That was a really really good video. I think EV charging will spawn a new industry " Charging Tourism". We have gotten so use to driving past towns on the interstate that we don't smell the flowers and see all the great small towns there are.
Using an EV will not help with these smaller cities and towns because there are no places to charge there. No reason to stop and wander around, buy something, eat, etc while you are charging.
Enjoyed your Video. I’m 74 years old and getting ready to buy my first Fully Electric Vehicle. I have ordered a 2022 Chevy EUV Premier with all the bells and whistles. In the past, I have owned a 2017 Cadillac CT6 Plug-in Hybrid and currently still have my 2018 Chevy Volt Premier. I have made the decision to just go for it but I still have the thought about Range of Anxiety. Currently, I have been told that the Chevy Bolt EUV will show you where the next charging station is located. I have loaded the apps for Electrify America, EV-GO, Charge Point, Go-Station, Plug-share, and Shell-Recharge along with ABRP and WAZE. My car won’t arrive until sometime in October. I am looking forward to planning a route and driving to see my kids in Texas, California, and Colorado. It's just me now and the dog. The Dog loves to ride in the car so the stops will afford both of us a potty break. I will schedule Hotel / Motel stops that allow dogs like Red Roof and LaQuinta along the way. Being retired I will be in no hurry. My question is: What made you decide to buy a Chevy BOLT? I am looking forward to the super-cruise. Were you affected by the Battery change out and/or Buyback program? This next trip is just part of my Bucket List to see if I can do it and get home again. ( I have a 240v home charger in my garage already ). Again lots of good points in your Video
So I guess you did not do your due diligence before buying a "knock off" and now it sucks, should have bought a Tesla, DUH. Another important tip on long road trips, the Tesla SC stalls are networked so I know even before leaving my garage if a planned SC station or stall is down and I get an advisory. The mongrel chargers are a "pig in a poke", no thanks.
I love the production of this video! Great job letting people know that road trips are possible in an EV. I did a few in my old Bolt and totally agree with changing the perspective. Charging is a great time to take a real break and be more rested for the next 200ish miles.
I'm still driving an ICE vehicle but I did a small trip to Columbus from the Cleveland area and decided to just do the speed limit on the highway and it was actually more relaxing than trying to keep up with traffic. My plan is to buy a Bolt EUV for 2023 and I should be OK with some of its flaws. The slow charging that is. Great informative video.
@@trex2092 I've actually got to rent one, and I was not impressed. The 0 to 60 was insane and cool, but outside of that I just can't go for one. As I am getting older getting in and out of low vehicles has also become not an option. Much respect for the Tesla community, but it's not my thing.
Great, to the point video. I especially liked your comments on how you planned your trip. Also on the mindset of accepting the time to charge instead of dreading it. I had to adjust my trip mindset (slow down, enjoy the drive) when I started RV'ing years ago, so I can understand the reality of doing that here as well. I have an EV on order, so this is really helpful. Thanks a bunch!
Charging definitely takes longer than pumping gas with any EV currently available now. Driving my EV with my family I find that it always works well to combine charging with lunch/restroom break/attraction or whatever which makes it almost unnoticeable and really not so different from driving a gas car. Here’s a short video of one of our EV road trip experiences: m.th-cam.com/video/0jWZ2DYcJIg/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for all the kind comments! I agree. This has been one thing about the EV road trip experience that I didn't really expect. I'm glad to know I'm not alone here.
Multiple chargers (even at the cost of fewer locations) are the way to go. Single charger locations are a pain, and I never bother even checking them unless there's no other alternative. Biggest issue I have with electrics is the time planning during longer trips when I _have to_ charge. If I get an issue with charging I could end up 30+ minutes late for a meeting, with a gas car if a pump isn't working, just go to some other one a couple of minutes away, if there's a queue, wait a few minutes for a available pump. With electric it's another story, if a charging location has issues (or a queue), the next one might be quite a bit away, and it might just as well be busy as well when you get there.
@@thomaswilson2917 generally true. Some fast charging EVs can do quite well, but are hampered by charging infrastructure. When the Tesla Superchargers are available to other EVs, the Tesla advantage goes away.
Great video and really appreciate what you went through. We just completed a 2800 mile roadtrip and after the 1st charge stop we dropped ABRP and just planned ourselves with Plugshare and then using Google Maps for navigation. I also printed out the ABRP route but we didn't follow it too closely as our efficiency as well was so good we changed where we charged. And EA app was helpful as well but Plugshare was our primary app. We have 0 range anxiety, the car performs beautifully (2023 Kona EV Ultimate) we now have 8800 miles in 2 1/2 months and love it! Our charging cost was about a 1/3 of what our Rav4 would have cost in fuel costs. The only glitch we ran into on our trip was at an EA station in Ormand Beach Florida when 4 of 6 chargers where down and 4 cars where waiting....so we went and got a nice lunch and dealt with it. We could have made it down the road a ways no problem to another charger but it was a nice day and we met several really nice EV owners there and just hung out! In any case EV is the way to go for us and I get EV's at this point won't work for everyone but they are going to eventually replace ICE vehicles. As for charging speed our Kona is a bit better than the Bolt but not a ton....max input is about 77kw but we find that works for us just fine. Anyway, thanks for the video and enjoy your EV! Mike 🇨🇦
Nice video! Having just returned from. A 2,900+ mile trip from FL to MI in our Bolt EUV, I especially appreciated your comment on the new attitude you need regarding how long it takes to complete a long trip. I was always in a hurry to get where I was going, but determined that on the Bolt tip, I’d be more relaxed and patient. Frustrations with the powerful but flaky ABRP app tested my patience, but the Bolt did not. And, as you said, it’s only going to get better in the future.
