I own a 2018 Chevy Bolt EV here's what you need to know
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 มิ.ย. 2024
- If you are thinking of buying a Chevy Bolt....or any EV car, I have owned a Chevy Bolt for 3 years, here's some info you need to know if you want to dive into the EV life. Also, yes you can have a full size spare tire, there is room.
Also check out my 2nd Bolt video: • I own a 2018 Chevy Bol... - เพลง
i drove a bolt in 2018 for uber they did specials, an had free charging,............ my bro bought one after he drove it....... years later i was looking for an older mini van, all had over 100k miles,, then gas got high so a few weeks ago i bought a chevy bolt........... i personally love it,, new battery so i got a good one with only 23k miles on it, the charger it came with couldnt handle the 12 amp charge so i bought a $260 shumacher 16A.. still on a regular plug... i have solar panels, an i only charge after midnight... soon getting a better charger on a 14-50 plug.. but if i drive fast i charge alot, so i stay around 52 to 63,,, never going over the speed limit so i can conserve the battery,,, i feel free now, havent bought gas at all,, my gas car just sits there now,, around town i regenerate alot, it recharges itself......... easy to park too, its small but it works...
Thats great! Congrats! You have panels on the roof? Ive been suggesting that since I bought mine, to gather some free power. I noticed a new car called a Fisker has panels in its glass roof. Im also getting free charging near where I live now. (another video is coming out soon) My original charger has no problem wiith the new batteries. And, Im getting atleast 10% more range than before. I havent needed a gas station in 5.5 years. Well, I go about 2 times a year for my diesel truck, But, I pass gas stations every day!! Again, congrats!
Great addition about being more careful around kids.
My husband took a pay cut from doing labor to moving into the corporate side.
He spend $600 a month on fuel. Looking at buying one of these since it’s the most affordable and he’s only using it for work.
Seems like it’s going to be a great car for him
He will love spending very little to commute. If he can charge at work, thats a bonus.
You answered my question about trunk space ! Thank you !
Amazing review..
You told everything real and not sugar coated words..
The actual scenerios and things which an EV owners should keep in mind
Great work done
Kudos😊
Thank you. Ya, because I have owned it for 3 years, I have actual stats. I found when I was buying this, that dealers just had made up stuff, as nobody really knew anything 3 years ago.
@@daryledean eventually i bought one yesterday chevy 2021 bolt ev premier
Will put up a video on this channel soon😃
@@Cut2CutReviews Congrats! I can't wait to see it.
@@daryledean video is finally out now
here is the link
Watch it and let me know how you like it?
th-cam.com/video/zZRKSLD0PeA/w-d-xo.html
WOW, what an awesome video! Down to Earth & honest on all of your experience & I really enjoyed how you filmed this too!
Thank you very much. One of the reasons I filmed while I drove, is to show how quiet EV cars are.
@@daryledean Well, you did an awesome job! I am grateful & NOW a new subscriber too! Stay safe!
We just got a Bolt. Watching from Langley
Thanks
Hey Greg, welcome to the Club. Gas still keeps going up and up, you will love the savings! A few more videos in the works....stand by.
Thanks
COOP
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Great videos (Part 1 & 2). We have a 2019 Bolt Premier in Shock Neon yellow! We love it and after a year of ownership have put 15000kms.
Have had no issues and our Bolt was not effected by fire issue as it was manufactured in USA versus Korea. Just had new Recall software update and have noticed nothing different with car.
I find the storage to be good but if you have any longer or wider pieces it can be a challenge. We do fit 2 folding e bikes inside (1 in recessed bed, 1 on folded down back seats).
Next accessory purchase for road trips will be a Class 3 hitch and a 2 e bike rack.
Keep up the great posts and hope to see you around the Lower Mainland! Subbed.
