Full charge mileage displayed isn't 238

[Anonymous]

Other advice/feedback welcome.

My advice/feedback is to read this entire thread from the beginning before going to the dealer and making a fool of yourself.

Those are strong words Marshall Dillion!

I always think that a continuing dialog with the dealer is good and after $37495 - $43,905 your privilege!

My dealer saw me after I discovered there was no internal NAV and now I visit frequently for their free DC Fast Charger and fresh baked chocolate chip cookies!

 

[gpsman]

This ain't rocket surgery or brain science.

The milegage calculator is simple:

59.5 x miles per kWh in "recent history".

If you always drive in a manner that gets 4.0 miles per kWh your miles meter will always be 238 after a full charge.

If you always drive in a way that the car goes 3.0 miles per kWh, your miles meter will always be 179 after a full charge.

I'm not sure exactly what "recent history" is.
Could be the last 100 miles, or last 100 minutes.
Not a very long interval though.

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

I'm not sure exactly what "recent history" is.
Could be the last 100 miles, or last 100 minutes.
Not a very long interval though.

Several days.

 

[sgt1372]

This ain't rocket surgery or brain science.

The milegage calculator is simple:

59.5 x miles per kWh in "recent history".

If you always drive in a manner that gets 4.0 miles per kWh your miles meter will always be 238 after a full charge.

If you always drive in a way that the car goes 3.0 miles per kWh, your miles meter will always be 179 after a full charge.

I'm not sure exactly what "recent history" is.
Could be the last 100 miles, or last 100 minutes.
Not a very long interval though.

Yep. This has been my experience so far.

Have been able to drive at 4.0 kwh or better on local streets but don't do much better than 3.0 kwh on the freeway/highway for an average of about 3.5 kwh. So, mid range estimate has varied from as much as 230 to as low as 190.

After taking the Bolt out on a spirited freeway drive of 60 miles RT at speeds of 70-80 and recharging overnight on the 110v cord w/about 130 miles left, the gauge now says 215.

Good enough for my needs locally but for those 160-180 mile drives that I have to take into the City, I may just opt to drive my BMW instead so that I won't need to be on my best driving behavior to get the miles I need.

Still need to do a "test drive" into the City to see how well I need to drive in order to get there and back w/o topping off in town or on the way back. May try that later this week.

Update 2/28/17:

Just went on another "brisk" 60 mile freeway drive averaging 70-80 mph yesterday and, after another full charge overnight, the estimated mid range dropped to 200 from 215 previously; m/kwh varied from 2.4 to 2.8 and averaged out b4 charging to 2.9.

Seriously doubt I'd make it to the City and back driving 160 miles RT that way. Makes me think that I should just continue driving my BMW for those occasional trips into the City to avoid the need to worry/think about it.

We'll see . . .

 

[Anonymous]

Good enough for my needs locally but for those 160-180 mile drives that I have to take into the City, I may just opt to drive my BMW instead so that I won't need to be on my best driving behavior to get the miles I need.

DON'T DO IT!

Can't you arrange a charge while "in the City?"

 

[devbolt]

Good enough for my needs locally but for those 160-180 mile drives that I have to take into the City, I may just opt to drive my BMW instead so that I won't need to be on my best driving behavior to get the miles I need.

DON'T DO IT!

Can't you arrange a charge while "in the City?"

A 160 mile round trip trip should be easily doable In the Bolt. The Car and Driver guys drove a Bolt at 75 MPH with the climate control set to 72 and got 190 miles of range. You are probably unlikely to be able drive the Bolt at 75 MPH the entire way to SF and back, so you should have plenty of range.

My advice, charge to full capacity before you set out and look for a place either in the city to charge at, or a DC Fast charge station on the way back in case you think you won't have enough range on the way back. You won't know if it's possible until you try.

 

[sgt1372]

Good enough for my needs locally but for those 160-180 mile drives that I have to take into the City, I may just opt to drive my BMW instead so that I won't need to be on my best driving behavior to get the miles I need.

DON'T DO IT!

