Be Aware of Social Network Manipulation re: Bolts/EVs

[dandrewk]

It started with Karl Rove during the Bush/Kerry election. He would send hundreds of volunteers into various forums, posing as "undecideds" with the specific intent of coming to the conclusion that Bush should be reelected. They were quite persuasive.

Those types of efforts have expanded exponentially, and posers are all over Facebook, Instagram etc, advocating whatever they are being paid to advocate. This applies to EVs, which pose as a major threat to some very large, international concerns that are both powerful and determined to keep their golden, oily goose.

They are smart, so don't expect them to say "Gosh, the Bolt sure does suck", or obvious things like that. They are much more subtle, doing just enough to promote a general conclusion of owner discontent or overblown issues. It doesn't take much, and believe me, they are practiced of congenial persuasion.

Let me be clear, I'm NOT accusing anyone here of duplicity. But it does exist. For proof, checkout some of the FB Bolt groups. Other than being aware of it, there's not much to we can do. It's human nature to be public about problems/issues, but not so much with success stories. Yet the Bolt IS a success story. So please, if you are having or had a good experience with you Bolt, don't be afraid to write about it. It's probably the only way to combat the B.S.

 

[devbolt]

Which Facebook groups? I'm a member of two groups, one national and one local.

 

[dandrewk]

Which Facebook groups? I'm a member of two groups, one national and one local.

The Chevy Bolt EV Owners group, and the one for the SF Bay Area. Probably the same ones as you.

 

[ScooterCT]

ROTFL. It's another vast right wing conspiracy!

I guess, given the 400,000+ Tesla Model 3 reservations, those guys aren't very effective...

 

[devbolt]

Which Facebook groups? I'm a member of two groups, one national and one local.

The Chevy Bolt EV Owners group, and the one for the SF Bay Area. Probably the same ones as you.

Yep!

 

[dandrewk]

ROTFL. It's another vast right wing conspiracy!

I guess, given the 400,000+ Tesla Model 3 reservations, those guys aren't very effective...

I'm not sure what you are responding to. Who said anything about "right wing conspiracy"?

... unless you still believe that Rove, Adelson, Koch bros. give a rat's ass about conservatism. "LOL", they don't, never have. It's all about greed and power. Believe me, if there was the kind of $$$ available in green energy that comes from oil/gas, they'd all be about solar/wind energy.

Answer me this: Why did the EV1 fail? Why did it take nearly 20 years to come up with an alternative? How is that China, who don't have super-pacs, been able to kick our butts in green energy and EV adoption?

Musk had a lot to do with our entry into EVs. He's a billionaire all on his own, so he doesn't have to answer to anyone. Tesla's success (-(-assuming- they eventually start making a profit) is based on his drive.

 

[alevek]

Careful, don't get the Tesla fan boys riled up! If I just mention that there are a lot of things I like on My Bolt better than on my Model S I get crucified.
For example, things that are better on the Bolt:
Auto wipers that actually work
Auto high beams that actually work
Auto A/C temp control that actually works
Surround Vision
Front and rear camera selection
Rear view mirror camera
Blind spot warning in side mirrors
Functional door handles instead of gimmicky unreliable complicated unnecessary motorized handles
Grab handles, coat hooks
Cup holders in proper place
Better regen for true one pedal driving
Smoother driving and maneuverability
No grinding noises when turning wheels (it' normal according to Service Center)
Roof racks
Easier cargo loading
Anroid Auto integration
More modern display UI
$100,000 cheaper than Model S

Things I like better in Model S
It's fast, really fast!
Nicer interior trim materials

Notice that I didn't say anything about Tesla autopilot, since it's unsafe and should never be used, just like it says in the manual. If you have to be in full control at all times, why bother?

 

[oilerlord]

ROTFL. It's another vast right wing conspiracy!

I guess, given the 400,000+ Tesla Model 3 reservations, those guys aren't very effective...

I got a chuckle out of this too. If someone posts a problem or is critical about their EV (or EVs in general) - clearly; it's BS, but if someone else writes a post stating their Bolt is an automotive masterpiece - well, that's the god's gospel truth, and shouldn't be challenged.

This is what forums are for...bringing issues & experiences to the forefront, and discussing them to everyone's benefit. I'm sure GM is monitoring boards like this one, and will eventually release a TSB to make the seat issue - a non-issue going forward. Until that happens, one member on this board came up with a brilliant how-to to inexpensively & easily modify the seats to make them more comfortable. All feedback is important, and along with improving the driving experience for us all, it's that feedback that helps EV's get better.

 

[oilerlord]

Careful, don't get the Tesla fan boys riled up! If I just mention that there are a lot of things I like on My Bolt better than on my Model S I get crucified.
For example, things that are better on the Bolt:
Auto wipers that actually work
Auto high beams that actually work
Auto A/C temp control that actually works
Surround Vision
Front and rear camera selection
Rear view mirror camera
Blind spot warning in side mirrors
Functional door handles instead of gimmicky unreliable complicated unnecessary motorized handles
Grab handles, coat hooks
Cup holders in proper place
Better regen for true one pedal driving
Smoother driving and maneuverability
No grinding noises when turning wheels (it' normal according to Service Center)
Roof racks
Easier cargo loading
Anroid Auto integration
More modern display UI
$100,000 cheaper than Model S

Things I like better in Model S
It's fast, really fast!
Nicer interior trim materials

Notice that I didn't say anything about Tesla autopilot, since it's unsafe and should never be used, just like it says in the manual. If you have to be in full control at all times, why bother?