I love Shock Neon Yellow! Thanks for your comment. Ya, a hitch receiver could be a great idea for all the hitch mounted things. So, with your KM's, you saved $2000 in gas savings for 1 year. Bravo. What I have found, is some people hate EV's, not sure what the problem is, they do hate that we can use the HOV lanes, but I have told people there's nothing stopping them from buying one. Haters just have to hate I guess. I'm thinking of making a 3rd video soon of how the car can brake without touching the brakes. Enjoy your bolt!
Thanks for all your information on the Bolt EV. Nice to know that a spare tire can fit in the storage space. I plan to get a Bolt EV 2LT version of the car this coming April 2023. Waiting to get through the winter here in Illinois.
Have watched many You Tube videos on the Bolt and know pretty well now most of the Pros and Cons of the vehicle. Price has come down quite a bit for 2023.
Reason to get an EV is same as you, to save going to the gas pumps. Being retired, the EV will be mainly be home charged and will mainly do around town or short trips which just needs a single charge.
Thanks again for this video. Take care.
Glad I could pass on my info.
I wasn’t surprised by how much you can fit into that, my elderly Dad and I were looking at them at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show and I think we could fit his motorized scooter in one. We would have to fold the back seat down, remove the scooter’s seat and fold down it’s handle, but I think it would fit! Other than the minor disassembly, the only other issue we’d run across with the Bolt is that it has a higher lift over than the ‘06 Town and Country he had then as well as the ‘20 Grand Caravan he replaced that with.
we fit a wheel chair folded in the back
thanks! awesome video. i got all the info i couldnt find.
2019 Premier here. My owner says I'm THE best car in his life, ever! :)
The recall fix is now available in the US, it is just a software update where the car's computer monitors the battery more closely. It requires about an hour at the dealership where they test your battery for any battery cell damage (the cause of the fires) and then install the updated software.
Thats good news John.
And now the Bolt is still catching fire while charging after the update .
@@spaceracer23 Correct, I just saw that. Im sure there will be another recall.
The next recall is going to be a new battery, the old batteries were produced in South Korea and the new ones r being produced in the US and not supported to have the problem. I have been thinking about buying a bolt, the fire issue was making me question but every video I have watched no one has seemed to be bothered by the recall. I still would like to get on though
@@grantdubiel4843 I think you may be right, we will see.
I find it very important to know not just that the 2017 2018 and 2019 original fire hazard- battery's were replaced, but at what mileage on the car's
odometer, was the batter replaced, that should be clearly made known to subsequent owners, not just the first owner,
All the info on the replacement batteries and everything about the car are saved in the cars history. A GM dealer can tell the buyers exactly what was done and when. Only GM dealers can work on these Bolts, so its saved on the computer.
Thanks for your post. I own a 2020 LT. I presume that you have a Premium model. The premium comes equipped with the "hideaway false shelf" in the rear compartment as standard. FYI, in regards to the spare tire that you placed beneath the "shelf", I am able to fit a "Donut" temporary use tire in the well below the floor. The donut tire is from a Chevy Sonic, and matches the bolt pattern of a Bolt. If you deflate the tire it will fit in the well, provided the sub woofer from the Boze unit is not there . Hence my choice of an LT. A scissor jack from a Chevy S-10 and a 12 volt air pump fit in the well, also. I installed the false floor shelf myself. This creates a flat floor all the way to the front seats. Therefore, I can change my own tire and won't need to encroach on storage capacity. May be a good idea if the donut is placed in the rear. The computer may not react well to a smaller tire in the front.
Thanks for your comment. Ya, I guess its a Premium model, all I know is it has all options. I talked with a guy that had a base model once, he had the rear shelf / cover too, I guess he ordered it. Great that you too found a way to have a spare tire. Every Bolt video shows all the cool options, my video is here to basically explain the savings and dispel false rumours about EV cars.
Awesome! Can you plz make a video on how the whole charging system works? Thank you!
Sure, I kind of explained it in my latest part 2 video here: th-cam.com/video/_7-Ux0Ftv5M/w-d-xo.html
Great video 👍
Buying a used 2018 Bolt, 17,000 miles, for $22,887. Thank you for your video. Gave me more confidence I'm making the right choice. One question, when the rear seat is down, does it create a flat surface with the back surface of the car?
