One of the more standout features that probably few appreciate, is efficiency. If the temps are >=40F, there are few EVs that are as efficient as the Bolt at 60mph or less. My 2020 had a lifetime average efficiency of 4.4 mi/kWh. Mainly commuting to/from work and around town shopping, transport to nearby towns and maybe 2-3 300 mile trips a year. Now having a heavier EV, it’s really obvious how very good the efficiency of the Bolt is.
Absolutely, thanks for highlighting this. I added the "easily hitting 4 miles per kWh" as an afterthought, but it's definitely been on our minds as we've shifted to a heavier, AWD EV in the Ioniq 5. 3 miles per kWh is now the standard with the I5 as our daily driver, which doesn't make much difference in local driving but certainly hits in terms of range on road trips and, eventually, additional charging costs in every scenario when compared to the Bolt EV.
In city driving, the Bolt can do even better than that. Just a couple days ago, I logged a whopping 5.9 mi/kWh on a 30-mile round trip, with lots of ups and downs along the way. What made those efficiencies possible was that 1) it was a warm day and I didn't need climate control and 2) it was all city driving at 25-45 mph.
@@ab-tf5fl In my 2020 I often ran in the very high 4's, even with the EUV, cold, heater on and snows I'm still getting 3.2, I'll have to see when it warms up outside how it compares to the EV. Incidentally I run off grid about 8 mos. of the year, that's charging my bolt, heat/ac, hot water, well pump and house. That's what's great about Bolts, I'm not looking for fast charging I want efficiency, for the few trips we take the Bolts are ideal.
I concur! When the temperature is above 45-50°, running without climate controls is great for efficiency. Last week I took a 110-mile trip; most of it 50MPH or higher (65MPH with Super Cruise) and I averaged 4.1 miles/KWH. Absolutely fantastic efficiency! I arrived at my destination with 55% of my battery pack remaining. I'm hoping my next (longer) journey yields similar results.
So true. The form factor is obviously a limitation for some, as VW signaled with the ID.3 being held off from North America in favor of a sole focus on the ID.4, but there's obviously demand for this kind of car and it covers all of the use cases for a second vehicle. Interested to see what the next few years hold for the model.
They are fully discontinued already. GM said so on Monday morning 4-24-23. We unfortunately have a 2020 and no recall fix or idea when it will happen in 2023. Cat Lady CEO is just talking about their " Plan " to do something in the future with EVs ....... I hope nobody gets into their EVs and gets ignored and passed over exactly like all of us others out there. IF you are in an accident ..... Your car will be totaled because there are no parts to fix it. The Equinox EV is a sham. They are only selling TOP TRIM LEVEL ones for the first year. That is IF you can get one in a year. The one thing Chevy are good at is NOT delivering EVs. If they made the order Non Refundable there would be less than a thousand. Also the Equinox they PLAN on making at the bottom level trims are far more expensive than a Bolt and will have over 50 miles less range and weaker motor. FACTS. If you don't spend over 40 thousand dollars you will be screwed and road trips won't be an option. Front wheel drive will make your tires last 10,000 to 20,000 miles from now on. You can't tow any weight with front wheel drive without a front motor and transmission to counter weight it. Tires will not grip in dry conditions.... Just spin. Chevy is ready for bankruptcy and deserves it fully. Stealerships will be the next to go with the Bolt and Bolt EUV. None of it will be missed at all.
Our 2022 Bolt was our first EV. It is primarily my wife’s car. I was so impressed with it I went electric with an ID.4. The first few months we charged ours with the 110v charger at 12 amps and it was plenty for us. GM did install our 240 outlet and we now have faster charging for both cars. We just got our new battery installed last Thursday. The dealer had it completed in one day. Now we’re going to take it on a regional road trip and see how it does. Good review!
Hey Steve, love my '22 2LT. The 360 camera is so nice (you can actually make out oil stains on the pavement). Wireless carplay nice, haven't had any connection issues. With my '20 LT, took a 650 miles trip (generally 12 hours), I am at that stage now where it's nice to drive (3) hours, charge for close to an hour, lather/rinse/repeat. allows for leg stretching and reviewing the next 'leg' of the trip. originally wanted the 1LT with cloth, but the deal was good (no mark up) and this was the only one they had on the lot. I think the 'leather' is a bit more forgiving and perhaps generates less dust. another PRO, the heater warms up really fast. and once up to temp, the "draw" isn't all that bad. Good seeing the Bolt get some love on youtube.
Glad it's still serving you well! Great value EV that still competes with more modern competitors on range, tech, efficiency, and many other factors. As you point out, there are plenty of drivers who don't want to "road warrior" every trip of 400+ miles, and for those folks the Bolt EV can also make for a very relaxing road tripper. Thanks for underscoring that point!
In terms of where they go from here, I think GM should consider revising the Bolt EV. It's the perfect testbed for LFP cells, thanks to its cost, efficiency, and size, but even with a low-cost, 1 C battery like LFP, they need to update the CCS harness for 200+ A charging current. Frankly, if GM wants to hit Mary Barra's EV sales targets, I'm not sure they can do it without the Bolt family.
I'd love to see GM find a way to make those changes and keep the price around $25K, making the Bolt a sub-$20K entry EV after incentives. The biggest question mark I had was where it fits with a $30K Equinox EV, but with current inflation I expect to see the majority of that model come in closer to $35-40K, with perhaps a base trim or standard range available at the $30K mark for marketing/headlines. Like the Ioniq 5 SR, I expect that would be mostly DOA and eventually retired, leaving the Bolt as the $25K option, then the Equinox as the entry level for Ultium and a step up in tech. Totally agree that GM needs the Bolt line to bolster sales as Ultium models take time to ramp up production and, evetually, economies of scale that deliver profitability. Having Bolt production into six figures for a few years would also give them a base of customers to upsell as the economy rebounds and those Ultium models hit their stride.
The LFP cells going into EVs these days seem to charge quickly, love going to 100%, and do it at a price that's as good or better than what GM is using now. It seems to me that GM could economically have the Bolt EV charging much quicker, going 10-80% in a half-hour with some modern LFP cells and some better wiring. That would solve the only drawback to this car.
@@anthonyc8499 Much like nickel batteries, LFP charge rates are largely dictated by the electrode thickness, so it's certainly possible to get 2 C (or even 3 C to 5 C) charging rates in LFP. The tradeoffs are also the same, however, and because LFP is already starting off with lower overall energy density, a 2 C LFP battery could result in a significantly reduced range (i.e., swapping a strength in range for a strength in charging speed). Keep in mind, if we're using the Model 3 as a reference for maintaining charging speeds, Tesla is swapping an 82 kWh nickel pack for a 60 kWh LFP pack. Ideally, we'll see LFMP soon, which would be the best solution. The cell voltages are almost identical to nickel cells, and the energy density of the first generation LFMP cells is approaching last-generation nickel cells (about 250 to 300 Wh/kg). So a Bolt could easily support a ~65 kWh LFMP battery that would itself likely support 1.5 to 2 C average charging speeds.
GM needs to keep it and refine it. Make every development dollar they put into it pay off. They aren't going to be making money on the new platform for some time. All GM needs to do is bump up that charging rate a little and the car is still very compelling at this price point. I understand the changes needed to give the DCFC a modest speed bump would not be much. They need to do that for the 2024 and keep this car around for a few more years. If we can just get more infrastructure and reliable infrastructure the Bolt is already capable of regional travel without too much fuss. If they bumped the speed a little it would make it a lot less painful for the longer trips. The Bolt is a contender for my next EV. I am looking for the most efficiency I can get and the Bolt appears to be pretty efficient.
Efficiency is definitely a strong point of the Bolt EV. 4 miles per kWh is effortless in all but the coldest weather or highest speeds and it's very easy to slow down/go easier on the accelerator to eke out even more miles. 5 miles per kWh/ 300+ miles is achievable on local roads at moderate to warm temperatures.
@@plugandplayEV That sound great. Most of my local roads are 2 lane asphalt highways with speeds ranging from 35-55mph. I live out in the rural countryside so lots of slower speed driving and not a lot of in town/city driving. Sounds like the Bolt would work pretty well for the normal local travel. My only hang up is that slower DCFC. I look at it as a cursing and a blessing. It is slow enough that it isn't likely to degrade the battery severely if used a lot, but if you need it you are going to be waiting around a while. I do several road trips a year and trying to weigh if the Bolt would be acceptable because of the road trips. Trips that are easily done in a day of hard driving in an ICE would be 2 days in the Bolt each way to and from the locations where I travel. That makes it a little harder sell. Regional trips having to make a stop each way would be perfectly doable. IF we could just get the infrastructure now to support it. Most of the midwest is a EV desert with few chargers, most of them slow speeds, and not operational much of the time. I know of a location near where family lives that the only DCFC there has been down for over a year according to Plugshare and people check in frequently to complain. It is beyond insane. Now the same company has announced they are putting in a second location there and people are furious.
