New Bolt Owner

[Bobg1726]

I bought a 2018 Bolt LT at the end of January. It's a Kinetic Blue, one owner with 25K. It's a base model and that's fine with me. I bought it to commute to work and it has been perfect. My commute is 90 miles/day, and I need to recharge when I get home. I live in Pennsylvania, and I think the cold temps are hurting the range.
I'm hoping with spring and summer coming soon it will be better. Nevertheless, I love the car.
Looking forward to learning all I can about the Chevy Bolts and anticipating the coming of the 2026 model.
Thanks,
Bobg1726.

 

[Tech Admin]

Welcome to the community!

 

[Nate Tinlin]

I bought a 2018 Bolt LT at the end of January. It's a Kinetic Blue, one owner with 25K. It's a base model and that's fine with me. I bought it to commute to work and it has been perfect. My commute is 90 miles/day, and I need to recharge when I get home. I live in Pennsylvania, and I think the cold temps are hurting the range.
I'm hoping with spring and summer coming soon it will be better. Nevertheless, I love the car.
Looking forward to learning all I can about the Chevy Bolts and anticipating the coming of the 2026 model.
Thanks,
Bobg1726.

Not sure about the cold weather hurting your range, but I do know that running the heater reduces the range by almost 20%. I have a 2020 Bolt and I lose significant range while running the heater and the AC.

 

[voodoomaster]

The cold environment does impact the charging and the available stored battery level.

 

[Joe Cherra]

Not sure about the cold weather hurting your range, but I do know that running the heater reduces the range by almost 20%. I have a 2020 Bolt and I lose significant range while running the heater and the AC.

Just a suggestion, use your fob to first lock the doors second use the bottom button to start the battery conditioner. If you left your heater on when you shut down the last time the heater will heat up your car using electricity from the charging station to defrost your windows and warm up the cabin.

When you are ready to go you can turn off the heater leave the cabin ventilation on and you should be able to travel unmeted comfortably to your destination.

 

[BillM]

If the Bolt is plugged into a charger outlet with sufficient power, you can use the MyChevrolet mobile app to lock and start the car so that it can warm up inside using external power without using up driving range. If you use the cord supplied with the car plugged into 120 volts, that will only supply about one half as much power as the heater can use. The MyChevrolet app is not very flexible. The app will just use whatever the climate setting was when the car last shut off. If you didn’t leave the heat on, you have to go out to the car to switch it on.

The heater appears to warm liquid, so once the cabin is warm, the liquid helps hold the temperature and not as much power is required.

If you look as your energy consumption graph, you can see that in very cold conditions that the heater initially uses as much energy as it takes to drive the car.

The heat is one of those paradoxes of electric cars. The electric drive is so crazy efficient that running the heater really kills driving rang, by up to one half. In a gasoline powered car, there is so much waste heat from the engine’s inefficiency that a large radiator is required. The heat for the cabin is pretty much a free byproduct which would normally go out the radiator. Gasoline cars lose range in the winder but it it is not nearly as dramatic as electric cars

 

[Bobg1726]

Great tips. Thanks to all of you.
I do use the heater, but I try and keep the fan speed on the lowest or 2nd lowest speed setting.
Does increasing the temperature setting to a higher temperature, while keeping the fan speed setting constant, have any effect on battery energy usage.
Thanks again everyone.
Bobg1726

 

[voodoomaster]

If the Bolt is plugged into a charger outlet with sufficient power, you can use the MyChevrolet mobile app to lock and start the car so that it can warm up inside using external power without using up driving range. If you use the cord supplied with the car plugged into 120 volts, that will only supply about one half as much power as the heater can use. The MyChevrolet app is not very flexible. The app will just use whatever the climate setting was when the car last shut off. If you didn’t leave the heat on, you have to go out to the car to switch it on.

The heater appears to warm liquid, so once the cabin is warm, the liquid helps hold the temperature and not as much power is required.

If you look as your energy consumption graph, you can see that in very cold conditions that the heater initially uses as much energy as it takes to drive the car.

