Interested in the Bolt EV? What do you currently drive?

[E365]

For those interested in a Bolt EV, I'm curious what car you currently drive. Specifically, is the Bolt's combination of price and range making you consider an all-electric car when you wouldn't have before?

 

[Breezy]

I have a Volt and I'm considering adding a Bolt. The Volt has allowed me to experiment with what having an EV would be like.

A 200 mile EV would easily work for me, even accounting for range loss in the winter. The 107-mile Leaf and other mainstream priced EVs would not.

The Bolt would replace our 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan. It looks like it's just big enough for our needs.

 

[mitchev]

I currently own a first gen Nissan Leaf, and it's getting close to replacement time. Plus, if the Bolt is the first 'mass produced' 200-mile electric vehicle, I want in!

 

[markbb99]

I have a 2015 Nissan Leaf. The range is most important but like the size of the Bolt. Most of the time I drive by myself. At most I would have 3 passengers .
Also looks like it has newer technology

 

[E365]

I have a 2015 Ford Focus 1.0 hatchback (3 cylinder turbo) that I got in the spring of 2015. The Bolt was the car I wanted at the time, but it didn't exist yet. Needed something in 2015 to replace a rusted-to-near-death 90s BMW.

The current 80 mile class of EVs just doesn't work for me and the Tesla Model S is too expensive. The Bolt is the first EV that feels like the right combo.

 

[michael]

Driving Ford Focus Electric, lease ends in September. The FFE is a really good car, but I'm tired of the limited range.

 

[pawl]

I own a 2015 Spark EV. Love it, but would like the additional range.

 

[ssspinball]

I have an i3 REx--love it! I've only used gas 4% of all miles driven so far even with a mere 80 mile range, so with 200 mi range I don't think I'll miss the gas engine at all.

It appears to me that Chevy used the i3 as their target, and that is a great thing! The interior/exterior is very similar only toned down a bit, but it has double the range, more passenger space, more cargo space, regular width tires, and 4 full size doors.

I still think the i3 interior is the best of any car under $90k, but from the pictures Bolt has easily the best GM interior I've seen (even the gauge cluster looks classy and timeless, noticeably better than the '16 Volt) and is WAY better than anything else in it's price range, no matter the fuel source.

 

[tjka4231]

I have a 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV with its lease ending in October 2016. The 200 + mile range of the Bolt will be really nice at around twice the range of the RAV4 EV.

 

[Anonymous]

Definitely interested in the Bolt. Second on the waiting list at a major GM/Volt dealer. Although my wife just purchased a 2016 Volt, I currently own a 2001 Ford F150. I am currently using a motorcycle (2002 Honda VFR) for commuting purposes. The VFR is not only far more enjoyable, it's getting 42-43 MPG consistently.

 

[Anonymous]

Started in on driving electric with my 2013 Smart ED. Daily commuter with 15000 km on it now. Perfect little car, never been back to the dealer since I bought the car, $0 in maintenance in 2.5 years. Paid $19K new all-in, about $10K less than Leaf/Focus EV's, and $20K less than i3.

Traded our gas SUV for a CPO (used) 2013 Tesla Model S 85 in June 2015. Car has 70000 km on it now, amazing, everything you read/watch about it is true! We've taken it on long road trips (Toronto to NY City) and have done dozens of 300 km weekend trips around Ontario for our sports activities.

Would consider trading my Smart ED for Bolt in a few years time when my warranty is up.

Looked variously at Volt, Leaf, Focus EV and i3. We decided on our two EV's based on a wide variety of factors, not the least of which was supporting Tesla's mission and being on the leading edge of driving a long range EV for our family vehicle, and for me, the Smart ED was a vehicle "right sized" for my short daily commute.

 

[user 124]

I have a 2013 Toyota RAV4EV and my wife drives a 2013 Volt. I'm very impressed with the engineering and overall package of the Volt. The RAV4EV has great performance, is very roomy, 135 mi real-world range, and now has CHAdeMO DC fast charging (thanks to Tony WIlliams). It fits my needs well but I want a car that is more reliable and better engineered. All of the Tesla stuff breaks on the RAV4s (motors, DC/DC converters, chargers, computers) and Toyota takes forever to fix them. This will be really expensive when the warranty runs out, so I have my eye on the Bolt as a possible purchase in a few years. I want something more reliable than what Tesla makes and our Volt has been great, so the Bolt is appealing to me.