@@Longsnowsm Yep, pushing out to the 500-600 mile trips we do across New York state to Ohio, each charge stop in a Bolt EV is roughly 40-50 minutes. There are plenty of chargers, but extended over four stops that could be 15-20 minutes in a faster-charging EV, you obviously start to get into hours longer in transit. For some that's no problem, but if you're relying on this as your only option to get somewhere in normal time, a more powerful EV or a PHEV are better choices.
@@plugandplayEV Have you seen any issues with vampire/phantom battery drain with either the Bolt or the Ioniq? I have seen some of the tests with Tesla's and it appears those cars use a fair amount of electricity while just being parked and sentry mode off, and remote access turned off. Was wondering if this is a problem with other EV makes.
@@Longsnowsm The Ioniq 5 definitely draws some power, especially to charge the 12V and if there are multiple Bluelink (the Hyundai app) requests sent to wake the car up/retrieve data. It's not as significant as I've seen in Teslas because there's not as much going on, software-wise, but it's there. The Bolt was completely fine, even with app requests. We could leave it for more than a week and come back to essentially the same state of charge. No phantom drain to speak of, at least in our 2017 and 2020 models.
Thanks, Steve! I still haven't had the chance to check out the 1LT yet, but I'll be posting up my review of the EUV soon. Super Cruise is definitely a big improvement, and though we still don't have quite as many of the faster than 6.6 kW AC chargers out here, the 10 kW onboard charger is still a big step forward.
Cheers Eric, enjoyed your take on SuperCruise and was glad to see you get some drive time with the EUV. It took me a couple of spins, but I'm genuinely impressed with how GM has positioned these two variants... all in the affordable EV space but each level bringing something slightly different to the table. We don't see too many of the mid-high powered AC units here either, but it's nice to have these Blink units to test that aspect and I do think it offers a sense of future proofing, at least for destination charges that last a few hours. Look forward to your full take on the EUV.
I'm curious why people find faster AC charging to be even necessary. For home charging, 32 amps at 240 volts is way more than sufficient. Public charging, very few charging stations go over 32 amps, anyway. To date, I've encountered one case where I had to plug in for 30 minutes on a 70 amp charger at 32 amps, where faster AC charging would have saved some time. However, this is a location that, based on its proximity to a national park and long distance from other DC charging options, should really have just been equipped with 150 kW DC chargers to begin with, so the "need" for faster AC charging is really just a temporary workaround for lack of public charging infrastructure.
@@ab-tf5fl There are a number of reasons to want faster AC charging, but of course, they all come down to reducing the amount of time required to recharge, which can be handy in a number of situations. My office and many other workplaces limit EV owners to 4-hour sessions. Many travelers don't spend the full 8 to 10 hours at a hotel/motel or RV park, and even if they do, they're coming and going. The Bolt's preconditioning can pull 5 to 10 kW, so faster charging means you can precondition without pulling extra energy from the battery and losing range. Also, while we're still waiting to see build outs like the 40,000 L2 AC chargers that GM is funding that will be 10 kW and 19.2 kW, you might be surprised at the number of >10 kW AC chargers that are already deployed. Nearly every one of Tesla's "destination" chargers are 14 kW or faster, so a simple 60-80 A adapter will enable you to realize those faster charging times.
nice video. thank you. liked subbed and shared. as far as affordable? i asked my local Chevrolet dealers and was quoted $37.000 to $42.000. Yeah right. i'll bide my time to get one far cheaper. i was ALWAYS told to never ever buy a new car. i see why now. it would sure suit me to have one of those. but not at $42.000. Tampa Bay Florida region btw. have a great day everyone.
Thank you! Yes, I can totally understand how "affordable" becomes a throwaway term where dealer markups or upper trims are factored in. Relatively speaking, though, the Bolt EV is about as good as it gets for new EV affordability. Used could be where it's at for many, of course, and once they get below $25K, factor in any applicable fed and state incentives, it's not impossible to source a nearly new Bolt at around $15K... that's where we truly hit the affordable tag, I think.
Great review! I’d be in a 2023 Bolt EUV Premiere today if I could find a dealer in my area willing to sell me one at MSRP. Instead I’ve extended my 2020 Bolt lease. I agree with your comments about the taillights and the regen-on-demand paddle. The old placement was very natural to simply squeeze when I wanted to stop. With the new placement you have to reach for it. Don’t know what they were thinking on that one.
They are fully discontinued already. GM said so on Monday morning 4-24-23. We unfortunately have a 2020 and no recall fix or idea when it will happen in 2023. Cat Lady CEO is just talking about their " Plan " to do something in the future with EVs ....... I hope nobody gets into their EVs and gets ignored and passed over exactly like all of us others out there. IF you are in an accident ..... Your car will be totaled because there are no parts to fix it. The Equinox EV is a sham. They are only selling TOP TRIM LEVEL ones for the first year. That is IF you can get one in a year. The one thing Chevy are good at is NOT delivering EVs. If they made the order Non Refundable there would be less than a thousand. Also the Equinox they PLAN on making at the bottom level trims are far more expensive than a Bolt and will have over 50 miles less range and weaker motor. FACTS. If you don't spend over 40 thousand dollars you will be screwed and road trips won't be an option. Front wheel drive will make your tires last 10,000 to 20,000 miles from now on. You can't tow any weight with front wheel drive without a front motor and transmission to counter weight it. Tires will not grip in dry conditions.... Just spin. Chevy is ready for bankruptcy and deserves it fully. Stealerships will be the next to go with the Bolt and Bolt EUV. None of it will be missed at all.
With the announced slow down of the EV plan, GM should continue Bolts production at least 1 more year, while we're waiting for the new Bolt. They could kill the gloss "piano" black and shiny dash trim. Add a tray in the console, maybe another USB port.
I'd love to see an extended production run for the existing Bolt to continue sales of one of the few truly affordable EVs, but I think GM needs to focus on retooling for Ultium models more than anything else. We might have to suffer a short-term Bolt shortage to yield better options from 2025 and beyond.
Thanks Steve, we're like you coming off a 2017 and 2020 lease. This time we bought the EUV Primer with sun and sound but no SC, didn't feel we needed it. Actually like the sunroof more than we thought, it adds light to the car, we did get the two tone interior too. The EUV seems to ride softer, not sure if I'm 100% happy with it but but the wife likes it. Don't like the new cruse, the adaptive uses brakes when regen hits 10 to 11 kW and you can feel the brakes kick in, the 2020 was much better. I think the visibility is nicer in the EUV, don't mind the paddle change. They did a smart thing, they put the sensor for the HD rear mirror above the rear window (you can't get the HD mirror on the EV though). It never fogs or clouds over like the EV's did. Like the bigger car even though the range drops a bit, for our needs it's fine. Nicer seats, the dash layout makes the interior feel wider. like the styling of the EUV more too but the EV was and is still a tough car to beat, just two great cars in our view. We have no problem with the charging, we're retired so there's not many times we need to be anywhere special. Lots of bang for the buck even with the Premier.
That's the nice thing about adding the EUV to the line-up: upgrades to both tech and space without adding much of a premium over the Bolt EV. So it simply comes down to preference... add bells and whistles for a price that still competes with the base trim of most competing EV models or keep it simple and save a few thousand bucks. Interesting note on the brake mapping... will have to check that out when we're next in an EUV, thanks!
I think GM needs to keep the bolt the way it is and try and bring down the price more or at least keep it where it's at. The Bolt is king for an everyday driver. GM is coming out with a number of ev's to meet all sorts of demands. The bolt is the only one that GM will make that shines as an everyday, all day driver. At least 95 percent of my driving now. A lot of families have more than one car so get a bigger less efficient and not as maneuverable car with the bolts range....I dare you. Lol
Four years into owning my 2019 Premier, I'm still honeymooning with it. The only grudge I had was that the front seats could have been made a bit more comfortable - but that was easily fixed with a couple of $7 gel cushions. Other than that, no complaints whatsoever. The Chevrolet Bolt EV is the best car in my life.
Steve - nice that you mentioned the regional travel aspect, where you may charge one time between home and a destination that’s say 350 miles away. That travel pattern covers a lot of people, if you stop and think about it, so the slow charging isn’t an issue unless it’s really cold out. Gotta love the pricing on the newer ones one for a 250 mile range car. Quite the bargain. Let’s hope GM keeps building them.