The heat is one of those paradoxes of electric cars. The electric drive is so crazy efficient that running the heater really kills driving rang, by up to one half. In a gasoline powered car, there is so much waste heat from the engine’s inefficiency that a large radiator is required. The heat for the cabin is pretty much a free byproduct which would normally go out the radiator. Gasoline cars lose range in the winder but it it is not nearly as dramatic as electric cars

I'd venture to say the heater cuts out only about 25% of the battery range, not as high as 1/2, at least by by observations with my 2021 1LT.

 

[voodoomaster]

Great tips. Thanks to all of you.
I do use the heater, but I try and keep the fan speed on the lowest or 2nd lowest speed setting.
Does increasing the temperature setting to a higher temperature, while keeping the fan speed setting constant, have any effect on battery energy usage.
Thanks again everyone.
Bobg1726

I've tried the fan speed thing but have not seen any changes in the displayed power consumed.

 

[garlock]

Not sure about the cold weather hurting your range, but I do know that running the heater reduces the range by almost 20%. I have a 2020 Bolt and I lose significant range while running the heater and the AC.

I bought a 2020 used in September & so far really like it, but a few days ago drove to a neighboring town it was was 0 degrees when I left home battery fully charged it was about a 35 mile drive, parked the car outside at 5 degrees, when got in the car for my drive home after letting the car sit for about 5 hours got a notice "propulsion limited" the car drove normal coming home, plugged in the level charger the next morning only showed 50 mile range so switched to level 2 at 32 amps next day only got to 60 mile range, & was a red light on the dash instead of green, called my local dealer, can't get in till March, anybody have a idea what's
going on? Is it time for a new main battery? is it still under warranty being I'm not the original owner?

 

[voodoomaster]

Outside air was at 0 degrees when you were attempting to charge with the level 2 charger? Can you get into a warmer area, perhaps the garage, to see how a warmer battery acts? It would seem that with the red dash light the main battery is certainly trying to tell you something ugly. Does the owners manual mention the red light? On page 100 of my manual it saye this: "PROPULSION POWER IS REDUCED - This message can display when the vehicle is parked during extreme cold conditions without being plugged in." Not exactly your situation.

 

[SparkE]

Outside air was at 0 degrees when you were attempting to charge with the level 2 charger? Can you get into a warmer area, perhaps the garage, to see how a warmer battery acts? It would seem that with the red dash light the main battery is certainly trying to tell you something ugly. Does the owners manual mention the red light? On page 100 of my manual it saye this: "PROPULSION POWER IS REDUCED - This message can display when the vehicle is parked during extreme cold conditions without being plugged in." Not exactly your situation.

@garlock

I sounds like exactly his situation. "plugged in the level 1 charger the next morning ..." He left the car unplugged all night in extreme cold conditions. The battery *really* doesn't like being below freezing, and doesn't work as well below about 45 degrees or so.

I would suggest plugging in the level 2 charger, get in and start the car, turn the heater on to about 75 degrees, turn the car OFF, get out and use the 'battery conditioning' feature on the fob (lock the doors then hold the bottom button down for about 4 seconds to start battery conditioning). This will run the battery warmer for 20 minutes. Do it a second time, for another 20 minutes. That should warm the battery up to above 40 degrees (hopefully). If not, get back in the car after the second 'conditioning cycle', turn the car on again (the 'remote start' can only be used twice - then you have to start the car). Get out and run the 'battery conditioning' another time or two.

If that fixes the problem THIS TIME, it sounds like you should simply leave the car plugged in over night so that the car keeps the battery warm. If the car is plugged in, it will keep the battery from getting too cold. And put a 14 gauge or 12 gauge (i.e., 'heavy duty') 25-foot extension cord in the trunk along with the 120V charger if you are going to leave the car parked in 0 or 5 degree weather for hours. And always 'remote start' ('battery condition') your car for 20 minutes before leaving home to warm the battery.

There is a 'trick' to safely charge your vehicle in public without losing your personal charger.

(a) lower the driver's window just enough to fit the extension cord and charging cord from EVSE through the crack.

(b) Run the extension cord through the crack, and loop it through the steering wheel several times so it can't be pulled out of the car. Ditto the charging cable (side with the J1772 plug), so that IT can't be pulled out of the car.

