Two week review after 700 miles

[siennared]

After owning my Sienna Red BMW (E39) 530i for 16 years, it had come time to move to an electric drive-train. Given my driving requirements, I would have liked to get a car that I could drive a radius of 50-60 miles from home and come back, under varying weather conditions, without having to worry about stopping to re-charge in between. For long trips, that happen no more than twice a year, I am happy to rent a car without having to worry about range and incomplete charging network. My first choice was the Tesla Model S for its external design, power and efficiency. I did not have a second choice until the introduction of the Bolt. After looking at the Bolt, reading about it and understanding Chevrolet product development progression from the Spark, Volt and now the Bolt, I was convinced that this car maker is committed to the platform and not merely releasing these cars as a check box product to be compliant with various state regulations.

I picked up my Arctic Blue bolt LT, with fast charging and the convenience package, couple of weeks back. So far I have about 700 miles on the car

External Design ★★
It looks ok. The car looks great from the side and back. I am not too sure about the front with Chevy’s current design language for all its vehicles. It looks great on the Volt and other cars but does not work as well for short ended Bolt.

Internal Design ★★
Fine. Reminds of my Honda Civic from 1996 with all the plastic. The cloth seats look great. Sitting is comfortable. Lots of room for rear passengers. Getting in and out of driver seat not very comfortable because of the plastic edge of the seat that rubs against my back. I have learned to “leap” in and out of the car that makes this process a bit more comfortable.

Controls ★ ★
Like the shifter very much. Try finding the volume controls on the steering wheel. I don’t understand why the Fav buttons are so prominent but the volume controls are hidden. High Definition Dashboard looks great. Wish it had an option to show time so that I never to look at the center console.

Infotainment ★
Is a mess. Why does Radio turn on when I stop my podcast. Why does it start up on its own when I start the car. The saving grace is CarPlay. The screen is slow and laggy to touch but works ok. The good news is that that this is all in the software which I hope can be updated Over The Air or something similar without having to go to the service. But get a decent engineer to look at it and re-program it. Please!

Driving ★★★
Love to drive this car. It feels quick to get going, agile while driving and easy to park. I can feel the road and does not have that smooth marshmallow ride that I was afraid I would get. Going from 3 pedal driving to 1 pedal driving is fun in a very different way.

Battery/Charging ★★★
Since this is all brand new to me, I have to say I am surprised how easy this transition has been. Bolt’s charge management system is intuitive, easy to understand & use. The companion smartphone app is adequate and helpful. I drive however the heck I want and don’t necessary feel like the Apollo 13 Astronauts trying to conserve battery before re-entry power up.

Service ★
For the last 7 days, I have been driving with an annoying alert that says the Charge Door is open. So I took an appointment with a local dealership to correct it. Booked the appointment from the companion app. Got there on time to see that my name was not on the list Also learnt that the Volt/Bolt technicians don’t work during the weekends and that I have bring the car in 10 days for the next available appointment. Thanks Chevrolet!

Purchase ★
The dealership model for selling car sucks. I don’t care what the reason, it is dumb. I hate the process. Everything about it. They don’t add any value in the process but make you feel like you have been robbed.

Overall ★★
I really like the car. I mostly agree with all the design compromises that Chevrolet made to get the car out to meet the price targets. Hopefully there is a feedback loop that will take the experience from driving customers and incorporate it into the next generation and make it even more compelling.

 

[Nagorak]

Purchase ★
The dealership model for selling car sucks. I don’t care what the reason, it is dumb. I hate the process. Everything about it. They don’t add any value in the process but make you feel like you have been robbed.

Thanks for the review. I have to agree with you about car dealerships. Even when I go in and get a decent deal, somehow I leave with the slight feeling of being held up for money. They try to upsell you on so much crap, and I'm always wary that they're going to try to pull a fast one. It also always takes a minimum of two hours to get through the process. Just give me the price, don't try to sell me any extra crap, or try to slip something shady in, sign the docs and get it over with! Argh!

 

[michael]

Which dealer??