Thanks Dennis, I think it's an important distinction that I'll continue to emphasize more strongly. We tend to think in terms of only local use and road trips, but the latter varies greatly in terms of travel experience. From Boston, 300-350 miles gets us to all New England destinations, up to Canada, over to the NY Finger Lakes, and down to NYC/Philly area. Obviously that's not the case for folks in more remote locations, but for a great swathe of the US population, a Bolt EV will handle those trips to regional destinations in much the same time as any other EV --- or even any vehicle in general, if a meal stop is factored in and combined with fast charging.
I like everything about the Bolt except the slow DCFC rate. Maybe that's why Chevy priced it so competively. It's really a steal if you don't need "fast" DCFC.
That's the one big area that GM hasn't seen fit to upgrade over the years, which you have to say is intentional at this point. They see the Bolt EV more as their "get into a capable EV at a reasonable price" play, with Ultium being the move that moves their all-electric products forward as a whole. And it has to be said, given the MSRP of this model just a couple of years ago was closer to $40,000, they've probably made the right choice. Look at how uncompetitively priced the likes of the Kona Electric and Niro EV are now by comparison, while adding only 20kW or so to the fast charging capability. On balance, I'm willing to bet most buyers prefer the $10-15,000 off he price tag than 5-10 minutes shaved off a fast charging session.
Sadly, I think they will get rid of it and it will be a huge mistake. With Volkswagen bringing the ID2 and Tesla possibly bringing a model 2 to this country, General Motors needs to stay in the game!
I do wonder if either of those compact hatchback EVs will see the light of day in the US. GM either saw a niche early on or was simply forced into making a smaller car as their first full long-range EV to eke out the miles, but either way it leaves them and Nissan as the only affordable 250+ mile electric car available in the States. VW deliberately chose to keep the ID.3 out of North America and Tesla seems to prefer cost reductions on the Model 3 in the near term, so it's hard to see what replaces the Bolt in this category if GM axes it, at least in the near term.
@@plugandplayEV Production on that Tesla next gen is certainly 2025 or later for ramp up. GM has the entire market segment to itself for a little while longer if they choose to keep producing the Bolt. VW makes zero sense at all. That ID3 would be a great fit in this market segment. Not sure the people running VW have a lot of sense at this point.
Incremental changes to our beloved Bolt. I still own a 2017 Bolt and it’s more than enough car for our family’s day to day. For longer road trips greater than 350 miles (I agree with you), we will stick to our Odyssey.
Thanks for the review, Steve. Looks like I'll keep my 2017 for another 5 years. The only thing that really got my attention with the 2023 was the upgraded L2 charging rate.
Interesting, thanks Steve. I was surprised by the quieter cabin, myself, which would be an upgrade but perhaps could fade over time. I'm certainly a fan of the first generation in many ways, though prices of new Bolts are so low after incentives that for first-time buyers, a 2023 model makes a lot of sense.
With the rear seats folded, is it completely flat all the way into the trunk now? I had a 2019 Bolt and I hated how there's a little bump with the seats folded, making it difficult to throw in a small bike or escooter.
55kW peak on a DC charger, which gives you around 100 miles in 30 minutes, best case scenario. On a 240V AC charger, most use cases will get a sufficient charge overnight to do 200-250 miles next day, depending on driving habits. For those without home or workplace charging, any EV depends on use case. If you do 20-30 miles a day around town, the pack will easily cover that schedule with one weekly charge to full (fast charger visit or cumulative top ups). If it's doing hundreds of miles a day without ready access to a charger, a plug-in hybrid would currently be the more convenient choice.
The Bolt EUV or EV are absolutely the best daily use vehicles on the market in America period . With the federal tax credit alone you can be purchasing the vehicle in the teens if you choose the entry level . 260 plus miles per charge is better than most at twice the price . Props to GM , I'm just proud it's American made and that's all I got.
They are alll hard to find and if you find all the rebates might be eaten by the dealerships markups. My Bolt lease will be over in August and seems I will be moving away from Bolt as much as I like it! GM simply is not leaving me other choices. Equinox EV is far from production and eventually deliveries. Not sure if GM cares at all about the loyalty of EV customers like me. As of few hours ago you can lease base Tesla Model 3 for less than a base Bolt EV!! Based on total lease cost.
@@plugandplayEV true. Bolts was enjoying great discounts. But seems there will be no 2024 Bolts sadly. The base Equinox EV with ultium batteries is planned for the spring of 2024. Not convinced it will arrive on time at a scale to avoid ridiculous markups
This vehicle is fantastic! It is ideal for everyday driving around the city and the suburbs. If I want to go on a road trip, I add extra time to my trip and make use of the charging stop to take a break.
What is really amazing is when you think back a few years. I had a 1989 Ford 5 speed 5.0 Mustang. Now, back then, fuel injection was just getting started and horsepower was finally coming off the bottom, after the end of the early 70s Muscles cars. Those late 80s Mustangs (and the Chevy Camaro/Pontiacs) were the first gen muscle cars back on the road. The Mustang would do 0-60 in 6.2 sec and the 1/4 mile in 14.7. That was very respectful, for then. The little Bolt will do 0-60 in 6.5 and the 1/4 mile in 15.1 (where it tops out at 93 MPH, or it would be even more quick. That's almost exactly the same acceleration as a 1989 5.0, 5 speed Mustang. That's pretty impressive for a little 4 door compact car.
Absolutely. For a vehicle that looks like it could be the epitome of the small, slow electric city car, it definitely shifts! Very useful away from lights and zipping into small spots around Boston, we found.
When the Bolt arrived in 2017, it was light years beyond the Leaf in technology and range. It was out of my budget at the time and I kept motoring in my '12 Leaf. I still think it's a great car with a really good UI. Affordable EVs are always needed. Chevy sells them before they arrive at the dealer now. Very hard to see one on a lot w/o already being sold. Spot on with the 350 mi one charge. 55kw is doable for a one charge trip. For me, future years will depend if Chevy wants to maintain multiple platforms or move to one like Hyundai/Kia and VW are doing.
I have to assume they'll want to go all-in on Ultium at some point, so I would imagine the Bolt line will eventually phase out. As others have said, though, the model currently plays an important role in Chevy's line up and provides a valuable sales bridge while Ultium ramps up. If GM can keep Bolt owners happy through to models like the Equinox EV (and perhaps another priced below it to replace the Bolt), they'll benefit from an engaged EV audience ready to upgrade as he model hits its 10-year mark. That would give the Bolt at least another few years to help smooth the transition.
Hi, Steve. I've watched you since I decided to buy my own Bolt EUV. The only drawback is the slow DCFC rate for me. I still haven't taken a long trip in mine yet, but I plan on it this spring/summer (to my mom's house in Fairport, NY). As you told me prior, just enjoy the journey. And I plan to do just that! Otherwise, your review is spot-on. As for me, I've had no issues with my EUV. I'm very happy with the car and I look forward to many years of BEV driving. Thanks for all your help along my journey 😊 B/r, Todd.
Very glad you're enjoying he EUV, Todd. Seems like it would be a pleasant place to take a trip, and Fairport certainly has plenty of chargers on offer when you arrive! Lots to do en route as well... I look forward to your trip reports!
I had a 2018 Premier for 3 years. I really liked the car. Super functional and reliable. Did a 1200 mile road trip and that was challenging but also fun. Replaced with a Taycan, 265kW vs 54kW does change things but I still whole heartedly recommend the Bolt EV for the correct use case.
We had similar trip experiences moving into the Ioniq 5 from our Bolt... it's a big shift in the travel plans, but the Bolt can make the same journey happen if you're not in a hurry. The flexibility of 200kW+ charging is nice, though, for when you just want to crank out the stop and get moving again.
I just got screwed by Chevy who has dropped the battery swap for a last software update that lost me about 59 miles of range down to 197 miles! So I have dropped Chevy and will not get the Blazer EV I wanted and will stick to RAM for my pickup! I will be buying a Tesla M-Y as my EV as they have now got apparently a very good heat pump!
@@plugandplayEV just noticed my range is increasing, I guess it has to recalibrate but won’t let me charge beyond 79%! Will let you know if there are other changes or if it lets me go to 100%!
The stock Michelin tires are definitely intended for efficiency, not slippy conditions. The extra weight of the vehicle and its balance mean it can handle light snow-covered roads but will start to slip in deeper snow or very wet conditions from a standing start. Our suburban roads are typically plowed within hours of snowfall, so we never went beyond the stock tires on our Bolts, but anywhere with regular snow that settles would need to swap out for dedicated winter tires.
@@plugandplayEV Thanks. When I had a 1968 Mustang, before all-weather tires, I just changed the rear wheel drive tires to snow tires for the winter. I wonder if replacing the front wheel drive tires on the Bolt would work as well.
