Should i be concerned with battery degradation?

[tdiguy]

So, I recently bought a 2017 chevy bolt. I forget the miles but its under 30k miles. So i figured it would be gently used being a one owner car and such. I somewhat assumed the original owner got the recall notice and decided to bail ( since the recall was not corrected when i bought it ). I never saw the car at full charge until after the recall, because honestly reading a paper saying that the car might catch fire if fully charged was enough for me to ensure the car was never fully charged. Anyway, I now have a level 2 setup to charge the car fully overnight ( or to 90ish percent ) but the range estimator on my car never is above 180.
Should i look into having a dealership examine the battery on this or is this normal ish range for the car?
I also have not driven the car until the battery is almost flat to test the truth of the range estimator.

 

[theothertom]

The GOM is just that...a guess-o-meter. Range is estimated (estimated!) based on how the car was previously driven. Your real range depends on battery temp, driving speed, tire pressure, etc. Typically it's lower in winter and higher in summer. What is your average mile/kWh rating over , say, 100 miles? Multiply that by 90% of 60 and you'll get your approximate range.

 

[tdiguy]

The GOM is just that...a guess-o-meter. Range is estimated (estimated!) based on how the car was previously driven. Your real range depends on battery temp, driving speed, tire pressure, etc. Typically it's lower in winter and higher in summer. What is your average mile/kWh rating over , say, 100 miles? Multiply that by 90% of 60 and you'll get your approximate range.

Todays round trip to work was 45.3 miles and 14.1 kwh used which includes creature comforts. One of the graphs shows almost 4 miles per kw the efficiency score i am seeing is -8 biggest hits are on climate settings and outside temp. Honestly as much as i want to be efficient i like being comfy its freezing around here right now lol.

 

[theothertom]

Todays round trip to work was 45.3 miles and 14.1 kwh used which includes creature comforts. One of the graphs shows almost 4 miles per kw the efficiency score i am seeing is -8 biggest hits are on climate settings and outside temp. Honestly as much as i want to be efficient i like being comfy its freezing around here right now lol.

That works out to be around 3.2 miles/kWh. Given a 60kWh battery and 90% charge, that would calculate to
60 x 0.9 x 3.2 = 173 mile range, which is about what you reported. So I don't think you have battery degradation.
I don't blame you for using creature comforts on your commute. If you have extra range, use it.

 

[tdiguy]

So I assume this sort of range under these conditions is normal. I had hoped it would still be closer to 200 miles for range. But from what I understand this software fix for the battery is temporary so I guess that might change things at some point.

 

[theothertom]

3.2 miles/kWh is pretty good in winter, especially with the heat on. You're fine.

If you can plug in to charge at home (220V), it will help your range to precondition before you leave. This will turn on the battery heater and make your drive more efficient. It also means you'll leave with a warm car and won't have to use your heat as much.

 

[PackardV8]

FWIW, we always charge at Hilltop Reserve and in the dead of winter we usually precondition, then run the HVAC at 73 degrees, use the heated seats and steering wheel, the GOM is seldom more than 140 miles. Fortunately, that's plenty for our use.

jack vines

 

[tdiguy]

Thank you guys for the input. I had hoped the range to be a bit more honestly but it sounds like the car is doing pretty good for winter conditions and such.
Thankfully my commute to work is actually the longest drive I typically do and there is plenty of range for that.
The family vacation might be more challenging with a one way distance of about 80 miles.

 

[theothertom]

80 miles is no problem. If you find yourself low on range, just slow down. Speed really eats range.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

80 miles should be no problem. However, are you taking that trip in the winter or just the summer? Do you have an outlet to plug into when you arrive? If this is a winter trip with nowhere to charge at your destination, make sure there are public chargers somewhere along your route.

 

[tdiguy]

80 miles should be no problem. However, are you taking that trip in the winter or just the summer? Do you have an outlet to plug into when you arrive? If this is a winter trip with nowhere to charge at your destination, make sure there are public chargers somewhere along your route.

It will be in the late spring or summer. Depends a lot on if I can get the family vaccinated and if the park opens back up. On plug share I have seen a few people post that great wolf allows guests to plug in but it's just a wall outlet.
It looks like there are a few charging stations along the route but it sounds like I will be able to skip them which is ideal.

 

[caboltifornia]

Anyway, I now have a level 2 setup to charge the car fully overnight ( or to 90ish percent ) but the range estimator on my car never is above 180.
Should i look into having a dealership examine the battery on this or is this normal ish range for the car?
I also have not driven the car until the battery is almost flat to test the truth of the range estimator.

Make sure to check your tire pressure as well. The Bolt tires are meant to be inflated to 38+ PSI cold.

I also bought a 2017 last week, similar mileage, and with the tires at 32psi the meter estimated 184 miles at a 90% charge. The tire pressure topic has been done to death here and other forums, but with the meter on the dash, it's super easy to check and fix.

 

[tdiguy]

Anyway, I now have a level 2 setup to charge the car fully overnight ( or to 90ish percent ) but the range estimator on my car never is above 180.
Should i look into having a dealership examine the battery on this or is this normal ish range for the car?
I also have not driven the car until the battery is almost flat to test the truth of the range estimator.

Make sure to check your tire pressure as well. The Bolt tires are meant to be inflated to 38+ PSI cold.

I also bought a 2017 last week, similar mileage, and with the tires at 32psi the meter estimated 184 miles at a 90% charge. The tire pressure topic has been done to death here and other forums, but with the meter on the dash, it's super easy to check and fix.

I recently bought a tpms reset tool. It seems like the shops near me dont get that when the tires are rotated that they need to reset the tpms locations. 2 different places tried figuring out my slow leak in a tire, neither one reset the locations.
I think i will see if the shop near me can do nitrogen, this way there will be less expansion in the summer.

 

[SparkE]

Using nitrogen is a gimmick. Yes, it leaks out slightly more slowly, but if you check your tires once every 2-3 months, why pay $30-$50 for it? Air is already almost 80% nitrogen.