Thanks for the comment. That's awesome to hear that it worked well for you. We just took a family trip to FL from PA but took the Subaru as we needed to tick off 1,100 miles in a day. I haven't totally resigned myself to the slow lane yet.
Excellent video, You covered all the important points with no garbage in between. I just purchased a certified 2019 chevy bolt premiere, Only 8000 miles on it, With a brand new Upgraded replacement battery. Only paid 24K, With a 72 month 72000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, What's not to like everything is free till 80000 miles. My daily commute through the country is only 24 miles round trip, Farthest commute will be 200 miles to Lake Anna Virginia. No worries about charge time here, I have a vehicle that is practically brand new for only 24K😬 As for the Tesla troll lurking in the comments section, You are the kind of person that gives Tesla drivers a bad Image thinking you're all high-and-mighty. enjoy your large car payment..👍
Reliability is probably THE most important point. Without that, it's kind of all for nothing. I have an EV (2016 Kia Soul EV+, which I LOVE) but I have been disappointed many times in the unavailability of chargers. They have to do much better in that area, and of course in how many there are. As a side note of comparison, in all the 35+ years I drove an ICE car I can't remember ever coming across a gas pump that didn't work, though a handful of times they were simply out of gas and had a bag over the handle. We need to get to that level of reliability, fast. Also, I wanted to add that my EV is essentially a compliance car and has a short range of about 100 miles (which is 100% fine for my situation, but not for everybody), so going 1000 miles would not be a pleasant experience. The first generation Fiat 500e electric car has a similar range as well, but it does not even offer a DC fast charge option, so every stop is pretty much going to be several hours. But of course that is not the purpose of those short range EVs. I live 10 miles from where I work so it's perfect for my particular situation.
So I guess you did not do your due diligence before buying a "knock off" and now it sucks, should have bought a Tesla, DUH. Another important tip on long road trips, the Tesla SC stalls are networked so I know even before leaving my garage if a planned SC station or stall is down and I get an advisory. The mongrel chargers are a "pig in a poke", no thanks.
I can already tell anybody don't road trip in the Bolt unless you have time for an adventure as this young man makes clear! The other day I spent 1 hour at a EVgo DC CCS Fast Charger for 175 miles! Our Ford Cmax hybrid fills up in 15 minutes for 520 miles. Clearly the Bolt is for local and commuting where it shines! We love the Bolt and when Qmerit finally installs the outlet for level 2 charging we won't be needing public chargers. As for road trips for now the Bolt stays home!
I've only done one road trip of 230 miles each way. We are retired so "Relaxed" is easy for us. We stopped and got food prior to charging and ate while we charged. I have a Hyundai Ioniq 5 and we had to rush to finish our meal. (yep a real problem ;) Our trip was short and crossed a state line on an interstate so use the "welcome center" rest stops. We are traveling from MS to Oregon and back in September and my planning has been a chore. But it is something I have done before as a pilot and yes I have been able to overly a refueling stop when the winds were better than expected and also had to stop short of the destination when they were bad. It was good to see your report... Thank you.
I will never go through any of this to take a trip. I wouldn't put up with it going out for errands since the closest charging is 100 mile round trip. I don't window shop or eat during the day so this would make me crazy
1:55 agree. A better route planner is a great EV resource for non-Tesla. The built in Tesla route planner is great but doesn’t make multiple destination stops as easy.
Hello from Columbus. The Hilliard-Rome area you stopped at actually has a plethora of charging options. Your best bet late at night is to go across the way to Meijer and use the Shell Recharge station. While Meijer isn’t currently 24 hours (was pre-pandemic), the IHOP and McDonald’s can be safely reached and still are always open
I really appreciate when you post and from central PA (Lancaster) so gives me more of a reason to subscribe and watch you. Super biased but before they keep rising in price, I think you should buy a Tesla Model 3 LR, all stock specs. I promise you won’t regret it and would love watching videos about it even if it’s about which windshield fluid to use. You make great edits and compelling content just a much bigger audience for Tesla content, unless you are just waiting for the Cybertruck, which I would understand! Keep it up Josh!
Thanks, Trent! I actually work in Lancaster (part of the week) and live in the Lehigh Valley. EVs make a lot of sense for my commute - especially with gas prices. I toyed with getting a Tesla for a while but couldn't stomach the cost yet. The Bolt does everything I need at about half the price. I take it you have a Model 3 LR?
@@chargeeverywhere I bought a 2020 Bolt in January 2021. First road trip was from East Stroudsburg to Niagara Falls, NY and back. Grandson, wife and I. I found the vehicle ready go to the next charging stop before the three of us most stops. I spent 22 years doing insane 3,400 miles round trip road trips at least once a year, always with the get there as fast I can. The Niagara trip was the most relaxed road I've ever made. I'll be moving up to a Blazer EV hopefully next year, the 190kw max should be a good balance for the occasional road trip and the occasional local DCFC I do. Nice to see someone close by doing Bolt EV video.
Thanks, Yes, doing long road trips in an EV can be nerve wracking which you bring out by are the chargers working, how many available, and how long it takes to do a charge. So don't plan to do record times to your destination in an EV like you could in an ICE car. take care.