Can't you arrange a charge while "in the City?"

A 160 mile round trip trip should be easily doable In the Bolt. The Car and Driver guys drove a Bolt at 75 MPH with the climate control set to 72 and got 190 miles of range. You are probably unlikely to be able drive the Bolt at 75 MPH the entire way to SF and back, so you should have plenty of range.

My advice, charge to full capacity before you set out and look for a place either in the city to charge at, or a DC Fast charge station on the way back in case you think you won't have enough range on the way back. You won't know if it's possible until you try.

Don't want to be bothered w/topping off in the City because when I have to drive there I usually try to arrange to get there around 11am and leave by 1-2pm to avoid rush hour traffic and where I have to go may not have a charging station nearby.

Would just rather not be bothered w/needing to do it or worry about it.

If the Bolt can't make it to the City and back -- starting out fully charged -- based on the way I like to drive, I simply won't use it to drive into the City. I know that I can make it to the City and back if I "restrain" myself but then I will not enjoy the drive.

Quite honestly, I always drive in the fast lane, cruise at 75-80 (which is the flow of traffic on Hwy 4, 80 and 101 during non-rush hours in the fast lane) and PASS at 85-90 when it can be done quickly and safely.

Just did that today on a 225 mile RT to Sacramento and the foothills today in the BMW and had a wonderful time.

This kind of driving just sucks the guts out of the Bolt's battery. Right now, I think the Bolt would be barely capable of getting me to the City and back driving in this way. It would be a VERY close call.

I haven't had a reason to drive into the City recently but a couple of necessary trips are coming up. So, I'm still going to do at least 1 test drive -- driving the way I normally do one-way -- to see how much range is used up.

If there's not enough range left for the return trip w/at least a 20-30 mile buffer, I'll top off somewhere in town and will NEVER use the Bolt to drive into the City again. Just not worth the time & worry when I can drive my BMW instead.

 

[phil0909]

If there's not enough range left for the return trip w/at least a 20-30 mile buffer, I'll top off somewhere in town and will NEVER use the Bolt to drive into the City again. Just not worth the time & worry when I can drive my BMW instead.

I bet the Bolt would be fine with your normal driving style for the 180 miles, in decent weather. Based on my own driving style and Bolt experience, no problem.

But your attitude is eminently sensible. If it's too close for comfort, the BMW is preferable.

 

[devbolt]

All I keep hearing is reasons why the trip can't be made in the Bolt and I'm not hearing reasons how it could be made with minimal alterations to driving style and habits.

There's 5 or 6 different locations in San Francisco with DC fast chargers, 5 or 6 in Oakland/Berkeley, about 7 more along the 80 corridor into Sacramento, and 12 in Sacramento. You can easily make the trip into San Francisco and be able to grab a charge on the way back home if you don't think you'll have enough range.

Personally I wonder why someone who is used to driving a BMW would buy an electric car and not expect to have to adjust their driving style to the EV. If you wanted an EV that you can drive like your BMW (a sports sedan), then you should've gotten a used Model S.

 

[phil0909]

All I keep hearing is reasons why the trip can't be made in the Bolt and I'm not hearing reasons how it could be made with minimal alterations to driving style and habits.

There's 5 or 6 different locations in San Francisco with DC fast chargers, 5 or 6 in Oakland/Berkeley, about 7 more along the 80 corridor into Sacramento, and 12 in Sacramento. You can easily make the trip into San Francisco and be able to grab a charge on the way back home if you don't think you'll have enough range.

Personally I wonder why someone who is used to driving a BMW would buy an electric car and not expect to have to adjust their driving style to the EV. If you wanted an EV that you can drive like your BMW (a sports sedan), then you should've gotten a used Model S.

If the man does not want to minimally alter his habits, that is his right. If he wants to buy a Bolt and not a Tesla, that's no skin of your nose. If he wants to drive the Bolt like a BMW, then that's exactly what he should do. It's a free country.

I'm with sgt on this one. I drive my Bolt the way I like to drive. If I wanted to endure compromises and range anxiety, I would have bought a Leaf.