Hey, answer is YES they are very flat. Congrats on buying a Bolt. Here's my 3rd video showing the rear room th-cam.com/video/muHtpRUBw0E/w-d-xo.html
I also have a Camaro that takes premium and gets 16-18mpg. Looking at a Chevy Bolt which lead me to this video!
Well, Ive been saying for years, I wish I could combine the Bolt and Camaro, like an electric Camaro. But seriously, I do miss my Camaro, but I don't miss the gas station! When it comes to power, I know my bolt would blow away the Camaro, I've been telling people for years ..."I wish my Camaro was as fast as this Bolt".
@@daryledean the issue I’m seeing is that dealerships and Carvana seem to not be selling Bolts due to the recall
@@MatthewOceanXVX Thats strange. Here, in my part of the world, there appears to be a shortage of all cars, including Bolts. I know of a friend of mine that bought a used one a few months ago, and it needed to recall, after he bought, he got the recall completed [batteries]. So, the recall didn't effect his purchase, but now there's not many for sale around here, since gas went up...and then up again.
Hey have you noticed the driver side wiper not fully going down when it's set on periodic wipes. When you manually do it, or turn it off it fully seats in the bottom position thanks?
Hey, ya mine does that too. I made a followup video, take a look here th-cam.com/video/_7-Ux0Ftv5M/w-d-xo.html
I wanted a spare for my 500e. The rims are different front to back, this is most likely because the front is V.W and the back is Fiat. The front tires wear out in half the time of the back tires. The economic saving in fuel is great . 100 miles uses about 22kwh @ $.10per kwh. I really like the car.
We once had a Fiat 500 (gas version), we loved it, and yes the front tires wear out twice as fast. Didn't know that rear and front were different size. We also found out that there was no spare on it. Many cars nowadays don't have spares. Enjoy your 500e
My 2017 got the new, larger battery due to the recall. Now I get nearly 400 miles per charge.
After tax credits, my 2017 Bolt was $29,500 bought new.
Thats great. You know, all the people that hate EV's, they always remark on how we had to buy a car to save money. You know, the gas powered cars THEY drive coast something too, nothing is free. All cars cost something.
@@daryledean and are made in industrial plants from mined and refined as EV's are. Just not all the same materials.
I own a Leaf and I've never driven in a car with seats that had better lower lumbar support than the Leaf. How is the lumbar support in the Bolt?
Well, there isn't an adjustment for more or less Lumbar amount. I have that on my truck, and on long trips that is great to have. The drivers seat has several power adjustments, which is great, but not Lumbar. On the Bolt, the seats feel really nice, and solid, but I can't say there is any extra lumbar support. I have a few friends that have Leafs, and I have to say, those are great EV cars too.
Hello Daryl. I have never had a car with a screen. Because it is a touchscreen and has icons, I guess it has Internet capability. Can you explain if that is so and what kind of wireless connectivity I can expect? Does the car use apps like a cell phone? Thank you, David D.
The Bolt, and all new GMs with a screen, get apple car play, so you can google or look up videos on how many cool things show up there. Best feature of that, is if a text comes in, your vehicle tells you and you can use your voice to have it read the text, and answer the text. (safe texting) The wifi server is always on, if you pay for it. We done it the odd month for trips. Its just constant wifi, nothing to do with the screen. As a part of apple car play, you can use your phones map app to be a GPS, but it uses your phones data, so unless you have a ton of data...dont do that. Im thinking a video 5 should be on the way to show all this cool stuff and answer more questions.
Thanks for the info.
I'm on Van Isle, and have a '23 Bolt ev on order. I won't be saving as much as you have, as I had a Prius for the past few years, but I'll still be saving.
I found out that 2009+ chevy Cruze, all Sonic and Buick encore wheels fit the Bolt, so I'm looking for a smaller wheel and taller sidewall tires for a spare and winters.
