YMMV

[GetOffYourGas]

No question that the "best use" of the Bolt for me is to restrict it to in-town driving at or below 50 mph (which is the highest posted speed limit on the various streets/roads that I drive locally). So, that's what I'm going to do from now on.

All freeway and high speed driving will be done in one of my other vehicles.

Obviously, it is your prerogative to drive whichever vehicle you choose, in whichever situations you prefer.

That said, I can't say that I agree with your method. You are basing this conclusion off a single factor - range between recharges. Is it really that hard to recharge your car, or can you simply plug it in overnight? If you only went 20 days instead of 30, is that really an inconvenience?

Consider also that while the Bolt loses efficiency on the highway, it is still a bit cheaper to fuel than any of your other cars. So considering your fleet, it may still be your best choice much of the time.

In terms of personal preference, which car do you prefer to be driving on the highway?

I know you take an occasional trip across the bay. No doubt your time is important, and that's probably best left for a gasser.

 

[oilerlord]

Obviously, it is your prerogative to drive whichever vehicle you choose, in whichever situations you prefer.

That said, I can't say that I agree with your method. You are basing this conclusion off a single factor - range between recharges. Is it really that hard to recharge your car, or can you simply plug it in overnight? If you only went 20 days instead of 30, is that really an inconvenience?

Consider also that while the Bolt loses efficiency on the highway, it is still a bit cheaper to fuel than any of your other cars. So considering your fleet, it may still be your best choice much of the time.

In terms of personal preference, which car do you prefer to be driving on the highway?

I doubt it's the only factor. From what I've read from his other posts, he loves to drive 80+ mph, and has hit the Bolt's speed limiter on occasion. In keeping with the YMMV topic, while it's possible to get 400 miles driving at 26 mph, I'm not sure it's possible to achieve 120 miles at 90 mph. He's mentioned that he doesn't want to be bothered looking for charging at the destination, and if he drives fast; he'd have to. Makes sense to me.

Like sgt, we drive BMW's and have owned several Mercedes ML's in the past. Those cars will cruise all day long at 90, and remain stable & planted while doing it for a variety of reasons, but mainly because they were engineered to go fast. The speed limiter on a 335i kicks in at 160 mph. I wouldn't want to go 100 mph in a Bolt (even if you could). Sometimes it isn't just about saving money on fuel. I think he's merely choosing the right tool for the right job.

 

[sgt1372]

I doubt it's the only factor. From what I've read from his other posts, he loves to drive 80+ mph, and has hit the Bolt's speed limiter on occasion. In keeping with the YMMV topic, while it's possible to get 400 miles driving at 26 mph, I'm not sure it's possible to achieve 120 miles at 90 mph. He's mentioned that he doesn't want to be bothered looking for charging at the destination, and if he drives fast; he'd have to. Makes sense to me.

Like sgt, we drive BMW's and have owned several Mercedes ML's in the past. Those cars will cruise all day long at 90, and remain stable & planted while doing it for a variety of reasons, but mainly because they were engineered to go fast. The speed limiter on a 335i kicks in at 160 mph. I wouldn't want to go 100 mph in a Bolt (even if you could). Sometimes it isn't just about saving money on fuel. I think he's merely choosing the right tool for the right job.

You pretty much nailed my POV, Oiler.

Right now, this is how my vehicles line up:

1) Bolt -- local daily driver at speeds of 50 mph or less & distances bet 10-30 miles RT; estimated range - w/20% SOC left - about 240 miles.

2) BMW - mid range freeway driver for speeds up 100 mph+ and trips of up to 300 miles RT; 20 mpg; max range to empty 316 miles.

3) MB - long distance freeway driver when comfort/load capacity are important and top speed isn't; 20 mpg; max range to empty 554 miles.

4) MR2 - top down back road driver for "fun" rides when top speed and load capacity unimportant; 25 mpg; max range to empty 317 miles.

5) F250 - truck for use when needed to haul/tow things that only a truck can do; 12-14mpg; max range to empty 770 miles w/55 gallon tank.

Each vehicle is great w/in the limits of its capabilities.

The truck is also a 4x4 and is good for off road use on forest roads where turning radius is not an issue. The MB theoretically can be used for off road use too but I wouldn't consider using it off-road.

I have previously owned a Jeep TJ and a couple of Toyota FJ Cruisers that would be suitable for use on narrow mt trails and would buy one or the other again if I wanted to engage in that kind of driving again but don't think I will again -- been there, done that.