(c) plug the EVSE into the extension cord, leave it inside the car. Plug the J1772 plug into the car, and walk away (after locking the car and checking that the green light is blinking).

This way, nobody can steal the ext cord or the EVSE, since it is firmly wrapped thru the steering wheel.

 

[garlock]

@garlock

I sounds like exactly his situation. "plugged in the level 1 charger the next morning ..." He left the car unplugged all night in extreme cold conditions. The battery *really* doesn't like being below freezing, and doesn't work as well below about 45 degrees or so.

I would suggest plugging in the level 2 charger, get in and start the car, turn the heater on to about 75 degrees, turn the car OFF, get out and use the 'battery conditioning' feature on the fob (lock the doors then hold the bottom button down for about 4 seconds to start battery conditioning). This will run the battery warmer for 20 minutes. Do it a second time, for another 20 minutes. That should warm the battery up to above 40 degrees (hopefully). If not, get back in the car after the second 'conditioning cycle', turn the car on again (the 'remote start' can only be used twice - then you have to start the car). Get out and run the 'battery conditioning' another time or two.

If that fixes the problem THIS TIME, it sounds like you should simply leave the car plugged in over night so that the car keeps the battery warm. If the car is plugged in, it will keep the battery from getting too cold. And put a 14 gauge or 12 gauge (i.e., 'heavy duty') 25-foot extension cord in the trunk along with the 120V charger if you are going to leave the car parked in 0 or 5 degree weather for hours. And always 'remote start' ('battery condition') your car for 20 minutes before leaving home to warm the battery.

There is a 'trick' to safely charge your vehicle in public without losing your personal charger.

(a) lower the driver's window just enough to fit the extension cord and charging cord from EVSE through the crack.

(b) Run the extension cord through the crack, and loop it through the steering wheel several times so it can't be pulled out of the car. Ditto the charging cable (side with the J1772 plug), so that IT can't be pulled out of the car.

(c) plug the EVSE into the extension cord, leave it inside the car. Plug the J1772 plug into the car, and walk away (after locking the car and checking that the green light is blinking).

This way, nobody can steal the ext cord or the EVSE, since it is firmly wrapped thru the steering wheel.

Spar e Can I charge with level 2 the same way?

 

[voodoomaster]

Spar e Can I charge with level 2 the same way?

Garlock, the 240 v charging hardware, level 2, works just like the level 1 hardware, only with a bit more muscle and faster speed.

 

[garlock]

Garlock, the 240 v charging hardware, level 2, works just like the level 1 hardware, only with a bit more muscle and faster speed.

Thanks Voodo, I know that, but since I got the " Limited propulsion" when I try & charge with level 2 the light on top of dash turns steady red!

 

[voodoomaster]

Thanks Voodo, I know that, but since I got the " Limited propulsion" when I try & charge with level 2 the light on top of dash turns steady red!

Of course, sorry. Are you saying that the red dash light does not show up when plugged into the level 1 equipment? If it does, then it appears that it makes no difference what you are plugged into.

 

[ClarD]

There is a 'trick' to safely charge your vehicle in public without losing your personal charger.

Two chunks of pallet board can capture the cord.

 

[elasticmedia]

I live in temperate Bay Area in California, so I don't have the cold climate that you have, but here are a couple of things I do. I pretty much only use heated seats and turn on the steering wheel heat (I have that option) to stay warm when the temperature "plunges" to 46 degrees. I also keep a puffy down jacket in the car that I put on my lap, and I stay warm with these points. I find the heating system a little odd: to really raise the temp in the car, it seems to require cranking the temp up to 75 degrees. Also, I find the Max defrosting functionality to be only barely satisfactory. I have a 2017 Premier.

 

[garlock]

Of course, sorry. Are you saying that the red dash light does not show up when plugged into the level 1 equipment? If it does, then it appears that it makes no difference what you are plugged into.

No it only shows up on level 2 it's not the little red security light either

 

[voodoomaster]

No it only shows up on level2

Could it be that the level 2 charger that you have at home is the problem source? Have you tried another level 2 charger? If the 120 V level 1 setup does not cause the red failure light on the dash perhaps trying another level 2 unit elsewhere would be the next step to eliminate one of the possible causes.