The Bolt E-U-V

[Pigwich]

Anybody care to speculate what the Bolt EUV is? C'mon, everybody likes to talk about stuff they know NOTHING about, especially me!!!

OK, well here's what I was hoping for...

It's a Bolt

A little more ground clearance
75 kwh pack
A 2" receiver in the back for towing a small trailer or a big bike rack
A bigger trunk
A spare tire

Also, would be nice to have some technical upgrades, but these seem crazy, and align with the rest of the usual Bolt complaints...
Faster fast charging
Heat pump for mild winter heating
More lighting in the trunk
Less hard-to-clean texture on the dashboard
OEM roof cross bars

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Better ground clearance, AWD (at least as an option). More of an SUV-like vehicle than a micro-crossover.

 

[PackardV8]

The Bolt approaches today's possible level of perfection as is. We have no need of an EUV, but would trade tomorrow if the 2020 Bolt comes with AWD.

jack vines

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Meanwhile I couldn’t care less about AWD. I just wish they could double the QC rate. I’d get rid of the PHEV for a Bolt that could charge at over 100kW.

 

[PackardV8]

Meanwhile I couldn’t care less about AWD..

Now that is interesting. I used to visit Syracuse a couple of times per winter on business, I was always in deep snow and recall some residents saying with pride Syracuse averages more than 100" of snow. We get much less here in Spokane, but have enough steep hills to make AWD a nice thing to have.

jack vines

 

[GetOffYourGas]

I have never had a problem without AWD, as long as the car has 4 good snow tires on it. Even RWD with modern traction control does just fine if you drive for the weather. We do get lots of snow, averaging over 120" (10') per season. BUT, the county does a tremendous job of keeping the roads clear (and heavily salted :? ).

Syracuse is also incredibly flat. At least in the northern suburbs where I live and work. The city itself is between two steep hills, but I don't spend a lot of time there, especially in the winter. It's the flattest place I've ever lived, and that makes a huge difference too.

 

[NeilBlanchard]

Good winter tires are more important than AWD. In fact 2WD with good winter tires handily beat AWD with all season tires.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atayHQYqA3g

 

[Pigwich]

The Bolt approaches today's possible level of perfection as is. We have no need of an EUV, but would trade tomorrow if the 2020 Bolt comes with AWD.

jack vines

I mean... I guess so.

As my kids are growing, it's hard to fit their crap in the trunk, and with the "baby" starting to get to the age that she's going to want to ride a bike, I can't imagine getting a dinosaur burner just to be able to fit a $12 Goodwill bicycle in it, plus I like to camp, which the Bolt with a roof rack is great for. At heart, I'm a minivan guy, had one well before I had kids just to haul crap, but at that time I also lived in Maine, and was hauling firewood, hay, drunk fat chicks (with the firewood and hay), chickens, etc in my 97 Dodge Caravan, so I'm already a candidate for vehicle misuse. So why not make it electric?

 

[keijidosha]

The Bolt approaches today's possible level of perfection as is. We have no need of an EUV, but would trade tomorrow if the 2020 Bolt comes with AWD.

jack vines

I mean... I guess so.

As my kids are growing, it's hard to fit their crap in the trunk, and with the "baby" starting to get to the age that she's going to want to ride a bike, I can't imagine getting a dinosaur burner just to be able to fit a $12 Goodwill bicycle in it, plus I like to camp, which the Bolt with a roof rack is great for. At heart, I'm a minivan guy, had one well before I had kids just to haul crap, but at that time I also lived in Maine, and was hauling firewood, hay, drunk fat chicks (with the firewood and hay), chickens, etc in my 97 Dodge Caravan, so I'm already a candidate for vehicle misuse. So why not make it electric?

To me the minivan is more useful than a pickup truck. Room for people and/or cargo kept safe secure and mostly out of site and the elements while returning superior energy efficiency. The addiction means I’ve owned dozens of caravan/voyagers since 84, and still have an 06 Odyssey. The hatchback utility of a minivan just can’t be beat. I have been considering the Pacifica Hybrid as the Odyssey replacement, but hoping for a full BEV. Like you, I do not covet AWD. The de rigueur Skateboard chassis virtually eliminates Stow-N-Go seating, moves the center of gravity far enough rearward to be unfavorable to FWD, but RWD raises the load floor even further than the battery would.

Will VW be the first to do a BEV minivan ?

 

[PackardV8]

As my kids are growing, it's hard to fit their crap in the trunk, and with the "baby" starting to get to the age that she's going to want to ride a bike, I can't imagine getting a dinosaur burner just to be able to fit a $12 Goodwill bicycle in it, plus I like to camp, which the Bolt with a roof rack is great for. At heart, I'm a minivan guy, had one well before I had kids just to haul crap, but at that time I also lived in Maine, and was hauling firewood, hay, drunk fat chicks (with the firewood and hay), chickens, etc in my 97 Dodge Caravan, so I'm already a candidate for vehicle misuse. So why not make it electric?

To me the minivan is more useful than a pickup truck. Room for people and/or cargo kept safe secure and mostly out of site and the elements while returning superior energy efficiency. The addiction means I’ve owned dozens of caravan/voyagers since 84, and still have an 06 Odyssey. The hatchback utility of a minivan just can’t be beat. I have been considering the Pacifica Hybrid as the Odyssey replacement, but hoping for a full BEV. Like you, I do not covet AWD. The de rigueur Skateboard chassis virtually eliminates Stow-N-Go seating, moves the center of gravity far enough rearward to be unfavorable to FWD, but RWD raises the load floor even further than the battery would.

Sir, I hereby nominate you as the last surviving logical auto buyer! From observation, 99% of those driving SUVs and pickups would be better served with any one of today's excellent vans. That they choose the latter is proof they value image primarily and practicality not at all.

jack vines

 

[Pigwich]

Stow N Go seating - there's a word from the future! Most of the time I ended up just pulling my non-stow-and-go seats out so they could be a love seat in the shop office, so I could fit lumber or steel in the back of the "Covered Wagon"

Wasn't Chrysler supposed to make the Pacifica BEV at one point? Or did the Fiat part thoroughly torpedo that? Or maybe it was the fires, having to do with the ICE dumping unburned fuel in to the cat, "but these EVs are dangerous!"

At any rate, it would have been beautiful, but I'm not keeping my hopes up.

Maybe when I win the lottery, I can put the drive unit from a Tesla in to a Honda Odyssey and finally reach enlightenment. But for now, I'd settle for a nice trailer hitch and a little more ground clearance and cargo space.

 

[Pigwich]

And here it is in all it's camouflage fugliness!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/autos-hybrids/the-2021-chevrolet-bolt-euv-will-be-gms-next-electric-car/ar-AABH4AI

The question is, what do I do for the year between when my lease is up and when I can buy this? I guess I could drive a $1200 dinosaur burner for a spell then turn around and sell it?

Anyway, we'll see if it makes it to the LA Auto Show this year.