205/60x16" and 205/65x15" tires are the same diameter as the stock 215/50x17 tires.
Thats great to know.
Same here Prius 2013 ordered EUV. What do you think about the size difference?
@@Dextermorga -- Size sifference of the tires or vehicle?
@@Dextermorga I like the size of the EUV, its larger than the original Bolt, but too big.
Cool to know of another musician in Vancouver who drives a Bolt! How did you manage to get 500 something km range? I thought the on paper was 383 and 417 with the newer battery..
Well, what they say it gets is less than it gets. Im about to put a new video out, this summer I actually got 680km in the 2 hot summer weeks. (but I only drove 600km and didnt drive it to zero. The conditions were just right. And it was non highway driving.
@@daryledean non highway is the key
Very true. city speeds really help, but around here warmer weather is huge too. @@maj429
We picked up a 2019 Bolt LT (with most of the Premier options minus the Leather and overhead camera) and Im super happy with it, we have plenty of free charging options in town, and there is a free DC option too, but that station only has 1 DC outlet so gotta catch it super early in the morning. the Chargepoint chargers are free for the first 2 hours then like $0.15 kwh after. The Electrify America charger had 4 DC outlets, but they cost a bit. With the exception of when we have to go out of town, we just use the Level 1 charger at home overnight and thats been enough. We also got a new battery thanks to the recall, so we pretty much got a brand new car.
My only gripe is the 55kw max charging. which is super slow compared to other fast chargin options (Tesla is 350kw max I believe) So using a DC from 10%-80% takes about an hour and a half.
Ya I heard that about Tesla too. A friend of mine went on a long trip in his sons Tesla, and they were able to charge to about 80% at the fast chargers in around 45 min. Made the trip easy. Maybe the Bolt is more of a city driving type car.
@@daryledean Ive taken it out of town twice, and yeah it means an hour of charging when I get back, but itll do just about anything a Tesla will do overall. Its a fantastic car. Charge time = Nap while listening to XM radio lol
@@Paradigmfusion That is true, it is nice to have some downtime after driving a long way. I know a guy that does lots of highway trips, and he uses charging time
as time to walk and stretch out. (and have a coffee)
I just purchased a 2022 Bolt EUV and am loving it. One thing I will suggest is if you get an EV, get an L2 charger at home. The charge rate when using a regular plugin is horribly slow of only charging 2 or 3 miles per hour. Ugh! An L2 charger can charge the entire battery from near dead to full in just 5 or 6 hours. It’s a must imo.
I agree that a Bolt is a fantastic commuter car. If you want to go on road trips, I suggest you either get a more expensive EV with more range or just stick with an ICE car.
Yes, having a L2 charger is way better. I have one. Mine is a Chargepoint L2 Charger.
Hey Daryle,
We just bought a 2021 bolt for commuting and around town, so far so good, thx for the info on how you like it so far. Petro can has free charging until May 2022 if u link your RBC Visa. 😁
PJ, thanks for the tip. I'll look into it. With gas prices here now highest in North America, you picked a great time to buy an EV!
Can't go wrong with Fender
I forgot to ask, if the replacement battery process changes the nature of the car's original title from ''clean'' to ''re-branded'' title ?
The car didnt end up changing its title. All bolts from 2017-2019 got the new batteries, and this was just treated as a recall. A recall that gave them better mileage and a longer battery warranty. Like any recall, its just a repair.
Do you think it's a good idea to buy a Bolt if it'd be your only car? Right now I'm trying to decide between getting a used 2019 Bolt or a 2022 Prius.
It depends on what you do and how much you drive. If you drive to work less than an hour each way, and do errands in it and thats about it, then Yes. But, if you drive 2 hours to work every day each day, and also have to drive out of town on long trips, then maybe not.
@@daryledean good points. Most of my driving is in town, but I occasionally like to make the 9 hour drive from Kansas City to Denver or Chicago, and I'd hate to have to extend those trips by several hours at EV charging stations. Definitely the #1 weak link of electric vehicles right now.
