this video is based on my personal experience and not a jeep vs bolt comparison video and in my experience the jeep is far cheaper long term. The bolt is a better car to drive everyday and I do like it and will continue to own with a smile on my face hope this clears any concerns. Lastly some mentioned the amount for the tax incentive is incorrect those who pointed this out are correct thank you for showing interest and correcting my mistake. If you wish to know the tax incentive for any EV they can be looked up on the IRS website. Admittedly I should have done that before the video got made this is my mistake and I apologize.
I'm a new driver and how a car handles is a big deal to me. I have a tiny bit of driving anxiety. I've been thinking about getting this car. I will definitely be changing the tires
I just bought a 2019. Very good suspension 👌, well engineered. Replacing the tires is a must though.
I heard they were doing deep discounts on these. Someone said $18,000 off MSRP.
I think a more fair cost comparison would be to add the monthly payments for a similarly equipped 2020 Cherokee. On a 6 year loan the Bolt Premier would only be about $30/mo. more than a Cherokee Attitude/Upland/Latitude Lux. Your calculations are correct for your specific situation were the Jeep is paid off, but most people will not have a zero dollar payment. Otherwise good review. I hadn't noticed any problems driving in the rain in the 3 weeks I've had mine with the Michelin Selfseal tires, but it's raining cats & dogs right now and I'm the only open business in my industrial park t midnight, so maybe I'll go out and test the limits.
Nice review. I bought my 2016 Kia Soul EV+ used and have had it for about 6 months. It only had about 17k miles on it, one owner and in great shape. Best car I have ever owned or even driven.
It's funny how opposite ICE and EV cars are. For example, ICE cars do much better on the highway than they do in city stop and go traffic whereas EVs do much better in city driving and worse on the highway. Also, running the heater in an ICE vehicle is almost free since it just uses heat that would normally be lost anyway during normal operation but uses quite a bit more energy running the A/C. On the other hand, EVs use a lot more energy running the heater but seem to do pretty well with the A/C (at least in my experience). I think it's because the A/C is connected to its own motor and can run at variable speeds unlike in an ICE car where it's tied directly to the rotation of the engine. But there's no question that, overall, EVs are more efficient in almost every way and have a much lower cost of ownership.
Good review. But I think it is unfair to add your car payments to the cost of operating to two cars. (in one case you have a car payment, in the other you don't). If you erase the Bolt car payment the Bolt is a much less expensive car to operate based sourly on operating cost.
This is the review I’ve been looking for.
Very detailed, glad someone finally talked about the handling & now i’m completely sure the tires need to be swapped with normal ones once they start to wear out.
I think most of the issues you’ve had were fixed with the 2022 Model.
It’s more mature, not as quirky & dosen’t scream EV. Interior is now Black so easier to keep clean, alot of improvements in the 2022 model year, you should consider it if you’re not still paying for your 2020 if you want a slightly better version of your own car.
Even though I am interested in buying a different EV, I really loved your commentary on your experience owning the bolt! Thanks a bunch for making the video!
-Matt
I own the 2017 Bolt, and yes switch the tires away from energy savers to performance all seasons and you will see a huge improvement with handling and weather. The energy savings are very little and not worth the trade in safety.
You don't have to buy the Premier Model, and you can get a used 2019 Bolt LT for 25K and with the current gas prices you will save a lot more $$$ and keep money in your pocket 😉. I bought a Bolt and the only thing I have to say is they could've done better with the seats.
the back up camera is a GM quality thing. We have had our escape since it was new 2 years ago and haven't had a back up camera issue once. Have been told by some owners at 100k miles it does need a coolant flush.
It seems like an unfair comparison when you factor in your car payment. Sure the Jeep has no car payment, it is old and paid for. It would have been a better comparison just to factor the cost of operation of each vehicle. The we would have seen a huge savings on the EV when compared to a gas powered car.
Sort of apples to apples and oranges to oranges.
Thanks mate, great review, I’m looking to buy a used 2018ish model.👍
Awesome hope this video helped you! Overall its a great car hope you have an equally great experience!
I thought the cost breakdown was a little odd. I get it that the presenter owns the Jeep outright. But, in general, it's a little unfair to compare the operating costs of one vehicle to the operating, purchase and interest accrual costs of another.
One could at least take the purchase price minus tax incentives and divide that by ten, assuming a ten year ownership and dropping the car into the ocean when you're done. Looked at that way. You would end up saving around $2000 a year for ten years.