 

[sgt1372]

Personally I wonder why someone who is used to driving a BMW would buy an electric car and not expect to have to adjust their driving style to the EV. If you wanted an EV that you can drive like your BMW (a sports sedan), then you should've gotten a used Model S.

I leased the Bolt simply because I got tired of going to the gas station to fillup my gas guzzling FJ Cruiser, which was my daily driver that I just used locally and for occasional drives into the City and elsewhere. The Bolt just needed to be able to do what the FJ did and mostly it does.

During the test drive, the Bolt did everything I wanted it to do w/in the limited range of that drive.

It handled well and drove fast enough for my taste. I was aware that my driving style would quickly deplete the battery but that would not be an issue for the mostly local and short trip driving that I would be doing with it.

Thing is, I didn't lease the Bolt to save the planet I'm not a "green" fanatic and the people who will make the Bolt and other long range EVs commercially successful aren't either.

As was mentioned in another thread, in order for EVs to be commercially successful (like hybrids -- such as the Volt -- have been), they have to be perceived as just like any other car w/o any concern over range or other things.

NO ONE wants to be told that they will have to drive an EV any differently than any other car to get the range they expect from it. Every vehicle I own can make it into the City w/o the need for a fill up to get back home. The Bolt needs to be able to do the same thing for me.

At +200 miles, range is less of an issue in the Bolt but it is still an issue. +300 would be better but a larger battery probably isn't in Bolt's (or the M3's) future -- too big & heavy. Hopefully, greater battery efficiency will help achieve that later. But, in the meantime, it's still a limitation.

However, don't get me wrong, I'm NOT complaining about the Bolt. I love it for use locally and for those 60-80 mile drives in the East Bay but if it can't make the trip into the City and back w/o needing to top off or worrying if I can make it back, then I won't use if for that.

Don't need to because I already have a high speed, long distance car in the BMW and a back roads sports car in the MR2. I also have a truck for when I need to use that. Didn't want a Tesla Model S or a Roadster because they are too expensive and there is still a question about range.

So, if I can't use the Bolt to drive into the City w/o concern or the need to top off, no problem. I'll just drive the BMW, MR2 or truck instead.

OBTW, I never used the FJ for what it was really designed to do - - go off-road. Had another FJ & a Jeep before to do that. Lost interest in 4wheeling for awhile, but now that the FJ is gone, I'm actually thinking of getting another Jeep just for that.

Point is, every vehicle is designed for a specific purpose and has its own inherent strengths and limitations. The Bolt is no different. That' s why I currently have 4 vehicles and am thinking about getting a 5th

 

[GetOffYourGas]

I'm with sgt on this one. I drive my Bolt the way I like to drive. If I wanted to endure compromises and range anxiety, I would have bought a Leaf.

Me too. I own a Leaf. When I first got it, I pushed the range. I took a few longer trips out into the Finger Lakes, longer than the nominal single-charge range. But I had to completely change how I drive. It was no fun. Today, I simply drive it how I like to drive. For me, that means quick, but not fast. By that I mean I enjoy accelerating around turns and from stop lights. But I generally keep within ~10% of the speed limit on highways (~72 MPH in a 65 zone). This suits me fine for my typical M-F commuting and driving.

If I need to drive farther, I no longer think about it. I just take the CMax Energi and enjoy the ride (I only wish I could afford a BMW!).

 

[devbolt]

I get where people are coming from, believe me. What I don't get is the unwillingness to try, or the utter reluctance to go outside the comfort zone. You bought an EV, you are already in uncharted territory. Push the limits first with a backup plan. Then decide that it's un-worthy of a trip to the city.

 

[phil0909]

I get where people are coming from, believe me. What I don't get is the unwillingness to try, or the utter reluctance to go outside the comfort zone. You bought an EV, you are already in uncharted territory. Push the limits first with a backup plan. Then decide that it's un-worthy of a trip to the city.