Hey Steve...as you know we have a Kona 2023 Ultimate trim, we had ordered the Bolt but we lucked into the Kona. We love it and if GM had delivered our Bolt we would have loved it as well. The Kona charge speed is faster but you are correct, it probably only shaves off 10 minutes or so, efficiency/range is very similar. In Canada the price for the Kona is more than the Bolt but not substantially. These types of EV's (Bolt, Kona, Niro) are excellent vehicles and not just for regional driving, road tripping is very doable and not that onerous - IMHO. Great choice, great car and superb first EV, superb day to day car and a road tripper that does require good planning and a bit of patience. I personally think GM needs to keep this car in place for a few more years...there will always be a market for this type of EV. Have a great day and Thankyou for doing yoir videos! Mike
If the Bolt line leaves the market, it definitely leaves a big hole in the EV market, both in terms of pricing and form factor. Like you, I hope it continues for years to come, thanks Michael!
Just got a 2023 Bolt EV 2 LT, and I really love it, even as a current Tesla owner; there are things that I really appreciate over my Tesla. It’s certainly not exciting to drive in the same way a Tesla is (especially when it comes to torque), but I appreciate what it is, and all you get for the price. Fave parts - the large screen, wireless Apple CarPlay, just the look of the car, the Bose sound system, heated seats and steering wheel, and the one pedal driving that is brilliantly strong; the adaptive CC is pretty good too. It’s a very comfortable car, rather quiet, and I like that it’s higher off the ground than my Tesla. Most of all, I’m happy to be 100% gasoline free!
Thanks for sharing your perspective... especially interesting to hear when a non-Tesla EV integrates well into an existing Tesla household. Different tools for different jobs and, as you say, it's a happy day when you get to have an all-electric driveway. Congrats! ⚡⚡
We just bought a new 2023 650 miles ago. It's the first American car I've owned since 1989. I was impressed, after driving Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda. It seems American cars are back? It seems tight and solid. I can;t believe how much I appreciate EVs. I'll never go back to a gasser: Instant power, no RPMs, nothing to worry about really. For the first 150K miles, maintenance schedule is "rotate tires every 7500 miles." LOL. Love it.
Thank you for sharing. I have a question, am planning to buy a Bolt EV 1LT but what would happen if I need to replace anything (ie. battery) in the following years? Taking in consideration is getting discontinued at the end of this year. I commute to work and do a daily round trip of 62 miles.
Thanks, Eden. In general terms, I would look to the Chevy Volt for reassurance. That model was discontinued in 2019 but remains supported by GM and has become the most popular used EV purchase at times over the last year. I expect the Bolt to do the same in the used BEV market. On the battery specifically, you have 8 years or 100,000 miles warranty by federal regulations. There are some stipulations in there across different EVs, but essentially if the battery is defective to the point of significant range loss, you're going to get a replacement from the manufacturer. Aside from the Bolt battery recall, which was expansive but in reality only saw defects in a tiny percentage of packs, GM's record with battery management has been very cautious. If anything, we can expect most Bolt battery packs to function as expected and last longer than many EVs, especially if your primary use for the vehicle is commuter duty with overnight L2 charging. Feel free to email plugandplayEV@gmail.com if you have follow-up questions. I'm happy to help as best I can.
I absolutely love my 2020 Bolt EV! Just got the replacement battery after having put 55K miles on. I commute a 88 mile round trip 5 days a week, plus shopping and other errands on the weekend. It certainly does best in temps above 40F and even better above 60F. Also keeping the speeds down to 65 mph on longer trips makes a dramatic difference in range.
They'll certainly be popular on the used market in a year or two, given that buyers know there won't be any more coming and affordable options seem likely to be even more scarce... hang on to that 2020!
Great review! I'm really looking forward to becoming a Bolt EV owner. A few days after I submitted my order, Chevrolet announced the discontinuation but thankfully my dealer wrote the other day that my Bolt should be ready by end of July. A shame that the model has been set to be discontinued :-(
Thanks! And feel special... sounds like you've secured what many others are trying to buy before the final production run of this generation Bolt comes to a close. The popularity of the Volt post-retirement shows that the Bolt still has years ahead of it as a practical, popular EV. I'm sure you're going to have a great time with it!
The priority on price fits me. Fast charging is overhyped, L2 is cheaper and the equipment is more reliable. The battery is a little excessive, but it gives room for degradation, it would still be useful at 50%.
That's true, at least in the case of the Bolt and others in its class. I think it's important for wider adoption that fast charging continues to expand and progress, but, for the majority of use cases, the Bolt is a sensible solution that checks the boxes with minimal fuss.
@@plugandplayEV A couple of weeks ago I received a call from my salesman and he informed me GM will not be fulfilling my order. He's trying to get more information. I haven't given up yet.
Urgh, sounds ominous given the discontinuation announcement was around the same time. Hope you can still secure one (or perhaps find a lightly used pre-owned option?)
@@plugandplayEV yep only had 2003 miles on it, super clean; I got it last Thursday. Getting use to not speeding to not have to charge up so much 😩. Love the price of charging vs gas! Best part.
Had a 2017 for a year. The car is so narrow that I found myself too close to passenger by maybe 6 inches. The other mini downside is front wheel drive. If you like wheel chirp (read wear) this is the car for you. Wireless Carplay in the new Bolt a big deal. The drive battery is huge for a city car but the slow charge rate makes it not good for road tripping. I decided to go with Tesla, mostly for the superior Supercharger network (which I’ve used). Frankly, if it hadn’t been for the LG battery problem, I’d still have the Bolt as a second car.
Narrowness is definitely unavoidable as a negative, though it's a compact car so there's an element of that with anything in this category. The thin and short armrest on the 2022+ MY Bolts does accentuate that downside, however. On the FWD, I found we could modulate the accelerator pedal enough to find the sweet spot between a rapid takeoff and squealing tires. Definitely took some effort but it became part of the fun of the car, like coming to a gradual halt right on the stop line with one-pedal driving. Now that it has been discontinued after 2023 MY, I expect demand to be very high for the Bolt as a second car and/or regional road tripper.
I sat in a Tesla model 3 and drove it… then went and drove a bolt… there is no comparison… Tesla is bigger inside… the ride is better.. the charging is super fast… handing is much better… and it’s a lot faster and no over steering… The Tesla Base Model 3 is the one to get… $33,500 after rebates and tax credits…
Very different form factors and buyers, though. The Tesla is a far better road tripper and driver's car. It's also ~$12K more after the incentives you mentioned, so a very different buy. The Bolt is a much more practical vehicle, especially for around town. The hatch makes it very versatile to throw large items in the back, while the compact form factor makes it insanely easy to squeeze into tight space. Each good for its own use case.
One of the more standout features that probably few appreciate, is efficiency. If the temps are >=40F, there are few EVs that are as efficient as the Bolt at 60mph or less. My 2020 had a lifetime average efficiency of 4.4 mi/kWh. Mainly commuting to/from work and around town shopping, transport to nearby towns and maybe 2-3 300 mile trips a year.
Now having a heavier EV, it’s really obvious how very good the efficiency of the Bolt is.
Absolutely, thanks for highlighting this. I added the "easily hitting 4 miles per kWh" as an afterthought, but it's definitely been on our minds as we've shifted to a heavier, AWD EV in the Ioniq 5. 3 miles per kWh is now the standard with the I5 as our daily driver, which doesn't make much difference in local driving but certainly hits in terms of range on road trips and, eventually, additional charging costs in every scenario when compared to the Bolt EV.
In city driving, the Bolt can do even better than that. Just a couple days ago, I logged a whopping 5.9 mi/kWh on a 30-mile round trip, with lots of ups and downs along the way. What made those efficiencies possible was that 1) it was a warm day and I didn't need climate control and 2) it was all city driving at 25-45 mph.
@@ab-tf5fl In my 2020 I often ran in the very high 4's, even with the EUV, cold, heater on and snows I'm still getting 3.2, I'll have to see when it warms up outside how it compares to the EV.
Incidentally I run off grid about 8 mos. of the year, that's charging my bolt, heat/ac, hot water, well pump and house. That's what's great about Bolts, I'm not looking for fast charging I want efficiency, for the few trips we take the Bolts are ideal.
I concur! When the temperature is above 45-50°, running without climate controls is great for efficiency. Last week I took a 110-mile trip; most of it 50MPH or higher (65MPH with Super Cruise) and I averaged 4.1 miles/KWH. Absolutely fantastic efficiency! I arrived at my destination with 55% of my battery pack remaining. I'm hoping my next (longer) journey yields similar results.
Th EV Bolt makes so much sense for the average driver. It is surprising how few manufacturers offer anything like it.
So true. The form factor is obviously a limitation for some, as VW signaled with the ID.3 being held off from North America in favor of a sole focus on the ID.4, but there's obviously demand for this kind of car and it covers all of the use cases for a second vehicle. Interested to see what the next few years hold for the model.
