No adaptive cruise control?!?

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone, I just registered the post about this topic. I'm currently Leaf owner, and I am expecting to upgrade to the Bolt later this year. After doing some research today, I've come across the topic of no adaptive cruise control on the Bolt! I cannot believe GM would release the Bolt without this feature. It has all the necessary sensors already built into the car. Anyone else disappointed by this?

 

[michael]

If I can buy one for $30K and it will actually go 200 miles at freeway speed, I wouldn't care if it had no cruise control at all!

 

[DucRider]

If I can buy one for $30K and it will actually go 200 miles at freeway speed, I wouldn't care if it had no cruise control at all!

Where did you hear 200 miles at freeway speed? I've only heard an estimated "more than 200 miles" on the EPA test cycle which includes a mix of city and highway driving conditions.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

If I can buy one for $30K and it will actually go 200 miles at freeway speed, I wouldn't care if it had no cruise control at all!

Where did you hear 200 miles at freeway speed? I've only heard an estimated "more than 200 miles" on the EPA test cycle which includes a mix of city and highway driving conditions.

Me too. Most/all current EVs get significantly lower range at freeway speeds. I would be shocked (pardon the pun) if the Bolt got 200 miles at even 60MPH. Given the size/shape, I would expect about 175 at 60MPH. At 80MPH, you're looking at maybe 125.

For reference, my 2012 Leaf was rated 73 miles EPA. I would get about 60 miles at 65MPH when new. Less now with battery degradation.

This is the downside to the tall/upright design. I really want a lower sedan (or better yet a coupe) with low drag that can maintain its range on the freeway.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Oh, and I should mention that temperature plays a huge role at those speeds. Cold air is denser, and creates noticeably more drag. So my numbers above are at a typical 50F ambient temperature. No knowing your location, I shouldn't assume that you have the same climate as I do. In a warmer climate like southern California, you will do much better on the highway. But even there I wouldn't expect 200 miles at typical highway speeds.

 

[DucRider]

Oh, and I should mention that temperature plays a huge role at those speeds. Cold air is denser, and creates noticeably more drag. So my numbers above are at a typical 50F ambient temperature. No knowing your location, I shouldn't assume that you have the same climate as I do. In a warmer climate like southern California, you will do much better on the highway. But even there I wouldn't expect 200 miles at typical highway speeds.

All true, plus I live in the NW and when it's cold(ish) it also tends to be dark and wet. Heat, defrost, lights all reduce range, and wet roads and rain also create more rolling resistance/drag.

As a side note, it will be interesting to see how accurate the guess-o-meter is. The Fit EV is VERY conservative (sometimes to a fault). Users have reported driving up to 6-10 miles after remaining range reached zero. One forum member that lived in the NE (without a garage) came out to a fully charged Fit EV, turned the key and saw "Estimated Range 0". Granted it was <10 below and snowy, but....
In reality, real world range in those conditions was likely around 30-35 miles (with little to no cabin heat - the Fit EV has a resistive heater)

 

[michael]

I didn't say I've heard it would....I said IF

 

[Anonymous]

So now that we have some more detailed information about the different form of blended breaking the Bolt will be using as opposed to the Volt, do you think the Bolt will be getting adaptive cruise control in model year two (2018) or at any point?

 

[michael]

Going back to my earlier post...

Now that we have learned that the Bolt WILL go 200 miles at freeway speeds and that I WILL be able to buy one this year, I don't care if it has ACC or for that matter any sort of cruise control. I WILL get one as soon as my Volt lease expires.

I have no idea whether GM will eventually add ACC. I'm more worried about the lack of built-in Homelink. And even that won't deter me from getting one.

 

[tink]

I'm pretty miffed about the HomeLink issue too, especially considering HomeLink has the Bolt listed as an equipped vehicle. I have been dreaming (imagining) that it is pre-wired and they have some fancy new software upload or something coming up the pike for their first Bolt owners. I ordered one of the mini Liftmaster remotes - in red to match my new Bolt! It's about 1"x2". Had to do this since my Prius and my car before that - a (2002) were equipped with HomeLink.

 

[michael]

Volt cheaped out too. Someone on another forum posted the way to install a retrofit headline homelink into a Volt. I will need to that once getting my next Volt. Presumably something similar will work in a Bolt.

But, guys, jeez, why not make it an option? I would have happily paid extra...

 

[kicoken]

If I can buy one for $30K and it will actually go 200 miles at freeway speed, I wouldn't care if it had no cruise control at all!

Where did you hear 200 miles at freeway speed? I've only heard an estimated "more than 200 miles" on the EPA test cycle which includes a mix of city and highway driving conditions.