The Bolt EV is at its best as a commuter car, I think. Its 200 mi (winter) to 300 mi (summer) range is ideal for most of us and I have yet to run across anybody who does [not] like the one he drives. I am thinking about a long drive to a convention next year and like you have to count on (wasting?) four extra hours to charge. But even as gasoline prices are falling this is so much cheaper, and without the modern horror of public aircraft waits and cancellations. I think I’ll do it. Thanks for the encouragement. Lifetime efficiency for me is 4.4 mi/kWh, probably because I travel mostly secondary roads.
Thanks for the comment. I agree that the Bolt is amazing for commuting, which is like 95% of what I use it for. I wasn't sure what kind of efficiency to expect on this trip as it was almost all highway and I typically do about 50% highway on my commute. Pretty much the entire trip was between 65 and 70mph and I averaged 3.8mi/kWh over 1,500 miles, which I was more than happy with.
All-around agree with your statements, Josh. I have had very similar experiences with my regional trips of 200 to 400 miles. Having the EV charging stations at a far edge, distantly removed, or hidden part of a garage or parking lot makes finding the chargers (EVSE) an annoyingly difficult/stressful task; this mentality & treatment of placement definitely needs to change. And the ElectrifyAmerica app needs to do a better job of accurately marking where the charging stations are -- maybe one in four locations that I have gone to actually had a precise pin on the map. Google Maps through the Android Automotive does have some nice assist features for locating and plotting EV charging stations. As for my tactics, I aim to stop as infrequently (or simply as efficiently) as possible, largely due to the time lost simply finding the pumps and getting the charge started with the app(s) and/or machines. I tend to plan to drive my vehicle down to the 10% to 20% battery range, then charge up to 90% at a stop, or however far in 40 minutes, whichever is less time.
Interesting video, but I have a suggestion: Try doing this but not using Interstate highways for the 1000 mile trip, or a 500 mile trip, or any trip for that matter. You will find the you cannot do it. At all, because the charging providers have only placed their charging stations along Interstate highways in the US, and have virtually none along US or State highways. Driving on Interstates is fine, but the vast majority of traffic on the US uses those US and state highways and there are no places to charge along those roads. This simply has to change!
Yeah, my state (Alabama) has this drive electric campaign. You would think the state would have worked with Tesla and EA at least. Unless they have plans to work through Alabama Power.
same with australian, we would drive to the coast 300km away for a day trip or go interstate for a weekend which could be up to 1000km away. Hence we require a car that can do that... and hence EV is not there yet with our crappy EV recharging infrastructure. Remember european or UK tourist saying they will explore the state in a day... they don't realise it take them over a day to just drive before they get to the border.
Get a granny lead with adjustable amps, that way you can customize your setting based on your breaker size, usually 80% of the breaker in amp setting for safety. I have a 30amp breaker going to my dryer so I use a 24 amp setting on the charger
Unfortunately robberies/car jackings at charger locations will probably become a thing, I'm quite surprised it hasn't already, but criminals aren't the sharpest tool in the shed, so It'll take them a while to figure it out I guess. I'm a bit surprised this doesn't seem to have been given any thought when setting the standards for charging (some method of easy access emergency cable release functions f.ex.). As it is now you really are a sitting duck while charging. Getting unhooked and driving away is a process of at least a minute, so there's no real way of getting out of there in time if you see some shady people approaching,
That’s a great point, Tesla charging stations are usually equipped with security cameras, the car’s themselves are equipped with 4 ranges of view on their camera system. The cars are tracked with your app wherever it is and if you chose to set it up, there is a pin needed to even put the car in drive. I really hope people don’t start stealing from any EV charging locations, the amount of hate for EV’s is really sad. I really appreciate your input
I'm not even sure if the car would let you drive away and destroy the cable if you had to. I need to see if you can move when plugged in. As I said, gas stations always have someone else around - at least the clerk inside - so this isn't as big of an issue.
@@chargeeverywhere It wont let you drive with the cable plugged in. Putting it in drive will just generate an error message. I'd like to see some manufacturer address this with a function as mentioned, some sort of driver (from inside rhe car) initiated emergency charge stop/cable release. I.e. the car unlocking the charging cable and "ejecting" the plug.
@@nordicresilience Elon needs to add a panic button that ejects the cable, calls for help and self-drives the car to safety at high speed while you hide on the floor.
@@brendykes6599 Yeah, that's funny, but I'd settle with an auto eject function in CCS. In countries where no self defense items are allowed, the car itself is the best tool during an attempted car jacking, but during charging you are really a sitting duck.
Considering how often most EV owners actually use DC fast charging the overwhelming emphasis placed on it seems overdone. It is the exception for most EV owners most of the time. Charging at home, at work or at the gym on a L2 charger is easier, cheaper and better for the longevity of the battery. Okay carry on. Oh and I did enjoy the video. Good tips particularly to just take it easy.
I 100% agree! I'm actually working on a new L2 solution for those who don't have at-home charging access. Your point on DCFC is dead on. I'll be sharing more details over the coming months. Cheers!
In my experience, the ones at Sheets or Wawa are much better. I'm glad to hear the GM is partnering with Pilot/Flying J to install them there over the next few years. That should be great as truck stops don't close.
Yes it is. Congratulations on being the first to comment on that! It’s a bit of a foreshadowing of future videos. In the meantime, feel free to shoot me an email if you’d like to learn more about it.