They are fully discontinued already. GM said so on Monday morning 4-24-23. We unfortunately have a 2020 and no recall fix or idea when it will happen in 2023. Cat Lady CEO is just talking about their " Plan " to do something in the future with EVs ....... I hope nobody gets into their EVs and gets ignored and passed over exactly like all of us others out there. IF you are in an accident ..... Your car will be totaled because there are no parts to fix it. The Equinox EV is a sham. They are only selling TOP TRIM LEVEL ones for the first year. That is IF you can get one in a year. The one thing Chevy are good at is NOT delivering EVs. If they made the order Non Refundable there would be less than a thousand. Also the Equinox they PLAN on making at the bottom level trims are far more expensive than a Bolt and will have over 50 miles less range and weaker motor. FACTS. If you don't spend over 40 thousand dollars you will be screwed and road trips won't be an option. Front wheel drive will make your tires last 10,000 to 20,000 miles from now on. You can't tow any weight with front wheel drive without a front motor and transmission to counter weight it. Tires will not grip in dry conditions.... Just spin. Chevy is ready for bankruptcy and deserves it fully. Stealerships will be the next to go with the Bolt and Bolt EUV. None of it will be missed at all.
Big oil
Our 2022 Bolt was our first EV. It is primarily my wife’s car. I was so impressed with it I went electric with an ID.4. The first few months we charged ours with the 110v charger at 12 amps and it was plenty for us. GM did install our 240 outlet and we now have faster charging for both cars. We just got our new battery installed last Thursday. The dealer had it completed in one day. Now we’re going to take it on a regional road trip and see how it does. Good review!
Lucky you!The Bolt is so great looking and amazing practical!Sadly i dont need a car!
Thanks Scott, sounds like a good experience overall. Best wishes for a smooth and uneventful road trip!
Hey Steve, love my '22 2LT. The 360 camera is so nice (you can actually make out oil stains on the pavement). Wireless carplay nice, haven't had any connection issues.
With my '20 LT, took a 650 miles trip (generally 12 hours), I am at that stage now where it's nice to drive (3) hours, charge for close to an hour, lather/rinse/repeat. allows for leg stretching and reviewing the next 'leg' of the trip.
originally wanted the 1LT with cloth, but the deal was good (no mark up) and this was the only one they had on the lot. I think the 'leather' is a bit more forgiving and perhaps generates less dust.
another PRO, the heater warms up really fast. and once up to temp, the "draw" isn't all that bad.
Good seeing the Bolt get some love on youtube.
Glad it's still serving you well! Great value EV that still competes with more modern competitors on range, tech, efficiency, and many other factors. As you point out, there are plenty of drivers who don't want to "road warrior" every trip of 400+ miles, and for those folks the Bolt EV can also make for a very relaxing road tripper. Thanks for underscoring that point!
In terms of where they go from here, I think GM should consider revising the Bolt EV. It's the perfect testbed for LFP cells, thanks to its cost, efficiency, and size, but even with a low-cost, 1 C battery like LFP, they need to update the CCS harness for 200+ A charging current. Frankly, if GM wants to hit Mary Barra's EV sales targets, I'm not sure they can do it without the Bolt family.
I'd love to see GM find a way to make those changes and keep the price around $25K, making the Bolt a sub-$20K entry EV after incentives. The biggest question mark I had was where it fits with a $30K Equinox EV, but with current inflation I expect to see the majority of that model come in closer to $35-40K, with perhaps a base trim or standard range available at the $30K mark for marketing/headlines. Like the Ioniq 5 SR, I expect that would be mostly DOA and eventually retired, leaving the Bolt as the $25K option, then the Equinox as the entry level for Ultium and a step up in tech.
Totally agree that GM needs the Bolt line to bolster sales as Ultium models take time to ramp up production and, evetually, economies of scale that deliver profitability. Having Bolt production into six figures for a few years would also give them a base of customers to upsell as the economy rebounds and those Ultium models hit their stride.
The LFP cells going into EVs these days seem to charge quickly, love going to 100%, and do it at a price that's as good or better than what GM is using now. It seems to me that GM could economically have the Bolt EV charging much quicker, going 10-80% in a half-hour with some modern LFP cells and some better wiring. That would solve the only drawback to this car.
@@anthonyc8499 Much like nickel batteries, LFP charge rates are largely dictated by the electrode thickness, so it's certainly possible to get 2 C (or even 3 C to 5 C) charging rates in LFP. The tradeoffs are also the same, however, and because LFP is already starting off with lower overall energy density, a 2 C LFP battery could result in a significantly reduced range (i.e., swapping a strength in range for a strength in charging speed). Keep in mind, if we're using the Model 3 as a reference for maintaining charging speeds, Tesla is swapping an 82 kWh nickel pack for a 60 kWh LFP pack.
Ideally, we'll see LFMP soon, which would be the best solution. The cell voltages are almost identical to nickel cells, and the energy density of the first generation LFMP cells is approaching last-generation nickel cells (about 250 to 300 Wh/kg). So a Bolt could easily support a ~65 kWh LFMP battery that would itself likely support 1.5 to 2 C average charging speeds.
GM needs to keep it and refine it. Make every development dollar they put into it pay off. They aren't going to be making money on the new platform for some time. All GM needs to do is bump up that charging rate a little and the car is still very compelling at this price point. I understand the changes needed to give the DCFC a modest speed bump would not be much. They need to do that for the 2024 and keep this car around for a few more years. If we can just get more infrastructure and reliable infrastructure the Bolt is already capable of regional travel without too much fuss. If they bumped the speed a little it would make it a lot less painful for the longer trips. The Bolt is a contender for my next EV. I am looking for the most efficiency I can get and the Bolt appears to be pretty efficient.
Efficiency is definitely a strong point of the Bolt EV. 4 miles per kWh is effortless in all but the coldest weather or highest speeds and it's very easy to slow down/go easier on the accelerator to eke out even more miles. 5 miles per kWh/ 300+ miles is achievable on local roads at moderate to warm temperatures.
@@plugandplayEV That sound great. Most of my local roads are 2 lane asphalt highways with speeds ranging from 35-55mph. I live out in the rural countryside so lots of slower speed driving and not a lot of in town/city driving. Sounds like the Bolt would work pretty well for the normal local travel.
My only hang up is that slower DCFC. I look at it as a cursing and a blessing. It is slow enough that it isn't likely to degrade the battery severely if used a lot, but if you need it you are going to be waiting around a while.
I do several road trips a year and trying to weigh if the Bolt would be acceptable because of the road trips. Trips that are easily done in a day of hard driving in an ICE would be 2 days in the Bolt each way to and from the locations where I travel. That makes it a little harder sell.
Regional trips having to make a stop each way would be perfectly doable. IF we could just get the infrastructure now to support it. Most of the midwest is a EV desert with few chargers, most of them slow speeds, and not operational much of the time.
I know of a location near where family lives that the only DCFC there has been down for over a year according to Plugshare and people check in frequently to complain. It is beyond insane. Now the same company has announced they are putting in a second location there and people are furious.
@@Longsnowsm Yep, pushing out to the 500-600 mile trips we do across New York state to Ohio, each charge stop in a Bolt EV is roughly 40-50 minutes. There are plenty of chargers, but extended over four stops that could be 15-20 minutes in a faster-charging EV, you obviously start to get into hours longer in transit. For some that's no problem, but if you're relying on this as your only option to get somewhere in normal time, a more powerful EV or a PHEV are better choices.
@@plugandplayEV Have you seen any issues with vampire/phantom battery drain with either the Bolt or the Ioniq? I have seen some of the tests with Tesla's and it appears those cars use a fair amount of electricity while just being parked and sentry mode off, and remote access turned off. Was wondering if this is a problem with other EV makes.
@@Longsnowsm The Ioniq 5 definitely draws some power, especially to charge the 12V and if there are multiple Bluelink (the Hyundai app) requests sent to wake the car up/retrieve data. It's not as significant as I've seen in Teslas because there's not as much going on, software-wise, but it's there.
The Bolt was completely fine, even with app requests. We could leave it for more than a week and come back to essentially the same state of charge. No phantom drain to speak of, at least in our 2017 and 2020 models.
First American car since 1989.
I actually look forward to driving it!
I wish i could swap that front bumper on my 2017 😎😎
FrankenBolt? Sounds like a fun video project!
Thanks, Steve! I still haven't had the chance to check out the 1LT yet, but I'll be posting up my review of the EUV soon. Super Cruise is definitely a big improvement, and though we still don't have quite as many of the faster than 6.6 kW AC chargers out here, the 10 kW onboard charger is still a big step forward.