 

[michael]

I have two Volts and am very familiar with the Rav as well. I think it's funny to hear the EV purists diatribes against the Volt for its "over complex drive system" when in fact, if you look at Volt message boards, there are essentially zero complaints about its operation or reports of failure. By contrast, the oh-so-simple Tesla motor is a source of continual failure and replacement.

The Rav I know about has had a bad motor noise (very common complaint) for months and still no replacement unit from Tesla.

 

[Devin]

This is the EV I use most often these days:

When I lived in Los Angeles I had an '07 Prius which I replaced with an '11 LEAF. The LEAF was totaled in early 2014 when I got hit by someone running a stop sign off of a freeway off-ramp and I replaced it with a '14 RAV4 EV which I technically still own but is in LA. It's become the replacement for my dad's '11 Volt. We had originally planned to bring the RAV4 EV to Vancouver but Toyota's still-ongoing parade of recalls prevented us from doing so (Transport Canada prohibits importing cars with pending recalls). In December, between recall issues and reliability concerns we gave up on importing it and bought a cheap '07 Mazda 5 used to hold us over until the Bolt arrives here.

Over the years we've also had a 1980 Mercedes 300TD converted for waste vegetable oil, a Civic GX (compressed natural gas), and a '14 Focus Electric.

 

[Tallon]

I have a 2014 Ford Escape that I signed a 3 year lease on in February 2014 with the intent of purchasing a Model 3 when they came out 3 years later. Well, the Model X delays changed all that, so now I need to figure out my car situation by January. The Bolt seems like the clear alternative to a Model 3, and I cannot wait to get one!

I plan on leasing again because the Bolt will be a first-year model and I don't want to purchase something that might have unexpected surprises. In 3 years I can reassess the market and see how EVs have progressed. Plus, I can get the full $6k Colorado tax credit on a lease, which will be nice!

 

[Anonymous]

I currently drive a 2011 Nissan Leaf SL, bought in Sept of '11. Been happy with it, but now it's time to move on. The Bolt has some appealing features and the extended range would be nice, too. This time, I'll probably do a lease ... the resale value of the Leaf didn't measure up to expectations.

 

[gmvoltguy]

I currently drive a 2011 Nissan Leaf SL, bought in Sept of '11. Been happy with it, but now it's time to move on. The Bolt has some appealing features and the extended range would be nice, too. This time, I'll probably do a lease ... the resale value of the Leaf didn't measure up to expectations.

Hi LittleChap - thanks for sharing. I thought the LEAF has one of the highest resale values out there? Or is that all changing now with these other longer range EVs like the Bolt on the horizon?

 

[Devin]

Hi LittleChap - thanks for sharing. I thought the LEAF has one of the highest resale values out there? Or is that all changing now with these other longer range EVs like the Bolt on the horizon?

The LEAF has had one of the worst resale value drops for awhile now, partly due to battery capacity loss issues.

http://insideevs.com/used-nissan-leaf-chevy-volt-top-10-biggest-depreciation-list/

http://cleantechnica.com/2016/01/06/nissan-leaf-last-in-resale-value/

 

[DucRider]

I thought the LEAF has one of the highest resale values out there? Or is that all changing now with these other longer range EVs like the Bolt on the horizon?

Local dealer specializing in pre-owned EV's has 11 listed for less than $10K and another 28 between $10K and $16K. Cheapest is a 2012 SL with QC and LED's for $7750 (42K miles).

That's asking price on a retail lot.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

I have a 2012 Nissan Leaf which has been a wonderful experience. But it's more of a science project / proof-of-concept car. It looks goofy and has a modest range. My Leaf doesn't even have the CHAdeMO port (not that there is a CHAdeMO charger within its range). I'm looking at the Bolt for its longer range, quick charge, better looks, and better driving dynamics.

I own my Leaf (not leased), so I am not on a strict timeline. I can wait for Bolt prices to come down, a competitor to come out, or even a used lease return in another 3 years from now. I've already paid my "early-adopter" premium with my Leaf. Now I'll just continue driving electric (locally at least - my wife drives a CMax Energi for when we go out of town) until a nice long-range EV comes out that is compelling enough to upgrade to.