I've actually been quite satisfied with the treatment I got buying my Volts (Keyes) and with the service at two dealers (Keyes and Simi Valley)

 

[sgt1372]

After owning my Sienna Red BMW (E39) 530i for 16 years, it had come time to move to an electric drive-train. Given my driving requirements, I would have liked to get a car that I could drive a radius of 50-60 miles from home and come back, under varying weather conditions, without having to worry about stopping to re-charge in between. For long trips, that happen no more than twice a year, I am happy to rent a car without having to worry about range and incomplete charging network.

<snip>

Overall ★★

I really like the car. I mostly agree with all the design compromises that Chevrolet made to get the car out to meet the price targets. Hopefully there is a feedback loop that will take the experience from driving customers and incorporate it into the next generation and make it even more compelling.

@Michael: Are your category ratings based on a max of 3 or 5 stars? I'm assuming a max of 3. Wouldn't make sense otherwise.

I've driven my Bolt 808 miles so far in 1 month.

Here are my ratings in comparison with yours:

External Design: ★★

I'm not in love w/it but it doesn't bother me. Wouldn't have leased it otherwise. Like they say, you aren't looking AT the car when you're driving it.

Internal Design: ★★★

I like the interior design. It does not look cheap or plastic-like to me. Looks just fine. Much better than the new Prius which does look cheap and plastic-like and was one reason I decided not to buy/lease it.

Controls: ★★

After you learn where everything is and how to navigate the screen controls, it's fine but organization could be better. Could be more intuitive than it is and am still learning how to "properly" execute some commands.

Driving: ★★★

Love the way the car drives/handles, as long as you don't push it too hard. When you do that, the tires squeal and the car dramatically understeers. Could also use a bit more top speed (I'd prefer 102 or so like the Prius) but 93 is usually enough.

But, if you drive it "nicely," it works just fine.

Battery Charging: ★

The battery management system is fine but my rating is not based just on that.

I've only been using the L1 110V cord that same w/the car so far and it's agonizingly slow. This will improve when the L2 charger that I bought and installed in my house is hooked up after my electrician recovers from his recent injury BUT I think that faster charge times should be available.

My experience at public free and pay L2 and DCFC charge sites have been less than satisfactory which is what mainly accounts for my rating in this category. It's more a function of the "system" and current state of the technology, than the car itself.

Service: No Rating

There was an annoying rattle coming from the passenger seat assembly when there is no one sitting it that seat. Just discovered this was because there was a bolt missing in the rear outside passenger seat track; ie., the seat wasn't bolted down properly. This is more a "quality control" than service issue. Ordered the bolt for $3.70 rather than taking the car into service to get one for free thru the service advisor. Didn't cost much and easier for me to just install the bolt myself.

Purchase: ★★★

I agree that the traditional sales model for automobiles sucks but my experience at Capital Chevrolet in San Jose was one of the best I ever had. Placed a $500 deposit for the Bolt in Dec by phone. Got a call that the car I wanted was available in Feb. Went there, test drove the car and leased it w/only a little haggling about my trade-in.

Sales rep was not pushy, went to a special Chevy training program on the sale/operation of the Bolt and the lease/finance terms were exactly what I wanted. No problems what so ever. Should also note that sales reps at this dealership are NOT paid by commission -- they are salaried -- which also makes a difference.

Overall: ★★★

The Bolt replaced a gas guzzling FJ Cruiser as my daily driver. The objective was to use it for local driving in town, for 60-80 mile trips on the freeway and occasional trips into the City (160-180 miles) as I use to do in the FJ without the need to ever go to the gas station again and without the need to recharge until I get back home.

This has largely been achieved. I can drive it locally in town and on 60-80 mile trips on the freeway w/o concern but I have since determined that I cannot drive it into the City on those 160-180 RTs w/o the need to recharge in town before returning home. So, I'll never use it for that.

The latter is a bit disappointing but I will not downgrade my rating of the Bolt because of it. The Bolt does about 95% of what I need it to do really well and for the remaining 5% (for those drives into the City) I can just drive one of my other cars instead. No problem.