Cheers Eric, enjoyed your take on SuperCruise and was glad to see you get some drive time with the EUV. It took me a couple of spins, but I'm genuinely impressed with how GM has positioned these two variants... all in the affordable EV space but each level bringing something slightly different to the table.
We don't see too many of the mid-high powered AC units here either, but it's nice to have these Blink units to test that aspect and I do think it offers a sense of future proofing, at least for destination charges that last a few hours. Look forward to your full take on the EUV.
I'm curious why people find faster AC charging to be even necessary. For home charging, 32 amps at 240 volts is way more than sufficient. Public charging, very few charging stations go over 32 amps, anyway.
To date, I've encountered one case where I had to plug in for 30 minutes on a 70 amp charger at 32 amps, where faster AC charging would have saved some time. However, this is a location that, based on its proximity to a national park and long distance from other DC charging options, should really have just been equipped with 150 kW DC chargers to begin with, so the "need" for faster AC charging is really just a temporary workaround for lack of public charging infrastructure.
@@ab-tf5fl There are a number of reasons to want faster AC charging, but of course, they all come down to reducing the amount of time required to recharge, which can be handy in a number of situations. My office and many other workplaces limit EV owners to 4-hour sessions. Many travelers don't spend the full 8 to 10 hours at a hotel/motel or RV park, and even if they do, they're coming and going. The Bolt's preconditioning can pull 5 to 10 kW, so faster charging means you can precondition without pulling extra energy from the battery and losing range.
Also, while we're still waiting to see build outs like the 40,000 L2 AC chargers that GM is funding that will be 10 kW and 19.2 kW, you might be surprised at the number of >10 kW AC chargers that are already deployed. Nearly every one of Tesla's "destination" chargers are 14 kW or faster, so a simple 60-80 A adapter will enable you to realize those faster charging times.
nice video. thank you. liked subbed and shared. as far as affordable? i asked my local Chevrolet dealers and was quoted $37.000 to $42.000. Yeah right. i'll bide my time to get one far cheaper. i was ALWAYS told to never ever buy a new car. i see why now. it would sure suit me to have one of those. but not at $42.000. Tampa Bay Florida region btw. have a great day everyone.
Thank you! Yes, I can totally understand how "affordable" becomes a throwaway term where dealer markups or upper trims are factored in. Relatively speaking, though, the Bolt EV is about as good as it gets for new EV affordability. Used could be where it's at for many, of course, and once they get below $25K, factor in any applicable fed and state incentives, it's not impossible to source a nearly new Bolt at around $15K... that's where we truly hit the affordable tag, I think.
Great review! I’d be in a 2023 Bolt EUV Premiere today if I could find a dealer in my area willing to sell me one at MSRP. Instead I’ve extended my 2020 Bolt lease. I agree with your comments about the taillights and the regen-on-demand paddle. The old placement was very natural to simply squeeze when I wanted to stop. With the new placement you have to reach for it. Don’t know what they were thinking on that one.
I wonder if a lot of people just didn't know the regen paddle was there, hidden away behind the wheel. Plenty of folks don't RTFM :-)
They are fully discontinued already. GM said so on Monday morning 4-24-23. We unfortunately have a 2020 and no recall fix or idea when it will happen in 2023. Cat Lady CEO is just talking about their " Plan " to do something in the future with EVs ....... I hope nobody gets into their EVs and gets ignored and passed over exactly like all of us others out there. IF you are in an accident ..... Your car will be totaled because there are no parts to fix it. The Equinox EV is a sham. They are only selling TOP TRIM LEVEL ones for the first year. That is IF you can get one in a year. The one thing Chevy are good at is NOT delivering EVs. If they made the order Non Refundable there would be less than a thousand. Also the Equinox they PLAN on making at the bottom level trims are far more expensive than a Bolt and will have over 50 miles less range and weaker motor. FACTS. If you don't spend over 40 thousand dollars you will be screwed and road trips won't be an option. Front wheel drive will make your tires last 10,000 to 20,000 miles from now on. You can't tow any weight with front wheel drive without a front motor and transmission to counter weight it. Tires will not grip in dry conditions.... Just spin. Chevy is ready for bankruptcy and deserves it fully. Stealerships will be the next to go with the Bolt and Bolt EUV. None of it will be missed at all.
With the announced slow down of the EV plan, GM should continue Bolts production at least 1 more year, while we're waiting for the new Bolt. They could kill the gloss "piano" black and shiny dash trim. Add a tray in the console, maybe another USB port.
I'd love to see an extended production run for the existing Bolt to continue sales of one of the few truly affordable EVs, but I think GM needs to focus on retooling for Ultium models more than anything else. We might have to suffer a short-term Bolt shortage to yield better options from 2025 and beyond.
Thanks Steve, we're like you coming off a 2017 and 2020 lease. This time we bought the EUV Primer with sun and sound but no SC, didn't feel we needed it. Actually like the sunroof more than we thought, it adds light to the car, we did get the two tone interior too.
The EUV seems to ride softer, not sure if I'm 100% happy with it but but the wife likes it.
Don't like the new cruse, the adaptive uses brakes when regen hits 10 to 11 kW and you can feel the brakes kick in, the 2020 was much better. I think the visibility is nicer in the EUV, don't mind the paddle change.
They did a smart thing, they put the sensor for the HD rear mirror above the rear window (you can't get the HD mirror on the EV though). It never fogs or clouds over like the EV's did. Like the bigger car even though the range drops a bit, for our needs it's fine. Nicer seats, the dash layout makes the interior feel wider. like the styling of the EUV more too but the EV was and is still a tough car to beat, just two great cars in our view. We have no problem with the charging, we're retired so there's not many times we need to be anywhere special. Lots of bang for the buck even with the Premier.
That's the nice thing about adding the EUV to the line-up: upgrades to both tech and space without adding much of a premium over the Bolt EV. So it simply comes down to preference... add bells and whistles for a price that still competes with the base trim of most competing EV models or keep it simple and save a few thousand bucks. Interesting note on the brake mapping... will have to check that out when we're next in an EUV, thanks!
I think GM needs to keep the bolt the way it is and try and bring down the price more or at least keep it where it's at. The Bolt is king for an everyday driver. GM is coming out with a number of ev's to meet all sorts of demands. The bolt is the only one that GM will make that shines as an everyday, all day driver. At least 95 percent of my driving now. A lot of families have more than one car so get a bigger less efficient and not as maneuverable car with the bolts range....I dare you. Lol
We defintely feel that dare every time the I5 has to make a three-point turn that the Bolt EV would have nailed in one maneuver!
Four years into owning my 2019 Premier, I'm still honeymooning with it. The only grudge I had was that the front seats could have been made a bit more comfortable - but that was easily fixed with a couple of $7 gel cushions.
Other than that, no complaints whatsoever. The Chevrolet Bolt EV is the best car in my life.
Great to hear...and a $7 fix for the main "complaint" against the model is a pretty solid investment! Thanks for the perspective.
Steve - nice that you mentioned the regional travel aspect, where you may charge one time between home and a destination that’s say 350 miles away. That travel pattern covers a lot of people, if you stop and think about it, so the slow charging isn’t an issue unless it’s really cold out. Gotta love the pricing on the newer ones one for a 250 mile range car. Quite the bargain. Let’s hope GM keeps building them.
Thanks Dennis, I think it's an important distinction that I'll continue to emphasize more strongly. We tend to think in terms of only local use and road trips, but the latter varies greatly in terms of travel experience.
From Boston, 300-350 miles gets us to all New England destinations, up to Canada, over to the NY Finger Lakes, and down to NYC/Philly area. Obviously that's not the case for folks in more remote locations, but for a great swathe of the US population, a Bolt EV will handle those trips to regional destinations in much the same time as any other EV --- or even any vehicle in general, if a meal stop is factored in and combined with fast charging.
The Bolt and EUV best bang for your buck especially at the feature list and price point.
100% agree. Can't wait for it to be reinvented under Ultium.
And on a snowy mountain road test, it beat out all of the EVs costing $20,000 more. That includes the Tesla!
I like everything about the Bolt except the slow DCFC rate. Maybe that's why Chevy priced it so competively. It's really a steal if you don't need "fast" DCFC.
That's the one big area that GM hasn't seen fit to upgrade over the years, which you have to say is intentional at this point. They see the Bolt EV more as their "get into a capable EV at a reasonable price" play, with Ultium being the move that moves their all-electric products forward as a whole.
And it has to be said, given the MSRP of this model just a couple of years ago was closer to $40,000, they've probably made the right choice. Look at how uncompetitively priced the likes of the Kona Electric and Niro EV are now by comparison, while adding only 20kW or so to the fast charging capability. On balance, I'm willing to bet most buyers prefer the $10-15,000 off he price tag than 5-10 minutes shaved off a fast charging session.