@@GoLongAmerica Driving 600 miles is probably going to take you 13 hours or so. Maybe more if it cold outside
In Australia, I just bought an MG ZS EV for the equivalent of 62,500 Canadian dollars so the price of evs is coming down. Of course it has a 260 km range which is much shorter than the Bolt but it is an SUV.
Sorry, that should be 42,500 Canadian dollars.
I just had to google that car, Very Nice, Congrats!
WTF? I would keep the Camero, park it, and use electric to commute
I wish I could have. Loved the Camaro, I just wish the Camaro was as fast as the Bolt. The perfect world would be a Bolt that looked like a Camaro. But, there's no way I could afford the Bolt without trading in the Camaro. Plus, it's like $2000 a year here for insurance to never drive the Camaro. A car just sitting doesn't work for me (right now)
Great video
I just purchased a 2002 Chevrolet bolt EUV
Im guessing you bought a new 2022. Those are a damn fine car. Enjoy it.
@@daryledean yes I got rebates and tax credit
I don’t drive much. I go to work and to the store. I tried to calculate my gas etc. I wouldn’t be saving much money going to an EV vehicle. And I take into account another darn car payment. I’m gonna pay off my car in a month so I’m happy. Insurance is high for a Chevy bolt as well for a Prius as I found out. But the Chevy bolt appeals to me still. The no maintenance situation is the selling point for me to buy this car. I’m not a mechanic nor do I want to pretend to be one like many out there. I just want a dependable vehicle that won’t leave me stranded on my way to work or to Walmart. The problems a gas vehicle can give you. Ugh. I must say I’m very sick and tired of it. But I will see what happens later this year. So far the bolts are cheap now. I prefer this 2021 model than the 2022. The 2022 looks very ugly. What did they do to it?? 😞. The current design is very nice.
That is a great perspective. Yes, because I have done the math, in general, anyone that views this video can estimate their costs based on my $ per KM or Mile. They can make a decision if they would save much. If you work right beside your house, what's the point. For me, for over 3 years I had a fairly large commute, and mostly that is why we bought it. Now, we own it, so as we now hardly drive, we will still save...but way less. And as a side note, for families with 2 or more people that drive (like us), we have a 2nd vehicle too, but because everyone that drives in our house takes this Bolt, we now have also dropped fuel usage on our other vehicle. We estimate that our 2nd vehicle will only need 2 fill ups per year. As a 3rd option, there are companies that make all the batteries and stuff needed to make any car into an EV car. For a very little cost, you can take a $1000 - 20 year old small car or truck, and make it EV. Again, this video is mostly to show people the actual math, calculated and recorded over a 3 year period. (not stats a dealership makes up)
I'm buying the bolt today..... Live in Victoria, gas isn't much cheaper! I door dash and drive 80k round trip for my day job lol 🤣 😂 $1000 in gas last month lmfao forget the maintenance
You are gonna LOVE having your Bolt for Door Dash! Congrats!
@@daryledean I loved it for the couple hours I was cruising around in it!
how do you get 500 miles on one charge?
Hi there. We are in Canada, and that's Kilometers. (not miles) That is equivalent to about 343 miles. But, in the video I say Kilometers.(when I'm showing my cars max) I do at times give out cost per mile, and KM. Sorry for any confusion.
@@daryledean oh i see. 343 miles is still alot higher than the estimate. how do you get such great mileage?
@@wrozay Its a combination of driving right, like not being a lead foot, also that isn't the winter, as in the winter the heater takes alot of power away. Also, I think if you drive highway speeds more often it's worse. They give out their estimates probably on worst case scenarios.
@@wrozay If you do city driving at 30 mph or less, you might do over 300 miles. But, you gotta be very gentle on that pedal.
@@bmw803 Um, yeah you don't know what youre talking about. Lol That number would be closer to 450 but your tushy wont be thanking you.
So you see how people REALLY are.. the planet? WHO CARES! The wallet? HOLY CRAP ..I NEED an EV!!!!!