You should check out " Rich Rebuilds " TH-cam channel on his road trip from NJ to NC in his Rivian R1T. How much did the trip cost to charge your EV in total for the trip ? I'm very curious...
My friend has a 2020 Bolt EV Premiere, but no way is it a long distance traveling EV with a max charge rate of 55 kw, but not very long at that speed, so the Bolt is the worst Long distance EV to travel in. Maybe 500 to 600 miles max would be the longest for me. The faster charging EV'S like the Teslas are done charging before I'm ready so I always get more charge than I need.
You can definitely road trip an EV it’s just not as simple as getting in the car and going, you have to plan your stops to recharge lol but it has definitely been done on ‘engineering explained’
@@Cakebattered I’ve done cross country with Bolt & Model Y. With the Bolt, I had to wait for it. With MYLR almost every time, the car was ready before I was done walking the dog, going to the bathroom, eating, etc.. I usually had a lot more charge than I intended. So the Bolt can do it, but the length of the charging stops is kind of miserable. My complaint with the Tesla was that I didn’t have enough time at the stops to play the games. 😂
Good video! Reflects a lot of the lessons we learned on out 2,500 km road trip from Vancouver to Palm Springs in January 2023. PM me and I’d be pleased to share with you our experiences. Thanks again!
To date, the longest road trip I've taken in my Bolt is 300 miles. But I have done longer road trips before in gas cars, and I believe that trying to plan out every charging stop in detail before you even leave home is a waste of time. The reason is that the ultimate goal of a road trip is to maximize enjoyment, not minimize travel time, so which charging plan is optimal is going to be heavily depending on things like the weather, your mood, and what interesting sites you want to explore - questions whose answers are not easily knowable back home. I think a better approach is to do high-level planning at home - which highway to take, which sites to see, etc. and verify that there are enough chargers to make the trip possible, with no single point of failure (e.g. a single down charging station should not result in needing to call for a tow truck). Then, use the time that you're actually charging to plan out the next charging stop. Also, while ABRP algorithms are useful as a sanity check to make sure there are no unbridgeable charging gaps, don't feel you need to be a slave to what ABRP tells you to do. ABRP seems to only look at DC fast chargers, while ignoring level 2 chargers completely, even if using DCFC requires charging up to 95% or 100%, so you're not getting much speed advantage over a level 2, anyway. Depending on what the surrounding area is like, sometimes plugging in at a level 2 charger can be better.
Helpful and informative video, except most of your video doesn’t apply to Teslas, where you can pretty easily just enter a destination in your car computer and not worry about planning a route, usually only have to charge 10-30 minutes per stop, and rarely ever encounter nonfunctional, slow, or blocked charging stations.
This is an awesome video, Josh! Thank you. I drive a Nissan Leaf Plus which I’ve taken a few road trips with with my family, and find it to be good. Really not that different from a gas car. Here’s one of our trips: m.th-cam.com/video/0jWZ2DYcJIg/w-d-xo.html
I road trip in the Bolt; I would not be willing to road trip in the Leaf. The CSS network is a little sparse in places, but, with planning you can get where you are going. The CSS network is also improving. I couldn't get where I was going in a leaf. The CHAdeMO network has gaps I can't cross... and ithe CHAdeMO network is actively deteriorating.... okay, there is level 2... but, relying on level 2 for road tripping is not acceptable.
True, but charging speed was the least of my concerns - and didn't rate as a drawback for me. Granted, if I were driving a Tesla, most of the other issues would be resolved, too, so point taken.
So I guess you did not do your due diligence before buying a "knock off" and now it sucks, should have bought a Tesla, DUH. Another important tip on long road trips, the Tesla SC stalls are networked so I know even before leaving my garage if a planned SC station or stall is down and I get an advisory. The mongrel chargers are a "pig in a poke", no thanks.
iPhone 7 - strange flex, but OK. Also, it shouldn't be normal to need to jump between chargers. I suggest you drop the kids and wife off before hitting the charging station and saving them the 5min walk across 6 lanes of traffic. Have you considered getting at Tesla? And a new iPhone?
perspective change was great statement
That was a really really good video. I think EV charging will spawn a new industry " Charging Tourism". We have gotten so use to driving past towns on the interstate that we don't smell the flowers and see all the great small towns there are.
Agreed! 😊
Using an EV will not help with these smaller cities and towns because there are no places to charge there. No reason to stop and wander around, buy something, eat, etc while you are charging.
Enjoyed your Video. I’m 74 years old and getting ready to buy my first Fully Electric Vehicle. I have ordered a 2022 Chevy EUV Premier with all the bells and whistles. In the past, I have owned a 2017 Cadillac CT6 Plug-in Hybrid and currently still have my 2018 Chevy Volt Premier. I have made the decision to just go for it but I still have the thought about Range of Anxiety. Currently, I have been told that the Chevy Bolt EUV will show you where the next charging station is located. I have loaded the apps for Electrify America, EV-GO, Charge Point, Go-Station, Plug-share, and Shell-Recharge along with ABRP and WAZE. My car won’t arrive until sometime in October. I am looking forward to planning a route and driving to see my kids in Texas, California, and Colorado. It's just me now and the dog. The Dog loves to ride in the car so the stops will afford both of us a potty break. I will schedule Hotel / Motel stops that allow dogs like Red Roof and LaQuinta along the way. Being retired I will be in no hurry. My question is: What made you decide to buy a Chevy BOLT? I am looking forward to the super-cruise. Were you affected by the Battery change out and/or Buyback program? This next trip is just part of my Bucket List to see if I can do it and get home again. ( I have a 240v home charger in my garage already ). Again lots of good points in your Video
So I guess you did not do your due diligence before buying a "knock off" and now it sucks, should have bought a Tesla, DUH. Another important tip on long road trips, the Tesla SC stalls are networked so I know even before leaving my garage if a planned SC station or stall is down and I get an advisory. The mongrel chargers are a "pig in a poke", no thanks.
