6 Months Later, 107 miles each way to work, 120F Desert Heat

[iankh]

I thought I'd post an update on my Bolt life, now that I've been driving it for 6 months.

At first the thought of owning an EV made me nervous for several reasons:

• My drive into the office for my in-office days is about 107 miles each way, over hilly terrain and through mountain passes. I drive from Palm Springs to Carlsbad.
• I live in the desert and we had one of the worst summers recently with temperatures getting up to 121F

So, 6 months into life with my Bolt, named Farraday, has been better than I could have hoped for. The long drive in the Bolt is extremely comfortable and Farraday came out of the hot, hot summer like a champ.

I have made some changes to my driving habits:

• My Garmin is set to "shortest distance" so I could save on power and also, because the car is leased save some miles. This setting has cut out about 40 miles for a round-trip each week, netting a savings of about 1000 miles. I also learned that I much more prefer the route I now take. I actually like spending less time on the freeway, the drive is more pleasant
• I've learned to slow down. My foot is not heavy on the accelerator anymore. The surprise was that it didn't make much of a difference in my commute time
• I charge when I'm in Carlsbad. I could probably make the roundtrip on a full battery, but peace of mind is important to me. I typically stop at an EVGo and it takes me between 15 and 20 minutes to get to 80%. An unforeseen side benefit is that the charging experience is pretty pleasant. Not at all like going to a gas station. Much more like going to the dog park. I often stand around and shoot the breeze with other EV owners.

I recently had to rent an gas car for work. I had not driven one in 6 months. It was a rude awakening. No matter how "quiet" a gas car is, it cannot compare to an EV. I had also forgotten what it was like to step on the accelerator and have the car work its way up in gears. I'm spoiled by the responsiveness of the Bolt.

In summary, my fears about EV ownership never materialized and I couldn't be happier with my Bolt, Farraday.

 

[winterescape]

Very interesting, thanks for the update and sharing your experience!

 

[sgt1372]

Driving an EV requires certain adjustments in driving style.

Glad you could make it work for you in an acceptable manner.

 

[GernBlanston]

Great post, iankh.

 

[SeanNelson]

Great post, thanks for taking the time to write it!

...my Bolt, named Farraday...

I like the name - it makes me think of "far - a - day", which is what you can do because of the Bolt's range.

...My Garmin is set to "shortest distance" so I could save on power and also, because the car is leased save some miles. This setting has cut out about 40 miles for a round-trip each week, netting a savings of about 1000 miles. I also learned that I much more prefer the route I now take. I actually like spending less time on the freeway, the drive is more pleasant...

My Garmin sometimes does some odd things in "shortest distance" mode. For example, I've had a few instances in which it directed me to take a freeway exit and then immediately get back on the freeway again - I suspect because the freeway ramp distances were encoded as being some trivial distance less than the freeway itself.

But you're absolutely right - sometimes you get some nice little surprises. I've even found a quite useful routes in my own town, which I thought I knew pretty well.

And when I'm on a road trip I often try out the "avoid motorways" navigation option so I can get a closer look at the countryside I'm driving through. I too find off-freeway driving to be generally more interesting and relaxing.

 

[BoltHighTension]

Very interesting report, thanks!

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

Very nice, thanks for that.

Have you noticed what % it reports using for battery conditioning in 120 degree heat?

 

[PackardV8]

Driving an EV requires certain adjustments in driving style.

Yes, No, Maybe. I've not noticed any adjustments in driving style required at all. Maybe those few who are stretching to the end of the range might be required to make adjustments, but the genius of the Bolt is for those of us using it for strictly local use, it's just a really good, really fun, really quiet car; no unpleasant compromise required.

jack vines

 

[SeanNelson]

Driving an EV requires certain adjustments in driving style.

Yes, No, Maybe. I've not noticed any adjustments in driving style required at all.

I am eagerly looking forward to not having to drive like an old lady in order to minimize gas consumption. So my "adjustment" will be to no longer have to make adjustments...

 

[gpsman]

I drive 22 miles 1 way.
About 18 are freeway.
I drive other than rush hour.

I can drive 60 mph or 80 mph, my choice (almost) every day there is no road work or crashes along the way.

60 mph = 4.2 miles per kWh
80 mph = 2.2 miles per kWh

80 mph saves me 4 minutes.
80 mph costs me almost TWICE as much electricity/range.

I do not drive 80 mph anymore unless it is a bonafide emergency. Plus 60 mph is relaxing. I can set cruise control and leave it alone. At 80 mph one must constantly adjust because you come up on the rear of some people. At 60 mph (in a 65 zone) you have no chance of a speeding ticket. At 80 the chances are still pretty small, but definatly possible, which always gives an uneasy feeling. On top of that, it is of course more dangerous. This car is fun, and peppy to drive. I like the smooth fast acceleration. So I get my kicks accelerating quickly, which does not waste that many electrons, and relax at a moderate speed for the freeway sections of my journey.

 

[PackardV8]

I can drive 60 mph or 80 mph, my choice. . . . . At 80 mph one must constantly adjust because you come up on the rear of some people.

Most wouldn't see that as an either/or decision. Some choose keeping up with resonant traffic flow; neither being a harrier nor a rock in the stream.

jack vines

 

[GetOffYourGas]

I can drive 60 mph or 80 mph, my choice. . . . . At 80 mph one must constantly adjust because you come up on the rear of some people.

Most wouldn't see that as an either/or decision. Some choose keeping up with resonant traffic flow; neither being a harrier nor a rock in the stream.

jack vines

In my experience, there is no such speed. The speed at which any given car is traveling on the highway almost always ranges from 60-80MPH. Any of those speeds could be considered "keeping up with" some portion of the traffic flow. Anywhere in between, and you will both be passing others while being passed at the same time. Honestly, I find this much more frustrating, since you have to constantly move in and out of the left lane.

Maybe it's different where you live.

 

[SeanNelson]

I can drive 60 mph or 80 mph, my choice. . . . . At 80 mph one must constantly adjust because you come up on the rear of some people.

Most wouldn't see that as an either/or decision. Some choose keeping up with resonant traffic flow; neither being a harrier nor a rock in the stream.

In my experience, there is no such speed. The speed at which any given car is traveling on the highway almost always ranges from 60-80MPH. Any of those speeds could be considered "keeping up with" some portion of the traffic flow.

Totally agree, and if you decide to drive at the low end of the range then you tend to have the luxury of not having to deal with speed changes and the benefit of usually having lots of space in front of you to deal with emergencies.