 

[hightower82]

To the OP, just curious why you didn't consider the 2017 i3 as well? They have a range that is easily enough to fit your needs as well. The BEV has an EPA estimate of 114, but a lot of owners state they can get 130-150 in ideal conditions.

 

[phil0909]

To the OP, just curious why you didn't consider the 2017 i3 as well? They have a range that is easily enough to fit your needs as well. The BEV has an EPA estimate of 114, but a lot of owners state they can get 130-150 in ideal conditions.

No, i3 range is inadequate. OP was clear that he wants to be able to travel 50-60 miles and back, without a charge, in varying conditions. That's 100-120 miles in possibly adverse conditions. i3 range is not even close to enough.

 

[hightower82]

Oh, I thought he meant round trip

 

[SparkE]

Oh, I thought he meant round trip

{...} I could drive a radius of 50-60 miles from home and come back ...

 

[siennared]

To the OP, just curious why you didn't consider the 2017 i3 as well? They have a range that is easily enough to fit your needs as well. The BEV has an EPA estimate of 114, but a lot of owners state they can get 130-150 in ideal conditions.

Besides the range, we were also not sold on the suicide door.

After another 500 miles on the car, the Bolt still feels like a fantastic choice for us.

 

[devbolt]

Battery Charging: ★

The battery management system is fine but my rating is not based just on that.

I've only been using the L1 110V cord that same w/the car so far and it's agonizingly slow. This will improve when the L2 charger that I bought and installed in my house is hooked up after my electrician recovers from his recent injury BUT I think that faster charge times should be available.

There's no real way to get faster charging times on 120V without violating the laws of physics. Most household outlets are designed to provide 15A of current for typical loads. That's 1.8 kW. However, if you are continuously drawing power for more than 3 hours on a circuit, the most power you are supposed to pull is 1.44 kW. If the portable EVSE were to pull the full 15A, you run the risk of causing a fire.

The only way to get faster charging times is to install a Level 2 240V EVSE on a dedicated circuit, preferably an EVSE that can supply the full 32A of current that the Volt can handle on an appropriately sized circuit. Which you are already planning on doing once your electrician is feeling better.

 

[WetEV]

There's no real way to get faster charging times on 120V without violating the laws of physics. Most household outlets are designed to provide 15A of current for typical loads.

There are 20 Amp outlets (NEMA 5-20), which could charge at 16 Amps or 1.92kW. I've got one in my garage, and have no 20A appliances or charging cord to try it out with. There are also 30 Amp usually found in RV parks (TT-30), which can support 24 Amps or 2.88kW.

(Edit: corrected 19.2kW to the correct 1.92kW)

 

[Zoomit]

Typo above, max continuous power from a 120V 20A circuit is 1.9 kW [120*16].

Here's an EVSE for that case:
https://store.clippercreek.com/level-1-16-amp-ev-charging-station-acs-120

 

[devbolt]

There's no real way to get faster charging times on 120V without violating the laws of physics. Most household outlets are designed to provide 15A of current for typical loads.

There are 20 Amp outlets (NEMA 5-20), which could charge at 16 Amps or 1.92kW. I've got one in my garage, and have no 20A appliances or charging cord to try it out with. There are also 30 Amp usually found in RV parks (TT-30), which can support 24 Amps or 2.88kW.

(Edit: corrected 19.2kW to the correct 1.92kW)

You'd need a 120V EVSE with a selectable Amperage output to take advantage of a 20A or 30A outlet. GM (and other EV) opted to take the safe route by limiting their portable EVSEs to use the most commonly used outlet in US households, which is a NEMA 5-15. I guess they didn't want to field a lot of "why does my circuit breaker keep tripping when I charge" or "why did my house burn down when I tried to charge my car" complaints. Go figure. So they fixed the output at 12 Amps because of the 80% continuous duty rule.

I also have a 5-20 outlet in my garage which I exclusively used to charge my PiP, but was still limited to the 12A output of the EVSE that Toyota supplied. So I installed a 30A 240v EVSE-RS from Aerovironment. I'm now using that unit to charge the Bolt.