When confronted with a choice between comfort and discomfort, I usually choose comfort. So do most people all across the world. Comfort is better. How are you not getting this? :?:

 

[devbolt]

I get where people are coming from, believe me. What I don't get is the unwillingness to try, or the utter reluctance to go outside the comfort zone. You bought an EV, you are already in uncharted territory. Push the limits first with a backup plan. Then decide that it's un-worthy of a trip to the city.

When confronted with a choice between comfort and discomfort, I usually choose comfort. So do most people all across the world. Comfort is better. How are you not getting this? :?:

There's a difference between being comfortable in the car and going beyond your comfort zone to see what is possible with a new car. I don't expect my Bolt to drive the same as my Plug-in Prius or Highlander or the Sienna we used to have. I expect that I will have to adjust to new driving dynamics, creature comforts, and technological features. And that includes the range I can get out of a full charge. It means being willing to experiment a bit and learn what the car is capable of.

I choose comfort, too. For me that might mean running the climate control system like I would in my other cars and not worry about the potential range hit. I had a co-worker with a Plug-in Prius who refused to turn the fan on (not A/C, just the fan) because it lowered his predicted range by 1.5 miles, even though in reality it would probably have negligible effect. He was so focused on a phantom number that he sacrificed comfort. This is also the same co-worker who wouldn't drive the car to work until he got his HOV stickers, so he kept driving his old clunky truck in the non-HOV lanes. Even though he'd be able to do the same trip in the PiP and potentially be more comfortable (especially if he turned on the fan).

 

[sgt1372]

I get where people are coming from, believe me. What I don't get is the unwillingness to try, or the utter reluctance to go outside the comfort zone. You bought an EV, you are already in uncharted territory. Push the limits first with a backup plan. Then decide that it's un-worthy of a trip to the city.

When the choice is ending up dead in the road or struggling to find a charger before the battery goes dead, I have absolutely NO interest in testing the limits of the battery.

If you consider that a "reluctance to go outside the comfort zone," so be it. I'd rather find my adventure elsewhere. I'll leave it to daredevils like you to discover the extreme limits of the Bolt's range.

 

[Anonymous]

I understand the new federal adminstration is considering converting the $7,500 tax credit to conversions to coal power! :lol:

 

[devbolt]

I get where people are coming from, believe me. What I don't get is the unwillingness to try, or the utter reluctance to go outside the comfort zone. You bought an EV, you are already in uncharted territory. Push the limits first with a backup plan. Then decide that it's un-worthy of a trip to the city.

When the choice is ending up dead in the road or struggling to find a charger before the battery goes dead, I have absolutely NO interest in testing the limits of the battery.

If you consider that a "reluctance to go outside the comfort zone," so be it. I'd rather find my adventure elsewhere. I'll leave it to daredevils like you to discover the extreme limits of the Bolt's range.

I'm not saying just roll the dice and hope you can push the limits of the battery and the car doing a trip to SF. I'm just saying do some basic research ahead of time so you have a backup plan if you get to SF and discover you don't have enough range to get back home (wherever that is).

That means knowing where the DC Fast chargers are in SF or Oakland/Berkeley and topping off before heading back home. Spend 5 minutes ahead of time to see where the DC Fast Chargers are in SF and if they're near your destination. You can top-off before leaving SF if you think you don't have enough range to comfortably make it home. If charging in SF is too inconvenient, Oakland/Berkeley has a dozen to choose from that might be more easily reached and give you the extra range to get home.

Having a backup plan lets you explore the limits of the car before you find yourself unexpectedly being forced to push the limits of the car.

 

[sgt1372]

Having a backup plan lets you explore the limits of the car before you find yourself unexpectedly being forced to push the limits of the car.

LOL!!!

You just can't accept that I don't want to be bothered w/a "backup plan."

Of course, if I'm going to drive the Bolt far enough to concern me, I will make sure that I know where the available charging stations are but I don't want to even have to worry about that.

The Bolt is NOT my only car and I will not treat it as such. If it doesn't work for me the way I want to use it, then I'll just use one of my other cars.

EOM.

 

[Anonymous]

How far out do you live: Antioch, Brentwood, Stockton?