I love the production of this video! Great job letting people know that road trips are possible in an EV. I did a few in my old Bolt and totally agree with changing the perspective. Charging is a great time to take a real break and be more rested for the next 200ish miles.
Great editing and cool music and graphics!
I'm still driving an ICE vehicle but I did a small trip to Columbus from the Cleveland area and decided to just do the speed limit on the highway and it was actually more relaxing than trying to keep up with traffic. My plan is to buy a Bolt EUV for 2023 and I should be OK with some of its flaws. The slow charging that is. Great informative video.
Do yourself a favor and upgrade to a Tesla Model 3 you will love it.
@@trex2092 I've actually got to rent one, and I was not impressed. The 0 to 60 was insane and cool, but outside of that I just can't go for one. As I am getting older getting in and out of low vehicles has also become not an option. Much respect for the Tesla community, but it's not my thing.
Great, to the point video. I especially liked your comments on how you planned your trip. Also on the mindset of accepting the time to charge instead of dreading it. I had to adjust my trip mindset (slow down, enjoy the drive) when I started RV'ing years ago, so I can understand the reality of doing that here as well. I have an EV on order, so this is really helpful. Thanks a bunch!
Charging definitely takes longer than pumping gas with any EV currently available now. Driving my EV with my family I find that it always works well to combine charging with lunch/restroom break/attraction or whatever which makes it almost unnoticeable and really not so different from driving a gas car. Here’s a short video of one of our EV road trip experiences: m.th-cam.com/video/0jWZ2DYcJIg/w-d-xo.html
Oops, sorry the link works better like this: m.th-cam.com/video/0jWZ2DYcJIg/w-d-xo.html
10:00 agree. Road tripping in eV can be more relaxing. Planning is more but driving is easy knowing stops are more frequent
Thanks for all the kind comments! I agree. This has been one thing about the EV road trip experience that I didn't really expect. I'm glad to know I'm not alone here.
Multiple chargers (even at the cost of fewer locations) are the way to go. Single charger locations are a pain, and I never bother even checking them unless there's no other alternative. Biggest issue I have with electrics is the time planning during longer trips when I _have to_ charge. If I get an issue with charging I could end up 30+ minutes late for a meeting, with a gas car if a pump isn't working, just go to some other one a couple of minutes away, if there's a queue, wait a few minutes for a available pump. With electric it's another story, if a charging location has issues (or a queue), the next one might be quite a bit away, and it might just as well be busy as well when you get there.
Just use a Tesla
The route planner tells you how many chargers are free
Tesla is the only way to go on a road trip
@@thomaswilson2917 generally true. Some fast charging EVs can do quite well, but are hampered by charging infrastructure. When the Tesla Superchargers are available to other EVs, the Tesla advantage goes away.
Don't hold your breath for a supercharger near you to charge non teslas.
Great video and really appreciate what you went through. We just completed a 2800 mile roadtrip and after the 1st charge stop we dropped ABRP and just planned ourselves with Plugshare and then using Google Maps for navigation. I also printed out the ABRP route but we didn't follow it too closely as our efficiency as well was so good we changed where we charged. And EA app was helpful as well but Plugshare was our primary app. We have 0 range anxiety, the car performs beautifully (2023 Kona EV Ultimate) we now have 8800 miles in 2 1/2 months and love it!
Our charging cost was about a 1/3 of what our Rav4 would have cost in fuel costs. The only glitch we ran into on our trip was at an EA station in Ormand Beach Florida when 4 of 6 chargers where down and 4 cars where waiting....so we went and got a nice lunch and dealt with it. We could have made it down the road a ways no problem to another charger but it was a nice day and we met several really nice EV owners there and just hung out!
In any case EV is the way to go for us and I get EV's at this point won't work for everyone but they are going to eventually replace ICE vehicles. As for charging speed our Kona is a bit better than the Bolt but not a ton....max input is about 77kw but we find that works for us just fine.
Anyway, thanks for the video and enjoy your EV!
Mike 🇨🇦
Nice video! Having just returned from. A 2,900+ mile trip from FL to MI in our Bolt EUV, I especially appreciated your comment on the new attitude you need regarding how long it takes to complete a long trip. I was always in a hurry to get where I was going, but determined that on the Bolt tip, I’d be more relaxed and patient. Frustrations with the powerful but flaky ABRP app tested my patience, but the Bolt did not.
And, as you said, it’s only going to get better in the future.
Thanks for the comment. That's awesome to hear that it worked well for you. We just took a family trip to FL from PA but took the Subaru as we needed to tick off 1,100 miles in a day. I haven't totally resigned myself to the slow lane yet.
FYI. 1:20 Chevy Bolt is known as the slowest charging long range EV. But it’s also the least expensive!
Nissan Leaf is slower 62kwh model
Excellent video, You covered all the important points with no garbage in between. I just purchased a certified 2019 chevy bolt premiere, Only 8000 miles on it, With a brand new Upgraded replacement battery. Only paid 24K, With a 72 month 72000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, What's not to like everything is free till 80000 miles.