 

[sgt1372]

Obviously, it is your prerogative to drive whichever vehicle you choose, in whichever situations you prefer.

That said, I can't say that I agree with your method. You are basing this conclusion off a single factor - range between recharges. Is it really that hard to recharge your car, or can you simply plug it in overnight? If you only went 20 days instead of 30, is that really an inconvenience?

FWIW, range is more important to me than frequency of recharging; cost is irrelevant.

However, range and recharging frequency are obviously related. The farther and faster you go the more often you will have to recharge. I am just trying to maximize my use of the Bolt to fit the way I drive and want to get the maximum range that I can get out of the car with "normal" use w/o having to recharge too frequently. Too frequently to me is once a week or more.

I can NOT do that by driving on the freeway because it is simply psychologically (but not physically) impossible for me to stay out of the fast lane and drive w/the flow of traffic (which is 80-85 mph where I live). This kind of use sucks the guts out of the Bolt's battery and reduces my effective range to 130 miles or LESS b4 a recharge is required.

One of the reasons I got the Bolt was to get rid of my FJ Cruiser (which was my daily driver) that I had to refuel every week (or more frequently) because it only had a 19 gal tank and only got 12 mpg. Got tired of doing that and when driving the Bolt on the freeway I often had to recharge weekly if not more frequently, which was just as often as I had to refuel the FJ. That was not satisfactory.

So, by limiting my driving of the Bolt to local streets/roads and speeds of 50 mph or less, I can increase my effective range by over 180% (from 130 to 240) and reduce the frequency of my recharging to just 1x a month. That's a WIN-WIN to me.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

One of the reasons I got the Bolt was to get rid of my FJ Cruiser (which was my daily driver) that I had to refuel every week (or more frequently) because it only had a 19 gal tank and only got 12 mpg. Got tired of doing that and when driving the Bolt on the freeway I often had to recharge weekly if not more frequently, which was just as often as I had to refuel the FJ. That was not satisfactory.

So, by limiting my driving of the Bolt to local streets/roads and speeds of 50 mph or less, I can increase my effective range by over 180% (from 130 to 240) and reduce the frequency of my recharging to just 1x a month. That's a WIN-WIN to me.

This is the part that confuses me. Probably just a difference of opinion, but out of curiosity, do you find it inconvenient to recharge the Bolt? I don't know your charging arrangements but for me it's simple to plug in every day. I've been doing it for 5 1/2 years now and no longer think about it.

It's going out of my way to buy gas that's inconvenient. Considering your entire fleet, the less you drive the Bolt, the more you drive a gasser. That means that you have to go to the gas station more often.

Or maybe the part I'm missing is how / when you drive the highway. Is that basically only when you're heading to San Fransisco? In other words, when you would need to recharge the Bolt during the trip? Because there I completely understand your decision.

To be clear, I'm not criticizing, just genuinely interesting in your opinion / POV. I don't drive that fast to begin with. I try to keep within 10% of the speed limit (mostly 65MPH posted, so I drive about 72 MPH). But clearly not everyone does that. About half the traffic passes me while I'm passing the other half. As long as people aren't aggressive about it (either way - tailgating or "left-lane vigilantes" - people intentionally trying to get in the way of speeders), it doesn't really bother me.

 

[gpsman]

In a previous life I became an expert hypermiler.
I held records or second places in many gas-mileage competitions. I could get 163% of epa rating back then.

Drum roll please......

1.63 x 238 = 388 miles in a Bolt EV

This is very near the top end of what is possible without descending a large mountain one-way.

To have a fair test, your car must end at the same place you started.

In the Germany hypermiling test, they didn't do that. They specifically chose routes that would leverage miles. A one-way trip with prevailing tail-winds, more downhill than uphill, avoided town with stop signs, etc.

However:

"The Bolt EV doesn’t need hypermiling records to make its range look good.

According to GM, 97% of Bolt EV owners exceed the 238 mile EPA range in normal driving conditions."

That's probably due in large part, to the fact MOST buyers are conservative drivers in the first place.

400 miles should be achievable at about 35 mph for 12 hours.

I suspect you will run out of battery first.

The above attempt was at 42 km/h, or 26 mph. Slower = better miles per kWh, at least down to sub 20 MPH.

Notice that mileage was 387miles/57kWh= about 6.8 miles per kWh.