I just went 220 miles on the freeway, driving around an average of 62 though. Took the battery from 100% down to 4%.

 

[thorin78]

Hi everyone, I just registered the post about this topic. I'm currently Leaf owner, and I am expecting to upgrade to the Bolt later this year. After doing some research today, I've come across the topic of no adaptive cruise control on the Bolt! I cannot believe GM would release the Bolt without this feature. It has all the necessary sensors already built into the car. Anyone else disappointed by this?

It seems to me that it's just a software update. In my Premier, the car tells me how far behind I'm following the car in front of me. It seems that GM can update the software to apply the brakes to slow down the car in cruise control. It has the capability to brake to stop when it's at low speeds, you'd think you could do this w/o additional hardware.

It's very weird to me.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Toyota now offers adaptive cruise and automatic emergency braking standard on all of its cars, including the Corolla LE, which is on sale for $129 a month, leased. So maybe buy a Bolt LT and lease a Corolla? ;-)

 

[Posatronic]

Hi everyone, I just registered the post about this topic. I'm currently Leaf owner, and I am expecting to upgrade to the Bolt later this year. After doing some research today, I've come across the topic of no adaptive cruise control on the Bolt! I cannot believe GM would release the Bolt without this feature. It has all the necessary sensors already built into the car. Anyone else disappointed by this?

It seems to me that it's just a software update. In my Premier, the car tells me how far behind I'm following the car in front of me. It seems that GM can update the software to apply the brakes to slow down the car in cruise control. It has the capability to brake to stop when it's at low speeds, you'd think you could do this w/o additional hardware.

It's very weird to me.

No it will not have adaptive cruise control. Straight for lead engineer, the bolt would need blended brakes. They did not go with blended brakes. Maybe '18 or '19 model.

 

[SeanNelson]

...it will not have adaptive cruise control. Straight for lead engineer, the bolt would need blended brakes. They did not go with blended brakes. Maybe '18 or '19 model.

While I'd love to see ACC in a 2018 model and would likely delay my purchase for it, I really doubt that they're likely to change the braking system until the next major model refresh - and that won't come next year.

 

[EldRick]

Meanwhile, back in reality, the Bolt appears to have blended brakes:
http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?265105-Bolt-EV-has-blended-brakes-via-Bosch.&p=3725649#post3725649

 

[SeanNelson]

Meanwhile, back in reality, the Bolt appears to have blended brakes:
http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?265105-Bolt-EV-has-blended-brakes-via-Bosch.&p=3725649#post3725649

Whatever the meaning of "blended brakes" is, the Bolt doesn't have the same kind of braking system as the Volt does, and Josh Tavel has stated that the Bolt's system doesn't work with ACC.

 

[EldRick]

If you actually read that post, the Bolt apparently does have a blended system from Bosch, like the 2017 Volt.

Jeff Cobb has more detail about the braking system on the main page. Basically the Bolt EV and the Volt 2.0 does, as WOT, said, use the same system:

The answer, according to Ligouri, is that the Bolt EV uses a new and better-feeling brake pedal system that continues to include both enhanced regenerative and friction braking.

According to one usually reliable source, the Bolt EV and the second-generation 2016/170 Volt both use a new brake pedal actuator known as the iBooster from the automotive parts supplier Bosch. This new system provides better brake pedal feel while still allowing the car’s electric motors to capture up to 60 kilowatts of regenerative power into the battery during moderate braking.

Initial pressure on the pedal slows the car by enhancing regeneration levels while stronger pressure on the brake pedal seamlessly transitions to hydraulic friction braking.

This seems clear. There is still blended braking, just a different/superior implementation than on the Volt 1.0. May the "blended brake" issue RIP. One funny thing is that the reviewer from cars.com said the braking system on the Bolt EV was vastly superior to the one on the Volt and it turns out they are the same or similar. Then again maybe he was referring to the Volt 1.0.

I'm glad to hear that it is improved, as the system on my SparkEV always has a slight tactile "bump" at the transition, when you brake hard enough to get the friction brakes involved, and suddenly you hear the brakes working.

 

[Sigmasailor]

I have ACC in my PHEV and never use. Why? Although it's fun driving slowly in traffic I never really trusted it enough to relax. It easier en surely more relaxing to 'one paddle drive' than rely on ACC.
On the freeway I simply hate it. The distance it keeps ar such that it leaves too much room between yourself and the car in front of you. In (Dutch) traffic someone always uses that gap making the car break uncomfortably. Even when that does not happen the ride is erratic with constant (not smooth) adjustments of speed. I had a friend following me for a while and he too noted the brakes (lights) were constantly being applied.
I do use old school CC (push the button for some seconds longer) all the time.