I just got this car. It is just so easy to drive and park, pretty roomy for its size. deceptively simple looking car...
Congratulations on picking one up before they depart for a while. Real fan favorite and I'm sure you'll love it! ⚡
@@plugandplayEV the only problem I have is the cost of maintenance. What will that look like especially after discontinued models?
I'M THINKING TO GO GET ONE VERY SOON YAHOO!
DO. IT. ⚡👍
Sadly, I think they will get rid of it and it will be a huge mistake. With Volkswagen bringing the ID2 and Tesla possibly bringing a model 2 to this country, General Motors needs to stay in the game!
I do wonder if either of those compact hatchback EVs will see the light of day in the US. GM either saw a niche early on or was simply forced into making a smaller car as their first full long-range EV to eke out the miles, but either way it leaves them and Nissan as the only affordable 250+ mile electric car available in the States. VW deliberately chose to keep the ID.3 out of North America and Tesla seems to prefer cost reductions on the Model 3 in the near term, so it's hard to see what replaces the Bolt in this category if GM axes it, at least in the near term.
@@plugandplayEV Production on that Tesla next gen is certainly 2025 or later for ramp up. GM has the entire market segment to itself for a little while longer if they choose to keep producing the Bolt.
VW makes zero sense at all. That ID3 would be a great fit in this market segment. Not sure the people running VW have a lot of sense at this point.
Incremental changes to our beloved Bolt. I still own a 2017 Bolt and it’s more than enough car for our family’s day to day.
For longer road trips greater than 350 miles (I agree with you), we will stick to our Odyssey.
Thanks for the review, Steve. Looks like I'll keep my 2017 for another 5 years. The only thing that really got my attention with the 2023 was the upgraded L2 charging rate.
Interesting, thanks Steve. I was surprised by the quieter cabin, myself, which would be an upgrade but perhaps could fade over time. I'm certainly a fan of the first generation in many ways, though prices of new Bolts are so low after incentives that for first-time buyers, a 2023 model makes a lot of sense.
Sad and StUPID that GM is doing away with this!!!!!
Bolt will be back! We just have to wait on timelines... tick tock, GM...
The chevy Bolt is pure love!
⚡⚡👍
With the rear seats folded, is it completely flat all the way into the trunk now? I had a 2019 Bolt and I hated how there's a little bump with the seats folded, making it difficult to throw in a small bike or escooter.
No, unfortunately that same rear seat lip is still there.
I bought a 2023 EUV and I can't tell you how happy I am. I really feel I got my money's worth with this car
How fast does it charge? How is the charging for long road trips? Is it ideal for apartment dwellers with no way of charging it overnight?
55kW peak on a DC charger, which gives you around 100 miles in 30 minutes, best case scenario.
On a 240V AC charger, most use cases will get a sufficient charge overnight to do 200-250 miles next day, depending on driving habits.
For those without home or workplace charging, any EV depends on use case. If you do 20-30 miles a day around town, the pack will easily cover that schedule with one weekly charge to full (fast charger visit or cumulative top ups). If it's doing hundreds of miles a day without ready access to a charger, a plug-in hybrid would currently be the more convenient choice.
I bought a 2023 EUV and I can't tell you how happy I am. I really feel I got my money's worth with this car
Always great to hear, thanks. Best value in that segment for sure.
Big oil keeps all this technology down
The Bolt EUV or EV are absolutely the best daily use vehicles on the market in America period . With the federal tax credit alone you can be purchasing the vehicle in the teens if you choose the entry level . 260 plus miles per charge is better than most at twice the price . Props to GM , I'm just proud it's American made and that's all I got.
And that's all we need, really... good stuff, thanks for the comment!
They are alll hard to find and if you find all the rebates might be eaten by the dealerships markups. My Bolt lease will be over in August and seems I will be moving away from Bolt as much as I like it! GM simply is not leaving me other choices. Equinox EV is far from production and eventually deliveries. Not sure if GM cares at all about the loyalty of EV customers like me. As of few hours ago you can lease base Tesla Model 3 for less than a base Bolt EV!! Based on total lease cost.
Hopefully the intended production ramp helps ease that situation. The Bolt being marked up would have been unthinkable even a couple of years ago!
@@plugandplayEV true. Bolts was enjoying great discounts. But seems there will be no 2024 Bolts sadly. The base Equinox EV with ultium batteries is planned for the spring of 2024. Not convinced it will arrive on time at a scale to avoid ridiculous markups
This vehicle is fantastic! It is ideal for everyday driving around the city and the suburbs. If I want to go on a road trip, I add extra time to my trip and make use of the charging stop to take a break.
Thanks Alex, glad to hear you're liking the car locally and making it work well for trips too.
What is really amazing is when you think back a few years. I had a 1989 Ford 5 speed 5.0 Mustang. Now, back then, fuel injection was just getting started and horsepower was finally coming off the bottom, after the end of the early 70s Muscles cars. Those late 80s Mustangs (and the Chevy Camaro/Pontiacs) were the first gen muscle cars back on the road. The Mustang would do 0-60 in 6.2 sec and the 1/4 mile in 14.7. That was very respectful, for then. The little Bolt will do 0-60 in 6.5 and the 1/4 mile in 15.1 (where it tops out at 93 MPH, or it would be even more quick. That's almost exactly the same acceleration as a 1989 5.0, 5 speed Mustang. That's pretty impressive for a little 4 door compact car.
Absolutely. For a vehicle that looks like it could be the epitome of the small, slow electric city car, it definitely shifts! Very useful away from lights and zipping into small spots around Boston, we found.
When the Bolt arrived in 2017, it was light years beyond the Leaf in technology and range. It was out of my budget at the time and I kept motoring in my '12 Leaf. I still think it's a great car with a really good UI. Affordable EVs are always needed. Chevy sells them before they arrive at the dealer now. Very hard to see one on a lot w/o already being sold. Spot on with the 350 mi one charge. 55kw is doable for a one charge trip. For me, future years will depend if Chevy wants to maintain multiple platforms or move to one like Hyundai/Kia and VW are doing.
I have to assume they'll want to go all-in on Ultium at some point, so I would imagine the Bolt line will eventually phase out. As others have said, though, the model currently plays an important role in Chevy's line up and provides a valuable sales bridge while Ultium ramps up. If GM can keep Bolt owners happy through to models like the Equinox EV (and perhaps another priced below it to replace the Bolt), they'll benefit from an engaged EV audience ready to upgrade as he model hits its 10-year mark. That would give the Bolt at least another few years to help smooth the transition.
Hi, Steve. I've watched you since I decided to buy my own Bolt EUV. The only drawback is the slow DCFC rate for me. I still haven't taken a long trip in mine yet, but I plan on it this spring/summer (to my mom's house in Fairport, NY). As you told me prior, just enjoy the journey. And I plan to do just that! Otherwise, your review is spot-on. As for me, I've had no issues with my EUV. I'm very happy with the car and I look forward to many years of BEV driving. Thanks for all your help along my journey 😊 B/r, Todd.
Very glad you're enjoying he EUV, Todd. Seems like it would be a pleasant place to take a trip, and Fairport certainly has plenty of chargers on offer when you arrive! Lots to do en route as well... I look forward to your trip reports!
I had a 2018 Premier for 3 years. I really liked the car. Super functional and reliable. Did a 1200 mile road trip and that was challenging but also fun.
Replaced with a Taycan, 265kW vs 54kW does change things but I still whole heartedly recommend the Bolt EV for the correct use case.
We had similar trip experiences moving into the Ioniq 5 from our Bolt... it's a big shift in the travel plans, but the Bolt can make the same journey happen if you're not in a hurry. The flexibility of 200kW+ charging is nice, though, for when you just want to crank out the stop and get moving again.
I just got screwed by Chevy who has dropped the battery swap for a last software update that lost me about 59 miles of range down to 197 miles! So I have dropped Chevy and will not get the Blazer EV I wanted and will stick to RAM for my pickup! I will be buying a Tesla M-Y as my EV as they have now got apparently a very good heat pump!
I was just thinking about a video for that news. Unbelievable how tone deaf this company is sometimes... 🤦♂️
@@plugandplayEV i have found Mach-e Mustangs coming into my Ford dealer and may trade before everyone finds out about the mileage loss!
@@ronalaska2472 Glad you're on top of it. Good luck and let us know what you end up with 🤞
@@plugandplayEV just noticed my range is increasing, I guess it has to recalibrate but won’t let me charge beyond 79%! Will let you know if there are other changes or if it lets me go to 100%!
Have you tried it on snow-covered streets? I've seen criticisms that the tires haven't the traction for winter conditions.