 

[sgt1372]

One of the reasons I got the Bolt was to get rid of my FJ Cruiser (which was my daily driver) that I had to refuel every week (or more frequently) because it only had a 19 gal tank and only got 12 mpg. Got tired of doing that and when driving the Bolt on the freeway I often had to recharge weekly if not more frequently, which was just as often as I had to refuel the FJ. That was not satisfactory.

So, by limiting my driving of the Bolt to local streets/roads and speeds of 50 mph or less, I can increase my effective range by over 180% (from 130 to 240) and reduce the frequency of my recharging to just 1x a month. That's a WIN-WIN to me.

This is the part that confuses me. Probably just a difference of opinion, but out of curiosity, do you find it inconvenient to recharge the Bolt? I don't know your charging arrangements but for me it's simple to plug in every day. I've been doing it for 5 1/2 years now and no longer think about it.

It's going out of my way to buy gas that's inconvenient. Considering your entire fleet, the less you drive the Bolt, the more you drive a gasser. That means that you have to go to the gas station more often.

Or maybe the part I'm missing is how / when you drive the highway. Is that basically only when you're heading to San Fransisco? In other words, when you would need to recharge the Bolt during the trip? Because there I completely understand your decision.

To be clear, I'm not criticizing, just genuinely interesting in your opinion / POV.

It's not "inconvenient" to recharge the Bolt at home. It's very convenient w/the L2 charger that I installed in the garage when I leased the Bolt.

I just don't WANT to recharge it more than I consider necessary. Driving the way I plan to do so makes it only necessary to charge it once a month which is all that I want to do.

I also find it irksome to have to worry about whether I have sufficient range to make it back home w/o recharging or the need to find a charging station and to pay for and wait for the recharge to be completed en route. I just don't want to have to worry about that.

Buying gas is not as inconvenient as needing to charge the Bolt. Gas stations are everywhere and it only takes a few mins (not hours) to fill up. Also, I only drive longer distances on the freeway once a week and not necessarily every week.

Refilling on the way home is no big deal and not even required. I could go a month before refilling any of the ICE vehicles, if don't drive the same one each time. And, of course, I don't have to worry about the battery range or the need to recharge en route.

Also, it's silly to own/lease 5 cars and only to drive one. The other cars "need" to be driven and they are also FUN to drive.

I enjoy driving. It's one of my hobbies. I look forward to taking each of them out on the road, even the truck which is a uniquely different driving experience.

I have been driving since I was 15 1/2 years old back in 1966 (over 50 years ago) I started motorcycling then A silly CA law at the time, allowed you to "drive" a motorcycle w/o a riding test at that age but not drive a car until you passed the driving 16.

Sounds crazy now but I survived and I've been "driving" ever since. :lol:

The WORST day in my life will be when I have to give up driving. I'm hoping that day never arrives but am aware that it may come BUT, just like my guns, they will have to pry the keys from my "cold, dead hands." :twisted:

PS: When I get on the freeway, I don't just drive to San Francisco. I also routinely drive to Sacramento, Napa/Sonoma, San Jose, Santa Cruz/Monterrey and Tahoe/Reno. Just wouldn't been as much fun or convenient to do these trips in the Bolt.

In fact, I'm going to drive to Davis to check out the National Drive Electric show there tomorrow. However, I will be driving the MB to get there. Could drive the Bolt there and back but I just recharged it and don't want to have to do it again so soon.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Also, it's silly to own/lease 5 cars and only to drive one. The other cars "need" to be driven and they are also FUN to drive.

I enjoy driving. It's one of my hobbies. I look forward to taking each of them out on the road, even the truck which is a uniquely different driving experience.

True, that would be silly. They do need to be driven - no need for the quotes. No vehicle - gas, electric, or otherwise - does great in long term storage. And yes, your fleet sounds like a lot of fun to drive (I'm not a fan of driving trucks myself, but I understand why others like them).

I also enjoy driving. I wish I could do it more often. But with a family, it's not always possible. Also, I feel guilty when burning imported petroleum just for fun.

I have an annual backpacking trip I've been taking every fall for the past decade. I've come to realize that I enjoy the drive through twisty mountain roads just as much as I enjoy the backpacking part.

 

[devbolt]

If you plugged in every night, you'd have a full "tank" every morning and likely wouldn't need to worry about range for whatever traveling you did that day, even if there was a sudden need to go somewhere further than normal. I get the not wanting to have to stop to get a charge on the way home, but once you get familiar with what your charging options are in the area, you can plan accordingly and have a couple of contingency plans in mind.