My daily commute through the country is only 24 miles round trip, Farthest commute will be 200 miles to Lake Anna Virginia. No worries about charge time here, I have a vehicle that is practically brand new for only 24K😬
As for the Tesla troll lurking in the comments section, You are the kind of person that gives Tesla drivers a bad Image thinking you're all high-and-mighty. enjoy your large car payment..👍
Reliability is probably THE most important point. Without that, it's kind of all for nothing. I have an EV (2016 Kia Soul EV+, which I LOVE) but I have been disappointed many times in the unavailability of chargers. They have to do much better in that area, and of course in how many there are. As a side note of comparison, in all the 35+ years I drove an ICE car I can't remember ever coming across a gas pump that didn't work, though a handful of times they were simply out of gas and had a bag over the handle. We need to get to that level of reliability, fast.
Also, I wanted to add that my EV is essentially a compliance car and has a short range of about 100 miles (which is 100% fine for my situation, but not for everybody), so going 1000 miles would not be a pleasant experience. The first generation Fiat 500e electric car has a similar range as well, but it does not even offer a DC fast charge option, so every stop is pretty much going to be several hours. But of course that is not the purpose of those short range EVs. I live 10 miles from where I work so it's perfect for my particular situation.
So I guess you did not do your due diligence before buying a "knock off" and now it sucks, should have bought a Tesla, DUH. Another important tip on long road trips, the Tesla SC stalls are networked so I know even before leaving my garage if a planned SC station or stall is down and I get an advisory. The mongrel chargers are a "pig in a poke", no thanks.
This is exactly what I needed to see today. Just purchased a used Bolt with DCFC option, and have yet to try it. Thanks for the content, and research.
I can already tell anybody don't road trip in the Bolt unless you have time for an adventure as this young man makes clear! The other day I spent 1 hour at a EVgo DC CCS Fast Charger for 175 miles! Our Ford Cmax hybrid fills up in 15 minutes for 520 miles. Clearly the Bolt is for local and commuting where it shines! We love the Bolt and when Qmerit finally installs the outlet for level 2 charging we won't be needing public chargers. As for road trips for now the Bolt stays home!
Thanks for sharing your experience and perspective.
you have very high quality video/content, you are in my top 5 list !
I've only done one road trip of 230 miles each way. We are retired so "Relaxed" is easy for us. We stopped and got food prior to charging and ate while we charged. I have a Hyundai Ioniq 5 and we had to rush to finish our meal. (yep a real problem ;) Our trip was short and crossed a state line on an interstate so use the "welcome center" rest stops. We are traveling from MS to Oregon and back in September and my planning has been a chore. But it is something I have done before as a pilot and yes I have been able to overly a refueling stop when the winds were better than expected and also had to stop short of the destination when they were bad. It was good to see your report... Thank you.
I will never go through any of this to take a trip. I wouldn't put up with it going out for errands since the closest charging is 100 mile round trip. I don't window shop or eat during the day so this would make me crazy
1:55 agree. A better route planner is a great EV resource for non-Tesla. The built in Tesla route planner is great but doesn’t make multiple destination stops as easy.
Not true.
You can easily add multiple stops on the Tesla route planner. I have a Tesla model S so I know what I am talking about
Hello from Columbus. The Hilliard-Rome area you stopped at actually has a plethora of charging options. Your best bet late at night is to go across the way to Meijer and use the Shell Recharge station. While Meijer isn’t currently 24 hours (was pre-pandemic), the IHOP and McDonald’s can be safely reached and still are always open
I really appreciate when you post and from central PA (Lancaster) so gives me more of a reason to subscribe and watch you. Super biased but before they keep rising in price, I think you should buy a Tesla Model 3 LR, all stock specs. I promise you won’t regret it and would love watching videos about it even if it’s about which windshield fluid to use. You make great edits and compelling content just a much bigger audience for Tesla content, unless you are just waiting for the Cybertruck, which I would understand! Keep it up Josh!
Thanks, Trent! I actually work in Lancaster (part of the week) and live in the Lehigh Valley. EVs make a lot of sense for my commute - especially with gas prices. I toyed with getting a Tesla for a while but couldn't stomach the cost yet. The Bolt does everything I need at about half the price. I take it you have a Model 3 LR?
@@chargeeverywhere I bought a 2020 Bolt in January 2021. First road trip was from East Stroudsburg to Niagara Falls, NY and back. Grandson, wife and I. I found the vehicle ready go to the next charging stop before the three of us most stops. I spent 22 years doing insane 3,400 miles round trip road trips at least once a year, always with the get there as fast I can. The Niagara trip was the most relaxed road I've ever made. I'll be moving up to a Blazer EV hopefully next year, the 190kw max should be a good balance for the occasional road trip and the occasional local DCFC I do. Nice to see someone close by doing Bolt EV video.
Thanks, Yes, doing long road trips in an EV can be nerve wracking which you bring out by are the chargers working, how many available, and how long it takes to do a charge. So don't plan to do record times to your destination in an EV like you could in an ICE car.
take care.
Very helpful, thank you.
The Bolt EV is at its best as a commuter car, I think. Its 200 mi (winter) to 300 mi (summer) range is ideal for most of us and I have yet to run across anybody who does [not] like the one he drives.
I am thinking about a long drive to a convention next year and like you have to count on (wasting?) four extra hours to charge.