I really enjoyed the scenery from the driving footage you included! Super beautiful area.
Also I think I want to get this car, but I guess I will be changing the tires because I like driving in the rain 😭😭 lol.
Do you consider time is an asset too? How much time you need going to the gas station, time wait in line. How much time you need to oil change, either DIY or service. Do the math on your hourly rate income x time you need to maintain a gas car. You are also assuming gas car has the same reliability as EV. EV is not for anyone, I installed stage2 charger at home and I use way less than then the EV range daily. It's such time saving transportation. If cost is top priority, get a used corolla at much lower insurance rate. Someone will argue it's not fun to drive, if fun is an important factor, you get what you like then. No need to look at the numbers coz fun is subjective and you cannot put a $ on it.
Excellent video. Thanks for the effort now that these are in the low $100's to lease 12k miles a year I'm debating selling my gas guzzler for one.
2020 Bolt here too. The absolute worst feature is the camera mirror. A normal mirror lets you glance at it and back to the road without changing focus. With the electronic mirror your eyes have to rack focus from infinity to the distance to the mirror, then back to infinity, which takes time. Reaction time could be reduced, I just leave the camera function off.
Contrary to wide belief, FC does not wreak havoc on batteries. Checkout News Coulomb on that. He has 150k miles on his Bolt, almost ALL on FCing. He believes he's lost about 5kwh due to degradation on his original 60 kwh battery. I'd say that's pretty good
Good video, only thing I would've added is how much the Bolt will cost you once it's paid off. I'm guessing that since you're paying ~$650 a month it's going to be paid off in just 3 or 4 years.
Once it's paid off it'll be quite a bit cheaper than the Jeep. The math was similar for me and my Subaru, though I can't afford to pay mine off as fast.
I got a set of Crossclimate 2s on my Bolt and they're great here in CO where it can be 60F one day and have 2 feet of snow on the ground the next. Haven't tried them on dirt roads yet though.
Great review. I’m considering getting a premier ASAP with all the discounts. With $7500 for a renegade trade in I can get the premier for $30,000 all costs included. Sounds like an ideal car for my 20 mile round trip commute when remote work ends.
I bought a 2020 Chevy Bolt LT at the end of 2020 for $21,999. I drive in town, except when I take someone to a doctor appointment out of town (usually just 45 miles one way). I have a plug to charge at work 220 volt to 80%. Best part is at the fishing pier there is a 110 outlet to charge while fishing.
Great video, one gripe is the premium model should of been fully loaded, as there is base premium and your Bose/auto headlight/active cruise control model. That's my gripe. Great video though.
So great to get an Enthusiast opinion on the Bolt EV’s handling.
You had me until you said Adaptive Cruise. The first generation bolt doesn’t have it.
To make calculation even fair you should include payment/amortization of jeep or exclude payment of bolt
the calculation for the Jeep assumed no cost for acqusition/financing but you included the monthly payment for the Bolt...don't understand that decision with your math. Also, the federal tax credits don't apply to the Bolt, correct, because the car has sold more than 200K units (same as with Teslas) ?
GM has burned through their entire federal incentive. Sorry, no $7500 tax credit.
That work commute...
So where can I get a Jeep Cherokee for free, at no monthly cost?
For those who are wondering why I didn't include money paid for the jeep cherokee the truck was $1800 and bought 4 years ago there isn't a payment and that value over that time is so low it isnt really worth mentioning its about $38 a month. In addition I didn't claim the registration cost which in california the bolt is $645 and the Jeep is $135 a year. As a further disclaimer this video is based on my personal experience and not a jeep vs bolt comparison video and in my experience the jeep is far cheaper long term. The bolt is a better car to drive everyday and I do like it and will continue to own with a smile on my face hope this clears any concerns. Lastly some mentioned the amount for the tax incentive is incorrect those who pointed this out are correct thank you for showing interest and correcting my mistake. If you wish to know the tax incentive for any EV they can be looked up on the IRS website. Admittedly I should have done that before the video got made this is my mistake and I apologize.
12:45 Yeah.... Chevy really picks EV tires with a precise focus on best miles per charge and NOTHING ELSE. My Volt came with some Goodyear FuelMax OEM rubber that was even better/worse than usual the ones you get if you buy the "same" tire retail, and they had some of the thinnest sidewalls I've ever driven on. That doesn't help the surefooted feeling AT ALL, and they shared the abysmal wet traction. After a year of that, I replaced them with Bridgestone Ecopia 422+ and it was a WORLD of difference for sacrificing about 3-5% of the range.