And yet, for a car that is so clearly inferior and that costs "$100,000" more, the aging Model S has outsold the all-new Bolt by nearly 50% this year:

Case in point: Perhaps this is the kind of "social network manipulation" that the OP was warning us about.

 

[dandrewk]

And yet, for a car that is so clearly inferior and that costs "$100,000" more, the aging Model S has outsold the all-new Bolt by nearly 50% this year:

Case in point: Perhaps this is the kind of "social network manipulation" that the OP was warning us about.

Yes indeed. And I must say, OILERlord, you are good at your job. How much is Athabasca et.al. paying you? Or are you going to taunt us again about how you are making money with your filthy product?

 

[ScooterCT]

I'm a secret anti-Bolt agent too. I get paid big bucks to come onto this forum and spew fake facts. In fact, I just bought a new Fla condo with my earnings. Those oil barons are really generous. I pride myself that I'm personally responsible for cutting Bolt sales in half so far this year.

 

[dandrewk]

I'm a secret anti-Bolt agent too. I get paid big bucks to come onto this forum and spew fake facts. In fact, I just bought a new Fla condo with my earnings. Those oil barons are really generous. I pride myself that I'm personally responsible for cutting Bolt sales in half so far this year.

Is this you?:

 

[ScooterCT]

Looks like you, just before reality walks along to kick you in the butt.

 

[JoeS]

Things I like better in Model S
It's fast, really fast!
Nicer interior trim materials

Ummm, how about the Supercharger network allowing Tesla S/X to be the only viable long-distance BEVs presently available?

 

[user 1034]

Ummm, how about the Supercharger network allowing Tesla S/X to be the only viable long-distance BEVs presently available?

First post Tesla fanboy trolling. Nice.

 

[alevek]

Things I like better in Model S
It's fast, really fast!
Nicer interior trim materials

Ummm, how about the Supercharger network allowing Tesla S/X to be the only viable long-distance BEVs presently available?

in 2,5 years never used a Supercharger.

 

[sgt1372]

Things I like better in Model S
It's fast, really fast!
Nicer interior trim materials

Ummm, how about the Supercharger network allowing Tesla S/X to be the only viable long-distance BEVs presently available?

in 2,5 years never used a Supercharger.

Funny how people on the Tesla forum make such a big deal about how the Supercharger network is a major advantage of buying/leasing a Tesla.

However, when there was a recent discussion of the possibility of Tesla opening the Supercharger network to non-Tesla vehicles and I mentioned that this would diminish the claimed competitive "advantage" and one guy had the nerve to deny that no one ever claimed it to be an advantage in the 1st place.

Fact is relatively few Tesla owners actually use the Supercharger network but enough do that Tesla has had to send out warning emails to owners who they say/think are using it too often and are also "throttling down" the charge rate for "abusers" (the way that mobile phone carriers do to volume users of their Internet services).

A further control on usage has been Tesla's decision to stop giving Supercharger usage away for free (since Jan 2017, I believe) and to start charging all new users for the service.

Things will only get worse when the anticipated glut of Model 3 buyers/lessors get their cars and start trying to use the Supercharger and, failing that, then making use of public charging stations.

I anticipate that the glut of new Model 3 drivers/users will put a very serious strain on an already inadequate EV charging network but, if Tesla does open up it's Superchargers to non-Tesla users, it will at least even out the playing field so that ALL EV drivers will be able to access all available stations.

 

[JoeS]

in 2,5 years never used a Supercharger.

I respect that, and I also have never used a local Supercharger; however, having put on 25K miles this past year including a 10K-mile around the US and multiple trips up/down the west coast, I cannot imagine doing that in a Bolt considering the present state of the nation's CCS network. The Bolt is a great intermediate-range vehicle that IMO is overkill for most people's local driving needs, but is no match for the Tesla when it comes to serious long-distance passagemaking (primarily because of the high-power Superchargers). Don't get me wrong, as I do like the BoltEV (especially the regen implementation) and have three friends who bought them as a result of my encouragement (each needing a car for regular ~150-mile trips).

 

[oilerlord]

A further control on usage has been Tesla's decision to stop giving Supercharger usage away for free (since Jan 2017, I believe) and to start charging all new users for the service.

Not exactly. Tesla is including 400 kWh of free supercharging per year for owners that ordered their cars after December 31, 2016:

https://transportevolved.com/2016/11/07/tesla-to-impose-400-kwh-supercharger-limit-to-all-new-tesla-customers-from-jan-1-will-charge-beyond-this-point/

Things will only get worse when the anticipated glut of Model 3 buyers/lessors get their cars and start trying to use the Supercharger and, failing that, then making use of public charging stations.

I anticipate that the glut of new Model 3 drivers/users will put a very serious strain on an already inadequate EV charging network but, if Tesla does open up it's Superchargers to non-Tesla users, it will at least even out the playing field so that ALL EV drivers will be able to access all available stations.

I wouldn't hold my breath that Tesla is going to offer charging to non-Tesla owners. Membership has it's privileges.