 

[devbolt]

Typo above, max continuous power from a 120V 20A circuit is 1.9 kW [120*16].

Here's an EVSE for that case:
https://store.clippercreek.com/level-1-16-amp-ev-charging-station-acs-120

Ah! There you go.

 

[powersurge]

Does Chevy give the Bolt a 120V 12 amp charger as OEM?? That charger will only charge your car at about the rate of 5 miles of range / PER HOUR. So to get 100 miles of range, you need to charge for 20 HOURS.....

Level 2 30 amp, 240v charger is the ONLY WAY TO GO with the high capacity Bolt.... I have Nissan Leaf and would never use the 120v charger unless the 240v broke down...

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Does Chevy give the Bolt a 120V 12 amp charger as OEM?? That charger will only charge your car at about the rate of 5 miles of range / PER HOUR. So to get 100 miles of range, you need to charge for 20 HOURS.....

Level 2 30 amp, 240v charger is the ONLY WAY TO GO with the high capacity Bolt.... I have Nissan Leaf and would never use the 120v charger unless the 240v broke down...

While a L2 30A EVSE is a great idea, whether it is the "only way to go" depends on your daily needs. My daily needs are typically less than 25 miles. L1 works great on my Leaf. My WEEKEND needs, on the other hand, are up to 300 miles each way. L2 is pretty much useless; I need DCQC. L2 at my destination would be great, but that's not my home. I guess I could install one in my family members' garage, if they would allow it.

 

[sgt1372]

Does Chevy give the Bolt a 120V 12 amp charger as OEM?? That charger will only charge your car at about the rate of 5 miles of range / PER HOUR. So to get 100 miles of range, you need to charge for 20 HOURS.....

Level 2 30 amp, 240v charger is the ONLY WAY TO GO with the high capacity Bolt.... I have Nissan Leaf and would never use the 120v charger unless the 240v broke down...

Yep, L1 charge cord included w/the Bolt.

That's what I've been using for the past 6 weeks. Charge rate at 12 amps is closer to 4 miles/hour. Was recharging after about 100-120 miles driven (or about 50% of capacity) to 100% (actually only about 95% if you believe reports that the Bolt battery is really around 65kw (not just 60). That would usually take around 24 hours divided over 2 sessions. Don't drive the Bolt all that much so it hasn't been a problem.

Already bought my Clipper Creek L2 wall charger. Mounted it several weeks ago but installation of the 240V was delayed because my electrician got injured. Wiring is supposed to be done the day after tomorrow , so I'll be able to recharge at a rate of about 25 miles/hr instead. Looking forward to that even though my charging needs are pretty minimal.

Already put the L1 charger back in the storage area at the bottom of the trunk. Will no longer have any need for it, except in emergencies while on the road, after the L2 is hooked up at home.

 

[powersurge]

Does Chevy give the Bolt a 120V 12 amp charger as OEM?? That charger will only charge your car at about the rate of 5 miles of range / PER HOUR. So to get 100 miles of range, you need to charge for 20 HOURS.....

Level 2 30 amp, 240v charger is the ONLY WAY TO GO with the high capacity Bolt.... I have Nissan Leaf and would never use the 120v charger unless the 240v broke down...

While a L2 30A EVSE is a great idea, whether it is the "only way to go" depends on your daily needs. My daily needs are typically less than 25 miles. L1 works great on my Leaf. My WEEKEND needs, on the other hand, are up to 300 miles each way. L2 is pretty much useless; I need DCQC. L2 at my destination would be great, but that's not my home. I guess I could install one in my family members' garage, if they would allow it.

*************************

Sorry, but I don't care about your "particular" needs with a Nissan Leaf... This is a Chevy Bolt forum. And we are not even considering a QC charger because no one has a QC in their garage.

Sorry, but the 240v charger IS the only way to go for the 200 mile range BOLT. I recommend that new Bolt users get a L2 240v charger ASAP after they bring home their new baby Bolt.