At around minute seven he says charging stations will charge about $25, but with my 2018 Bolt ev I’ve never been charged more than $4
Try fast charging, especially at electrify America
Finally someone who did the math and gave a realistic and relatable scenario when choosing between an older car and a new EV. Not only that, the math you did (key point - not factoring the grants in as a life saving factor) can be compared pretty much worldwide.
Realistic? Not even close. Driving a paid-off piece of junk 48K miles per year is not a stable scenario. Nor is counting its ownership costs as zero, while "comparing" it to the payment at bad-credit rates on a new car you overpaid by a mile on. You need to compare the costs of a new Bolt now, to a new Cherokee now, using the same type of financing on each.
Or, for a "used versus new" comparison, include new Bolt, used Bolt, new Cherokee, used Cherokee. And if driving 36K to 48K miles per year, the used vehicle should have very low miles, or you should hit it with a high monthly amount going into an emergency repair fund.
As others have said, awesome video. I especially appreciated the tip on reduced efficiency of high speed and a better route planner. I couldn’t quite understand the other trip planner you identified but a better route planner is one I did not know about until now and I have had a 2017 Bolt for over a year and before that I had a Ford Cmax Energi for eight years
Check out my advisory on A Better Route Planner above. It may not apply depending on where you live.
Thank you
For those who are wondering why I didn't include money paid for the jeep cherokee the truck was $1800 and bought 4 years ago there isn't a payment and that value over that time is so low it isn't really worth mentioning its about $38 a month. In addition I didn't claim the registration cost which in california the bolt is $645 and the Jeep is $135 a year. As a further disclaimer this video is based on my personal experience and not a jeep vs bolt comparison video and in my experience the jeep is far cheaper long term. The bolt is a better car to drive everyday and I do like it and will continue to own with a smile on my face hope this clears any concerns. Lastly some mentioned the amount for the tax incentive is incorrect those who pointed this out are correct thank you for showing interest and correcting my mistake. If you wish to know the tax incentive for any EV they can be looked up on the IRS website. Admittedly I should have done that before the video got made this is my mistake and I apologize.
It's safe to assume that a jeep you bought 4 years ago for $1800 has over 100k miles. The maintenance cost, when driving 30k+ miles a year will include more than just oil changes from here on out.
Right, the ever increasing repair costs of ICE cars. My fuel cost (2002 Camry) was about $110 per month and only $15 for my Bolt. Not to mention the first scheduled maint is a coolant change at 150K miles.
Great video! I’m looking into getting the Ford F-150 lighting
Wait, if you are going to take into a account the Bolt's payment, why didn't you account the Jeep's payments during its payment schedule? Doesn't that bias and taint the actually costs? Should you be comparing first year to first year?
Great video, Alex. I purchased a 2020 Bolt Premier, last March. Oasis Blue - same color as yours. I am only getting the tail end of the federal tax credit, or $1,875. The State of Pennsylvania also gave me a $750 credit. I paid cash, so no financing issues. I love the car - so much fun to drive.
You have a long and rough commute - how long of a drive from your place, until you hit a paved road.
I have a Level 2 Clipper Creek 32 amp charger in my garage, and local electric rates are well above the national average. Have you thought about going solar ?
Like your video style! However, why did you include the car payment in your comparison to the Jeep (which has no payment).
Also if you're talking about car payments then you need to discuss resale value as well. In other words, which car has a higher resale value? It's surely the new chevy bolt! Having said that, the Bolt is much cheaper to drive and is better for the environment. I own a chevy bolt BTW!
7:36 - ummmmm it doesn't have ACC. That's one of my biggest frustrations with it.
It’s a good review- but... The comparison of the operating cost between your paid off Jeep and the new Bolt is rather useless. Any new car is good to cost more per month than an old paid off one. A better comparison might have been to spend the same 40k on a new Jeep vs the new Bolt. Of course in a few years the Bolt will be paid off and then, low maintenance, low energy cost and no payments will equal big savings. So I just feel the comparison that a Jeep cost less to drive is totally deceiving. But the review itself was very honest and on track.
I would rather like to see what he had to pay for the Jeep, and broken down in monthly payments with the same finance-interest as the Chevrolet.
@@Greybone62 the Jeep appears to be a 2001 at the newest.
Your dirt road footage looks sweet! I hope a cybertruck is in ur future!
I paid $2000 down for my 2020 Bolt. (I got that back from the California in form of a EV rebate.)