When I first got my Bolt, I got laid off at the same time. So I wasn't driving every day for a while. I got out of the habit of charging every night. There was some freedom in not having to remember to charge every night. And it gave me a chance to run the battery down as far as I could to do some DC fast charging experiments. But it also gave me a wee bit of anxiety as the predicted range got below 70 and I wasn't sure if I'd have to suddenly go do an interview, or run an errand. As a result, I just simply started plugging in each night. Now that I'm working again, I could get away with charging every other night since my commute is only 80 miles roundtrip. But I choose to plug in every night because there will be times where I will need the extra range that day. Like yesterday when I had to run down to Hollister and back. If I hadn't left the house with a full charge, I would've had to stop in Gilroy for a DC fast charge session before heading back home. But I at least knew that the option was available to me.

 

[SeanNelson]

Also, it's silly to own/lease 5 cars and only to drive one.

I dunno, I think a lot of us might consider it silly to include the last 5 words of that statement... :shock:

 

[sgt1372]

If you plugged in every night, you'd have a full "tank" every morning and likely wouldn't need to worry about range for whatever traveling you did that day, even if there was a sudden need to go somewhere further than normal. I get the not wanting to have to stop to get a charge on the way home, but once you get familiar with what your charging options are in the area, you can plan accordingly and have a couple of contingency plans in mind.

I took the 1st 6 months to familiarize myself w/the range of the Bolt and the locations of all the relevant chargers en route to where I normally drive.

While I learned that I can probably drive 150 miles RT in the City w/o recharging, I still felt uncomfortable driving that far w/o doing so and didn't like like the necessity of waiting/paying for the quick charge. It's a worry and inconvenience that I just don't want to be bothered with.

I also plugged in every night for awhile but I also don't want to be bothered with that anymore either. If I need to go somewhere and the Bolt doesn't have enough juice to get there (unlikely since I'm only driving it locally now), I can just jump in another car.

Does this mean that I don't like/need the Bolt. Of course, NOT! I love the Bolt for what it is and how I can best use it.

Remember, I am NOT an EV fanatic and do not believe in going "green" at all cost. I am a very practical person who chooses to do/use things as he thinks bests fits his needs.

As I explained previously, each vehicle that I own/lease serves a specific purpose. I am just going to use the Bolt as my local driver for trips w/in 5-15 miles of my home.

Sorry if my choice to use the Bolt in such a limited way offends or confuses others but that's how I choose to use it. It's money, my car and my choice.

 

[oilerlord]

Remember, I am NOT an EV fanatic and do not believe in going "green" at all cost. I am a very practical person who chooses to do/use things as he thinks bests fits his needs.

As I explained previously, each vehicle that I own/lease serves a specific purpose. I am just going to use the Bolt as my local driver for trips w/in 5-15 miles of my home.

Sorry if my choice to use the Bolt in such a limited way offends or confuses others but that's how I choose to use it. It's money, my car and my choice.

A few of us drive our cars for the enjoyment of driving our cars, and yes...even if that involves the horror of burning diesel or gasoline. If we choose to drive our cars 100 miles per day or 100 miles per year, or charge our EV in the morning, during the day, overnight, once per month, six times per day, or at exactly 4:15AM on the first Tuesday of the month, it's nobody's business. No explanations, apologies or justification required.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Remember, I am NOT an EV fanatic and do not believe in going "green" at all cost. I am a very practical person who chooses to do/use things as he thinks bests fits his needs.

As I explained previously, each vehicle that I own/lease serves a specific purpose. I am just going to use the Bolt as my local driver for trips w/in 5-15 miles of my home.

Sorry if my choice to use the Bolt in such a limited way offends or confuses others but that's how I choose to use it. It's money, my car and my choice.

A few of us drive our cars for the enjoyment of driving our cars, and yes...even if that involves the horror of burning diesel or gasoline. If we choose to drive our cars 100 miles per day or 100 miles per year, or charge our EV in the morning, during the day, overnight, once per month, six times per day, or at exactly 4:15AM on the first Tuesday of the month, it's nobody's business. No explanations, apologies or justification required.

I apologize if I have offended either of you in my questions. I never intended or implied any of the above. I'm simply trying to understand your reasoning.

Yes, I'm an EV enthusiast. But not everyone is. Nor am I trying to "force" any ideals or motives on others.