Bolt users are brand new, and I am sure they have many questions about driving and owning an electric vehicle.. Since the car AND this forum is so new, I would also suggest that they also visit the "MYNISSANLEAF.COM" forum, which has electric car users going back to 2011. I am sure that Chevy Bolt users would be welcome, and very popular at the Nissan Leaf forum. I am sure that all "Leaf" members and users have tons of questions about your new Chevy Bolt car...

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Does Chevy give the Bolt a 120V 12 amp charger as OEM?? That charger will only charge your car at about the rate of 5 miles of range / PER HOUR. So to get 100 miles of range, you need to charge for 20 HOURS.....

Level 2 30 amp, 240v charger is the ONLY WAY TO GO with the high capacity Bolt.... I have Nissan Leaf and would never use the 120v charger unless the 240v broke down...

While a L2 30A EVSE is a great idea, whether it is the "only way to go" depends on your daily needs. My daily needs are typically less than 25 miles. L1 works great on my Leaf. My WEEKEND needs, on the other hand, are up to 300 miles each way. L2 is pretty much useless; I need DCQC. L2 at my destination would be great, but that's not my home. I guess I could install one in my family members' garage, if they would allow it.

*************************

Sorry, but I don't care about your "particular" needs with a Nissan Leaf... This is a Chevy Bolt forum. And we are not even considering a QC charger because no one has a QC in their garage.

I suggest you re-read my comment. I mention that I have a Leaf, but that doesn't mean that upgrading my ride to a Bolt would change my needs. It wouldn't.

And I never said anything about QC in someone's garage. Simply said that I would need to charge on the road, and therefore would strongly prefer a DCQC. Having the 32A on board charger does NOTHING for me, compared to having even a 1.44kW charger + DCQC. Others (like yourself, I presume) have entirely different situations and requirements.

Which leads me to my point.

While a L2 30A EVSE is a great idea, whether it is the "only way to go" depends on your daily needs.

I, too, am interested in educating any newcomers. But telling them that they must install an EVSE in their garage which supports the maximum charge rate of their EV could be potentially causing someone to spend thousands more than they really need to. If you are running a new circuit, sure, run the thickest wire you can.

On the other hand, there are plenty of existing homes/apartments/etc with access to a simple outlet (maybe 15A/120V, in my case I had 20A/240V, so I have a 15A/240V EVSE in my garage) but running a new circuit could cost thousands. For those, I would encourage them to consider their actual needs, and not just run out and install the best they can because someone asserted that it is "the only way to go".

 

[sgt1372]

I, too, am interested in educating any newcomers. But telling them that they must install an EVSE in their garage which supports the maximum charge rate of their EV could be potentially causing someone to spend thousands more than they really need to. If you are running a new circuit, sure, run the thickest wire you can.

On the other hand, there are plenty of existing homes/apartments/etc with access to a simple outlet (maybe 15A/120V, in my case I had 20A/240V, so I have a 15A/240V EVSE in my garage) but running a new circuit could cost thousands. For those, I would encourage them to consider their actual needs, and not just run out and install the best they can because someone asserted that it is "the only way to go".

My Clipper Creek L2 charger only cost $589 ($653 including tax and shipping) plus $500 for the 8ga wiring, which was all that my electrician said I needed for the 50amp circuit and the NEMA 14-50 outlet. Total cost $1,153. Not "thousands" and IMO was well worth the expense.

The L1 110V charging cord that came w/the Bolt definitely wasn't cutting it. I was waiting until I was down to around 100 miles (or about 50% SOC) before charging w/L1cord and it was taking 2 nights of charging (about 25 hours @ 4 miles/hr of charging to get back up to full charge.

I've only used the L2 charger once so far after driving 70 miles w/180 miles estimated range remaining. It took only 2.5 hours to fully recharge w/238 miles of estimated mileage showing at a rate of about 24 miles/hr of charging. Way better than w/the L1.

So, I don't think that there is any question that buying and installing an L2 charger in your home is worthwhile, if not essential.

If you can't afford it or don't own your own home or can't install it where you live, you'll just have to make do w/the L1 cord, public DCFC/L2 chargers and other alternatives but IMO an L2 charger in your home is the best way to go.