I pay $182 per month for my lease, but since I've had solar power that has paid for itself in the past 7 years, my charging cost is ZERO. My registration is $360/Yr.
So , I drive my Bolt for roughly $210 per month. Since I don't buy any gas which I am sure it would have been more than $210/Mo, I am driving this car for absolutly FREE!
BTW, I also can drive in the car pool lane by myself. Although I usually don't.
I’m jealous. I almost leased one , but I let people scare me out of it. So I bought something I don’t like. I regret it every day.
I have the Michelin energy savers on my car too and I can’t ever go back to any other type of tire. I’ve tried other tires and the noise is way louder compared to the Energy savers. Just take it easy in the rain. Luckily in SoCal it’s not very often.
What about insurance payment?
the 2020 Bolt doesn't have adaptive curse, only standard cruse.
Your math is wrong, you can't take the cost of the Bolt and ignore the cost of the Jeep, you have to compare the cost of a 2020 Jeep with the cost of the 2020 Bolt to get your total cost.
since when did the bolt have adaptive cruise control?
Like the video but have to ask how long until you pay it off and if you amortized the rebate i think you'd break even
You talk about the tires of the Chevy Bolt. If it is kind of bad in wet weather, it is probably worse in snowy weather, correct???? How is the wear of the tires (how long do they last)?
Your cost comparison assumes you already own the cherokee. You ought to AT LEAST compare as if you bought the cherokee used at the start of the first comparison year. Otherwise the comparison is meaningless. There is simply NO new car that would compare well against any paid off vehicle (especially when you ignore repair costs).
Well done vid. (I just bought Kona ev, but was impressed with the Bolt test drive too).
I was thinking about getting one used, most in my area are 2017 for about 12-15k but my question is why is the payment so high? That payment of 645 a month is up there with a model 3 standard range.
Its not my only car loan so apr is high also i bought new and the price was 42k out the door
@@junkyardrestoration4069 ok, I was thinking that could be the case as well. Enjoy your car, I’m looking for my first foot in the electric door since my hybrid took a dump.
@@T3chAndThings I highly recommend the bolt and I also highly recommend buying used they are an amazing deal used!
Bolt lacks a "sunglasses compartment" and a Homelink built-in garage door opener. I noticed that right away. I have a two week old Premier on a Costco lease of 36 months. $280 a month.
Well..times have changed. I just got one from Paul masse Chevrolet for 26900.00 for the premiere package. Ny state has a 2000.00 electric car rebate so i am laughing past all the gas stations.
Dealers have been compensating for the loss of the federal tax credit by lowering the price by what you lost in the tax credit.
A more fair comparison on costs would be factoring an average 20,000 econocar at half your payment on the Bolt. It becomes more equal.
Your math is wrong. You’re calculating the car payments which should not be, someday you will be to changing your Cherokee will you calculate the payments of your new car too? If you’re going to compare costs then compare them new gas vs electric. Still I liked your video.
Great video. Nitpick: "level 3" is a colloquialism. It's AC level 1, AC level 2, and DC Fast Charge (DCFC).
And . . . Not a good looking car? Seriously. Heh. I guess that's subjective. I think it is damn sexy.
*Thoughts on the 2022 Bolt EV redesign?*
Interior & Exterior?
By all accounts, the entire car is light years better and the price is lower.
Thank you for this review - we live in the country too and this was very helpful.
A realistic cost would not involve the car payments on the Bolt electric vehicle.
i rented a 2018 bolt for uber, 2 weeks later my brother bought one,, damn him... but recently ive read alot of bad about fires and unsafe to park in garage,, while chargong
I own a Boltev 2019 Premier and the recalled battery has been replaced by the dealership at no charge. No more dangers of fires plus a bonus of increased mileage !! It’s an awesome car and fun to drive. Best decision I’ve ever made.
Tires and suspension upgrades could really make those great roads even more enjoyable.
"only 25,000 miles in one year"? I've had my Bolt 2 years (twice as long) and have 23,000 miles on it.
I had planned around 36k for the year, with this year being how it was I drove less thats why I said only lol thanks for commenting!
That's a ridiculous amount of driving. Please stop for your health 😜
@@homomorphic I wish I could!
Any idea the best app to get for charging stations? Do you need to have a membership to charge? Which is, "the best in the West"?
nice video but where do they give away jeeps, since yours was free?
“This shifter works kid of weird...”
Nissan Leaf has joined the chat...
Drive one for work. Still adjusting to the shifter.