What's cool about the Bolt is that it's reaching that second group (non enthusiasts). This is a stark contrast to the Leaf. There are several threads on that forum about how far people can take their 80-mile Leafs away from home (some have gone coast-to-coast, several have gone Mexico-Canada). Your use cases for the Bolt are the opposite. You use it how the Leaf was intended to be used - low speed, local driving. I just find it interesting that it took a car with 238 miles of range to reach a crowd that drives it exclusively within 5-15 miles of home.

 

[oilerlord]

I apologize if I have offended either of you in my questions. I never intended or implied any of the above. I'm simply trying to understand your reasoning.

Yes, I'm an EV enthusiast. But not everyone is. Nor am I trying to "force" any ideals or motives on others.

What's cool about the Bolt is that it's reaching that second group (non enthusiasts).

I'm a car enthusiast. How it's powered: Diesel, gasoline, electricity, hydrogen, vegetable oil...doesn't much matter to me. I'm interested in all of them, and can respect & accept that they all make sense in some way or another to others. Far too often, I find myself defending the other cars I drive - even though I prefer to put the majority of my miles on the EV. I'm not going to get rid of, or stop driving my other cars because, dammit, I don't want to. It's been my experience that a lot of EV "enthusiasts" (at least on forums) have a problem with this.

Brian, this isn't directed at you. I just wish that more people on EV boards were more focused on the car rather than attaching an environmental religion to the vehicle. I honestly believe it's that baggage that turns a number of the so called "second group" away because they don't want to be labelled as a radical environmentalists. Perhaps when 500,000 Model 3's inject more EV's into the mainstream, we can focus more about what we love about our cars, and helping others get the most out of them instead of judging others with an environmental scorecard. The latter isn't helping to sell more EV's.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

I apologize if I have offended either of you in my questions. I never intended or implied any of the above. I'm simply trying to understand your reasoning.

Yes, I'm an EV enthusiast. But not everyone is. Nor am I trying to "force" any ideals or motives on others.

What's cool about the Bolt is that it's reaching that second group (non enthusiasts).

I'm a car enthusiast. How it's powered: Diesel, gasoline, electricity, hydrogen, vegetable oil...doesn't much matter to me. I'm interested in all of them, and can respect & accept that they all make sense in some way or another to others. Far too often, I find myself defending the other cars I drive - even though I prefer to put the majority of my miles on the EV. I'm not going to get rid of, or stop driving my other cars because, dammit, I don't want to. It's been my experience that a lot of EV "enthusiasts" (at least on forums) have a problem with this.

<span>Brian, this isn't directed at you. I just wish that more people on EV boards were more focused on the car rather than attaching an environmental religion to the vehicle. I honestly believe it's that baggage that turns a number of the so called "second group" away because they don't want to be labelled as a radical environmentalists. Perhaps when 500,000 <a href="http://www.myelectriccarforums.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=67" class="interlinkr">Model 3<span class="tip">Visit the Model 3 Forum</span></a>'s inject more EV's into the mainstream, we can focus more about what we love about our cars, and helping others get the most out of them instead of judging others with an environmental scorecard. The latter isn't helping to sell more EV's.</span>

The irony is that you would score pretty well on an honest "environmental scorecard". With an EV in your driveway, and 9.23kW of solar installed, you are doing far more than the average citizen. But I agree, that's not helping. Nor is it appropriate even if it were helping!

When asked about my EV, my first response to people is convenience. It is the most convenient car - by far - that I have ever owned. When used within its design intent (local driving) - otherwise it's the least convenient. But as sgt points out, it's the wrong tool for that job.

 

[SeanNelson]

...I just wish that more people on EV boards were more focused on the car rather than attaching an environmental religion to the vehicle...

With the current cost premium of electric vehicles, I think you'll find that it's their environmental credentials that attract the majority of EV owners. So I suspect your wish isn't likely to be granted for a while yet.

It would be interesting to understand the motivations of the average Tesla Model 3 buyer. I expect a larger percentage of them to be car enthusiasts, but that's just a wild assumption on my part.

 

[sgt1372]

It would be interesting to understand the motivations of the average Tesla Model 3 buyer. I expect a larger percentage of them to be car enthusiasts, but that's just a wild assumption on my part.

My take on the Tesla fanatics (from being an active participant on the Tesla M3 forum) is that they are drawn to Tesla because they consider it "cutting" edge and are attracted by the "prestige" of being in the special club that Tesla represents.

I'd put these people in the same class as those who use to wait in line to buy the newest iPhone or other tech gadget.

For these people, no logical or reasonable argument can be made that any car is better than a Tesla, even though none of the people on the M3 Forum have actually driven one yet.