But even as gasoline prices are falling this is so much cheaper, and without the modern horror of public aircraft waits and cancellations.
I think I’ll do it. Thanks for the encouragement.
Lifetime efficiency for me is 4.4 mi/kWh, probably because I travel mostly secondary roads.
Thanks for the comment. I agree that the Bolt is amazing for commuting, which is like 95% of what I use it for. I wasn't sure what kind of efficiency to expect on this trip as it was almost all highway and I typically do about 50% highway on my commute. Pretty much the entire trip was between 65 and 70mph and I averaged 3.8mi/kWh over 1,500 miles, which I was more than happy with.
I agree, just a "town car", if you can't run with the Big Dogs stay on the porch.
Man... Tesla was so smart for investing in their own network. Waiting on others/government to solve that problem is futile.
All-around agree with your statements, Josh. I have had very similar experiences with my regional trips of 200 to 400 miles. Having the EV charging stations at a far edge, distantly removed, or hidden part of a garage or parking lot makes finding the chargers (EVSE) an annoyingly difficult/stressful task; this mentality & treatment of placement definitely needs to change. And the ElectrifyAmerica app needs to do a better job of accurately marking where the charging stations are -- maybe one in four locations that I have gone to actually had a precise pin on the map.
Google Maps through the Android Automotive does have some nice assist features for locating and plotting EV charging stations.
As for my tactics, I aim to stop as infrequently (or simply as efficiently) as possible, largely due to the time lost simply finding the pumps and getting the charge started with the app(s) and/or machines. I tend to plan to drive my vehicle down to the 10% to 20% battery range, then charge up to 90% at a stop, or however far in 40 minutes, whichever is less time.
Interesting video, but I have a suggestion: Try doing this but not using Interstate highways for the 1000 mile trip, or a 500 mile trip, or any trip for that matter. You will find the you cannot do it. At all, because the charging providers have only placed their charging stations along Interstate highways in the US, and have virtually none along US or State highways. Driving on Interstates is fine, but the vast majority of traffic on the US uses those US and state highways and there are no places to charge along those roads. This simply has to change!
Walmart was open 24 hours before COVID. A rest area is a logical location for fast chargers.
I agree on the rest stops. It’s curious to me how many states haven’t done this yet.
Yeah, my state (Alabama) has this drive electric campaign. You would think the state would have worked with Tesla and EA at least. Unless they have plans to work through Alabama Power.
same with australian, we would drive to the coast 300km away for a day trip or go interstate for a weekend which could be up to 1000km away. Hence we require a car that can do that... and hence EV is not there yet with our crappy EV recharging infrastructure. Remember european or UK tourist saying they will explore the state in a day... they don't realise it take them over a day to just drive before they get to the border.
I already have 220 outlets at my home, so would I just be able to plug into them without any installation?
yep, just need a 220v plug in level two charger...abou 3-4 hundred bucks and you can even source one on Amazon.
Get a granny lead with adjustable amps, that way you can customize your setting based on your breaker size, usually 80% of the breaker in amp setting for safety. I have a 30amp breaker going to my dryer so I use a 24 amp setting on the charger
great video showed that you can road trip in a bolt
Unfortunately robberies/car jackings at charger locations will probably become a thing, I'm quite surprised it hasn't already, but criminals aren't the sharpest tool in the shed, so It'll take them a while to figure it out I guess. I'm a bit surprised this doesn't seem to have been given any thought when setting the standards for charging (some method of easy access emergency cable release functions f.ex.). As it is now you really are a sitting duck while charging. Getting unhooked and driving away is a process of at least a minute, so there's no real way of getting out of there in time if you see some shady people approaching,
That’s a great point, Tesla charging stations are usually equipped with security cameras, the car’s themselves are equipped with 4 ranges of view on their camera system. The cars are tracked with your app wherever it is and if you chose to set it up, there is a pin needed to even put the car in drive. I really hope people don’t start stealing from any EV charging locations, the amount of hate for EV’s is really sad. I really appreciate your input
I'm not even sure if the car would let you drive away and destroy the cable if you had to. I need to see if you can move when plugged in. As I said, gas stations always have someone else around - at least the clerk inside - so this isn't as big of an issue.
@@chargeeverywhere It wont let you drive with the cable plugged in. Putting it in drive will just generate an error message. I'd like to see some manufacturer address this with a function as mentioned, some sort of driver (from inside rhe car) initiated emergency charge stop/cable release. I.e. the car unlocking the charging cable and "ejecting" the plug.
@@nordicresilience Elon needs to add a panic button that ejects the cable, calls for help and self-drives the car to safety at high speed while you hide on the floor.
@@brendykes6599 Yeah, that's funny, but I'd settle with an auto eject function in CCS. In countries where no self defense items are allowed, the car itself is the best tool during an attempted car jacking, but during charging you are really a sitting duck.
Considering how often most EV owners actually use DC fast charging the overwhelming emphasis placed on it seems overdone. It is the exception for most EV owners most of the time. Charging at home, at work or at the gym on a L2 charger is easier, cheaper and better for the longevity of the battery. Okay carry on. Oh and I did enjoy the video. Good tips particularly to just take it easy.
I 100% agree! I'm actually working on a new L2 solution for those who don't have at-home charging access. Your point on DCFC is dead on. I'll be sharing more details over the coming months. Cheers!