Of course it's about the wallet. Nobody will buy a 50K car ( with tax) just because they want to reduce a minute amount of emissions. The fake media are the priests that preach, but do the opposite themselves. The average Joe isnt the media.
Does it get Netflix?
Well.....sort of. It serves wifi, and if you have an ipad in the car on Netflix....then yes it does.
It could probably fit in a Toronto parking garage.....went there once.. I hate that town
Just don’t leave your music equipment in the car overnight, those cars are still going up in flames
For sure, never leave anything in my car. But to be fair, I was a firefighter for 31 years, and even though some Bolts have been catching fire, I have been to hundreds of car fires....all cars catch fire. But, yes we are hoping the new battery replacements will fix the issues.
Even better now cause gas got even worse now.
Gas prices are going to rise and keep rising. So, yes, my stats are only getting better. Im going to be making a 4th video real soon, as its the 4th year of owning it, and I get my new batteries in a few weeks. Stand by for even better gas savings statistics.
@@daryledean thank you for the quick reply. Thank you so much.
Not only Bolt get fire Tesla too.
Too early to buy just wait new GM battery Made in USA.
Chevy dropped the ball making it fwd. Traction is quite the issue on a Bolt, not even mentioning subpar efficiency.
Actually, I have found FWD to be the best part of it all. In our winters here, it handles the snow very well. I couldnt imagine a car with this power/torque in the snow with RWD.
Canada use km？
Yes, Canada uses the Metric system. (so yes KM's for auto mileage)
@@daryledean oh i thought all the US uses the mile system
@@zc3721 USA uses Miles, Canada uses KM's, they are 2 different Countries
53 was too much
Well, not sure what part of the world you are in, we did get $10,00 back in rebates, and it was $43k CDN , so thats like $32k USD. It is fully loaded. I don't see it as too much $$. But, I was the first on my block back in 2018 buying this, not many EV owners back then. II am going to address this topic in my upcoming video 7. I do appreciate all comments.
Probably has the same old crappy interior general motors
For sure, pretty crappy.
also thats a lie batteries are not fixed my 2021 has same problem
Hey Isaac, I was told that 2021 versions didn't need or have the recall, as they have what ever the fix is. (told to me by GM) I actually don't have any problems, (other than GM has limited my charge to 90%) but my recall is to have new batteries installed, as several Bolts have caught Fire. My question to you, is what is the "same problem"? Have any 2021 Bolts caught Fire? I am no expert, but I thought it was earlier 2017 18 and 19s that caught fire. I appreciate any info you offer here. (as we are all learning here)
6,200$ in 3 years?? How much did he pay for the car? With tax in Canada, you're over 50K. Take off incentives, little over 40K. Could have bought a chevy Trax or Hyundai Kona for 21K. Its gonna take 10 years to break even. Not worth it. 2022 model might be as it's now cheaper.
Hey Joe, I hear you. But, I made my choice to avoid gas stations forever, and I am happy with my choice. To each his own. Actually, the most cost effective way to go is buy a $2000 car and run it to the ground, and then do it again. But, gas will be going up again and again for the next 10 years and onward,. I really like never going to the gas station.
@@daryledean to each his own for sure. If those cars were closer to gas car prices, it would make sense. Spend double the $$$ to save gas makes no sense, and UNRELIABLE chargers. Better gas up in 3-5 mins than waiting for a slow charger for an hour because of cold temps That's why I bought a 2015 VOLT. Only using gas on longer trips.
@@bmw803 gas up in 3-5 minutes…because you teleported to the gas station? No time involved going there eh? EVs can “fuel” up at home. 0 minutes involved there. The only instance of needing to spend time at a DC charger is on long trips over 3 hrs. Which frankly, most people do very infrequently.
@@edsmale you realize that gas stations are EVERYWHERE. You pull in on the way to wherever, gas up and fuck off. I dont see this as an inconvenient.. No one wakes up, go to gas up and get home. Still better than EV charging hassles and broken units.