The stock Michelin tires are definitely intended for efficiency, not slippy conditions. The extra weight of the vehicle and its balance mean it can handle light snow-covered roads but will start to slip in deeper snow or very wet conditions from a standing start. Our suburban roads are typically plowed within hours of snowfall, so we never went beyond the stock tires on our Bolts, but anywhere with regular snow that settles would need to swap out for dedicated winter tires.
@@plugandplayEV Thanks. When I had a 1968 Mustang, before all-weather tires, I just changed the rear wheel drive tires to snow tires for the winter. I wonder if replacing the front wheel drive tires on the Bolt would work as well.
Weird that the wipers swing in both directions. My EUV has the conventional swing.
Didn't know that, thanks. The center-to-outside wiper motion has been the same way on all the Bolt EVs we've had.
Hey Steve...as you know we have a Kona 2023 Ultimate trim, we had ordered the Bolt but we lucked into the Kona. We love it and if GM had delivered our Bolt we would have loved it as well.
The Kona charge speed is faster but you are correct, it probably only shaves off 10 minutes or so, efficiency/range is very similar. In Canada the price for the Kona is more than the Bolt but not substantially. These types of EV's (Bolt, Kona, Niro) are excellent vehicles and not just for regional driving, road tripping is very doable and not that onerous - IMHO.
Great choice, great car and superb first EV, superb day to day car and a road tripper that does require good planning and a bit of patience.
I personally think GM needs to keep this car in place for a few more years...there will always be a market for this type of EV.
Have a great day and Thankyou for doing yoir videos!
Mike
If the Bolt line leaves the market, it definitely leaves a big hole in the EV market, both in terms of pricing and form factor. Like you, I hope it continues for years to come, thanks Michael!
Just got a 2023 Bolt EV 2 LT, and I really love it, even as a current Tesla owner; there are things that I really appreciate over my Tesla. It’s certainly not exciting to drive in the same way a Tesla is (especially when it comes to torque), but I appreciate what it is, and all you get for the price. Fave parts - the large screen, wireless Apple CarPlay, just the look of the car, the Bose sound system, heated seats and steering wheel, and the one pedal driving that is brilliantly strong; the adaptive CC is pretty good too. It’s a very comfortable car, rather quiet, and I like that it’s higher off the ground than my Tesla. Most of all, I’m happy to be 100% gasoline free!
Thanks for sharing your perspective... especially interesting to hear when a non-Tesla EV integrates well into an existing Tesla household. Different tools for different jobs and, as you say, it's a happy day when you get to have an all-electric driveway. Congrats! ⚡⚡
We just bought a new 2023 650 miles ago. It's the first American car I've owned since 1989. I was impressed, after driving Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda. It seems American cars are back? It seems tight and solid. I can;t believe how much I appreciate EVs. I'll never go back to a gasser: Instant power, no RPMs, nothing to worry about really. For the first 150K miles, maintenance schedule is "rotate tires every 7500 miles." LOL. Love it.
Gotta love that maintenance schedule! Glad you're enjoying it.
Is this Chevrolet Bolt from the United States?
Yes, US-made and owned.
@@plugandplayEV I meant if that model Chevrolet Bolt in the video was or is listed for sale in the USA
Thank you for sharing. I have a question, am planning to buy a Bolt EV 1LT but what would happen if I need to replace anything (ie. battery) in the following years? Taking in consideration is getting discontinued at the end of this year. I commute to work and do a daily round trip of 62 miles.
Thanks, Eden. In general terms, I would look to the Chevy Volt for reassurance. That model was discontinued in 2019 but remains supported by GM and has become the most popular used EV purchase at times over the last year. I expect the Bolt to do the same in the used BEV market.
On the battery specifically, you have 8 years or 100,000 miles warranty by federal regulations. There are some stipulations in there across different EVs, but essentially if the battery is defective to the point of significant range loss, you're going to get a replacement from the manufacturer.
Aside from the Bolt battery recall, which was expansive but in reality only saw defects in a tiny percentage of packs, GM's record with battery management has been very cautious. If anything, we can expect most Bolt battery packs to function as expected and last longer than many EVs, especially if your primary use for the vehicle is commuter duty with overnight L2 charging.
Feel free to email plugandplayEV@gmail.com if you have follow-up questions. I'm happy to help as best I can.
I absolutely love my 2020 Bolt EV! Just got the replacement battery after having put 55K miles on. I commute a 88 mile round trip 5 days a week, plus shopping and other errands on the weekend. It certainly does best in temps above 40F and even better above 60F. Also keeping the speeds down to 65 mph on longer trips makes a dramatic difference in range.
They'll certainly be popular on the used market in a year or two, given that buyers know there won't be any more coming and affordable options seem likely to be even more scarce... hang on to that 2020!
Great review! I'm really looking forward to becoming a Bolt EV owner. A few days after I submitted my order, Chevrolet announced the discontinuation but thankfully my dealer wrote the other day that my Bolt should be ready by end of July. A shame that the model has been set to be discontinued :-(
Thanks! And feel special... sounds like you've secured what many others are trying to buy before the final production run of this generation Bolt comes to a close. The popularity of the Volt post-retirement shows that the Bolt still has years ahead of it as a practical, popular EV. I'm sure you're going to have a great time with it!
Hey, look, they brought back the chevy chevette.
The priority on price fits me. Fast charging is overhyped, L2 is cheaper and the equipment is more reliable. The battery is a little excessive, but it gives room for degradation, it would still be useful at 50%.
That's true, at least in the case of the Bolt and others in its class. I think it's important for wider adoption that fast charging continues to expand and progress, but, for the majority of use cases, the Bolt is a sensible solution that checks the boxes with minimal fuss.
Revolutionairy,mindblowing,gamechanging!
🔋⚡🙌
I ordered a new Bolt EV in December. I'm still anxiously waiting for it. Gr8 review. 🚙 🇺🇸 🔌
Thank you, hope it arrives soon!
@@plugandplayEV A couple of weeks ago I received a call from my salesman and he informed me GM will not be fulfilling my order. He's trying to get more information. I haven't given up yet.
Urgh, sounds ominous given the discontinuation announcement was around the same time. Hope you can still secure one (or perhaps find a lightly used pre-owned option?)
Sounds like an excellent value if you want to go full electric. Thanks!
It can definitely work for a wide range of people with that goal in mind, yes. Thanks for watching and commenting!
The Bolt is a great car. More car than most people actually need.
Agreed! Sad to hear of its premature demise, but it was always a possibility with Ultium models on the horizon.
They should supply these to rental car companies so enough get sold.
Would definitely make a great use case for the Bolt at metro airports and for light inter city use when renting a car in the US.
Avis has them! Just rented one through Uber.
@Ror Z Nice! Was it a good experience? Easy check in, clean car, etc?
@@plugandplayEV yep only had 2003 miles on it, super clean; I got it last Thursday. Getting use to not speeding to not have to charge up so much 😩. Love the price of charging vs gas! Best part.
@@Goddessroe That's so good to hear!
Had a 2017 for a year. The car is so narrow that I found myself too close to passenger by maybe 6 inches.
The other mini downside is front wheel drive. If you like wheel chirp (read wear) this is the car for you. Wireless Carplay in the new Bolt a big deal. The drive battery is huge for a city car but the slow charge rate makes it not good for road tripping. I decided to go with Tesla, mostly for the superior Supercharger network (which I’ve used).
Frankly, if it hadn’t been for the LG battery problem, I’d still have the Bolt as a second car.
Narrowness is definitely unavoidable as a negative, though it's a compact car so there's an element of that with anything in this category. The thin and short armrest on the 2022+ MY Bolts does accentuate that downside, however.
On the FWD, I found we could modulate the accelerator pedal enough to find the sweet spot between a rapid takeoff and squealing tires. Definitely took some effort but it became part of the fun of the car, like coming to a gradual halt right on the stop line with one-pedal driving.
Now that it has been discontinued after 2023 MY, I expect demand to be very high for the Bolt as a second car and/or regional road tripper.
I sat in a Tesla model 3 and drove it… then went and drove a bolt… there is no comparison… Tesla is bigger inside… the ride is better.. the charging is super fast… handing is much better… and it’s a lot faster and no over steering… The Tesla Base Model 3 is the one to get… $33,500 after rebates and tax credits…
Very different form factors and buyers, though. The Tesla is a far better road tripper and driver's car. It's also ~$12K more after the incentives you mentioned, so a very different buy. The Bolt is a much more practical vehicle, especially for around town. The hatch makes it very versatile to throw large items in the back, while the compact form factor makes it insanely easy to squeeze into tight space. Each good for its own use case.
@@plugandplayEV with the incentives it’s a steel!
Anything getting close to $30K wins my vote! 👍
@@plugandplayEV 42,990 minus $7,500 fed tax credit minus $4,000 NJ instant rebate and no sales tax makes it a steel at $33,000 after the delivery fee