It doesn't matter that the Bolt exists and can provide as much range and practical utility as the M3 (yet to bee delivered) . Nothing will do for them except an M3.

However, I am already hearing some disaffection and disappointment that the M3 may not be all that they thought it would be. So, it remains to be seen how many of the reservation holders will actually follow thru w/a purchase or lease.

The increasing cost w/options of the M3 (around $55k) and the possibility that the Fed Tax Credit and the CA Rebate will not be available are at least 2 reasons why the glow is fading.

We'll just have to wait and see what an actual M3 looks/drives like and whether the pricing will be low enough to enable people to buy one.

 

[sgt1372]

What's cool about the Bolt is that it's reaching that second group (non enthusiasts). This is a stark contrast to the Leaf. There are several threads on that forum about how far people can take their 80-mile Leafs away from home (some have gone coast-to-coast, several have gone Mexico-Canada). Your use cases for the Bolt are the opposite. You use it how the Leaf was intended to be used - low speed, local driving. I just find it interesting that it took a car with 238 miles of range to reach a crowd that drives it exclusively within 5-15 miles of home.

I am obviously unique in my use of the Bolt. This is primarily due to the fact that I have 4 other vehicles to drive and can assign each a specific use.

If the Bolt were my ONLY car, I would not have a problem of driving it anywhere and recharging it en route or at home as necessary. However, I would NEVER choose the Bolt as my only vehicle precisely because of it's limited range and the necessity to worry about recharging it en route.

On the other hand, the thing that makes the Bolt attractive for my current usage (which is as you say what people think the Leaf and other low range EVs are suitable for) is the fact that I can drive the Bolt for 240+ miles on a single charge (if I stay off of the freeway and just drive it locally) and still have about 50 miles in reserve.

However, I can still drive up to 120-130 miles on the freeway at speeds up to 80+ mph, if need be, b4 a recharge is required. I just don't "need" to do that.

This makes the Bolt "better" and more functional than any lower range EV -- be it a Leaf, i3 or whatever -- to me and I have no regrets about my choice of leasing the Bolt.

The only thing currently equal to (or better than) a Bolt in terms of range is a Tesla S or X, which cost about 2-3x's more new. It's also likely that the Tesla Model 3 (despite claims of a $35k base price) will cost closer to $55-60k w/options.

So, as far as EV range and "affordability" are concerned, the Bolt remains the only choice to me.

BTW, I can drive the Bolt father than just 5-15 miles (one way) off of the freeway. I have driven it 60-70 miles RT (30-35 miles one way) on back roads w/o entering a freeway but I still need to drive about 50-55 on such roads which still reduces its effective range.

I find that when I keep the speed below 45 mph, I can increase my estimated range but when I drive between 45-50 it's a push and at 55 my estimated range decreases. So, driving on some back roads and highways will still reduce my estimated range, just not as much as on the freeway.

So, it's really not driving just 5-15 mile trips that make a difference, it's the speed at which I drive that does. I am just willing to drive more slowly on local/back roads than I am on the freeway, which is why I am NOT driving the Bolt on the freeway anymore.

 

[oilerlord]

I am obviously unique in my use of the Bolt. This is primarily due to the fact that I have 4 other vehicles to drive and can assign each a specific use.

Nah, you're a car guy. There are a lot of us out there.

This will be my 2nd winter with my 87 mile car. As much as I love most things about my B250e, the decline in range as the temperature drops isn't one of them. We've had a couple of cool days in the 40's today, and I'm already feeling it...and that's WITHOUT the heater running.

I think car forums tend to attract the extremes: Fanboys and haters. I know a few guys that own Teslas, and they are normal well adjusted people. Not arrogant, or judgmental, just guys that love cars. I think in the real world, that's the majority but with that said, they may also be going online with Mr. Hyde personalities that suggest otherwise. The anonymity of the Internet does strange things to people.

As much as I love the looks of the M3, a taller cargo area is more practical for us, and a used Tesla isn't going to depreciate the point that makes it affordable for me like the Bolt will. The Bolt has grown on me. While It doesn't have the comfort, luxury, or fit & finish of my Mercedes, it's 60 kWh battery certainly helps me overlook most of that.

 

[SparkE]

Two years from now, there will be a slew of 180+ mile range vehicles to choose from. Hyundai/Kia seems to be going balls-to-the-wall to roll out as many different styles of EV as possible (CUV, SUV, sedan, hatchback) as quickly as possible. (Based on their announcements).