I’m going on a road trip next year with a. Dodge grand caravan. Hope it don’t break down if it does I’m going to probably go with electric
7:35 yeah. Walmarts. Vs Tesla chargers which are typically at premium outlets with restaurants
In my experience, the ones at Sheets or Wawa are much better. I'm glad to hear the GM is partnering with Pilot/Flying J to install them there over the next few years. That should be great as truck stops don't close.
Was that a roadside charging station that you plugged into with your own charging cable?
Yes it is. Congratulations on being the first to comment on that! It’s a bit of a foreshadowing of future videos. In the meantime, feel free to shoot me an email if you’d like to learn more about it.
You should check out " Rich Rebuilds " TH-cam channel on his road trip from NJ to NC in his Rivian R1T. How much did the trip cost to charge your EV in total for the trip ? I'm very curious...
My friend has a 2020 Bolt EV Premiere, but no way is it a long distance traveling EV with a max charge rate of 55 kw, but not very long at that speed, so the Bolt is the worst Long distance EV to travel in. Maybe 500 to 600 miles max would be the longest for me.
The faster charging EV'S like the Teslas are done charging before I'm ready so I always get more charge than I need.
You can definitely road trip an EV it’s just not as simple as getting in the car and going, you have to plan your stops to recharge lol but it has definitely been done on ‘engineering explained’
You don't have to plan
On a Tesla just put in your destination and it will route it for you including stops
There are hundreds of road trip vlogs on youtube. specifically done with a Chevy Bolt. Many of them cross country.
@@Cakebattered that's true but going cross country and having to depend on CCS1 chargers is not the best experience. There are TH-cam videos on that.
@@Cakebattered I’ve done cross country with Bolt & Model Y. With the Bolt, I had to wait for it. With MYLR almost every time, the car was ready before I was done walking the dog, going to the bathroom, eating, etc.. I usually had a lot more charge than I intended. So the Bolt can do it, but the length of the charging stops is kind of miserable. My complaint with the Tesla was that I didn’t have enough time at the stops to play the games. 😂
Good video! Reflects a lot of the lessons we learned on out 2,500 km road trip from Vancouver to Palm Springs in January 2023. PM me and I’d be pleased to share with you our experiences. Thanks again!
To date, the longest road trip I've taken in my Bolt is 300 miles. But I have done longer road trips before in gas cars, and I believe that trying to plan out every charging stop in detail before you even leave home is a waste of time.
The reason is that the ultimate goal of a road trip is to maximize enjoyment, not minimize travel time, so which charging plan is optimal is going to be heavily depending on things like the weather, your mood, and what interesting sites you want to explore - questions whose answers are not easily knowable back home.
I think a better approach is to do high-level planning at home - which highway to take, which sites to see, etc. and verify that there are enough chargers to make the trip possible, with no single point of failure (e.g. a single down charging station should not result in needing to call for a tow truck). Then, use the time that you're actually charging to plan out the next charging stop.
Also, while ABRP algorithms are useful as a sanity check to make sure there are no unbridgeable charging gaps, don't feel you need to be a slave to what ABRP tells you to do. ABRP seems to only look at DC fast chargers, while ignoring level 2 chargers completely, even if using DCFC requires charging up to 95% or 100%, so you're not getting much speed advantage over a level 2, anyway. Depending on what the surrounding area is like, sometimes plugging in at a level 2 charger can be better.
Helpful and informative video, except most of your video doesn’t apply to Teslas, where you can pretty easily just enter a destination in your car computer and not worry about planning a route, usually only have to charge 10-30 minutes per stop, and rarely ever encounter nonfunctional, slow, or blocked charging stations.
You know what’s an even bigger problem. Living in an apartment with an EV.
I filmed a video on a charging solution for apartments this morning. Next up.
This is an awesome video, Josh! Thank you. I drive a Nissan Leaf Plus which I’ve taken a few road trips with with my family, and find it to be good. Really not that different from a gas car. Here’s one of our trips: m.th-cam.com/video/0jWZ2DYcJIg/w-d-xo.html
Oops sorry here’s the link without the time tag: m.th-cam.com/video/0jWZ2DYcJIg/w-d-xo.html
The leaf is worst case not bolt
I road trip in the Bolt; I would not be willing to road trip in the Leaf. The CSS network is a little sparse in places, but, with planning you can get where you are going. The CSS network is also improving.
I couldn't get where I was going in a leaf. The CHAdeMO network has gaps I can't cross... and ithe CHAdeMO network is actively deteriorating.... okay, there is level 2... but, relying on level 2 for road tripping is not acceptable.
Should have been titled “Road Tripping in a Chevy Bolt”. It’s not fair to generalize your experiences with the Bolt to other EVs.
True, but charging speed was the least of my concerns - and didn't rate as a drawback for me. Granted, if I were driving a Tesla, most of the other issues would be resolved, too, so point taken.
Agree with you 200 percent.
Have a 2022 model S and a big difference in a road trips
So I guess you did not do your due diligence before buying a "knock off" and now it sucks, should have bought a Tesla, DUH. Another important tip on long road trips, the Tesla SC stalls are networked so I know even before leaving my garage if a planned SC station or stall is down and I get an advisory. The mongrel chargers are a "pig in a poke", no thanks.
iPhone 7 - strange flex, but OK.
Also, it shouldn't be normal to need to jump between chargers.
I suggest you drop the kids and wife off before hitting the charging station and saving them the 5min walk across 6 lanes of traffic.
Have you considered getting at Tesla?
And a new iPhone?
Save yourself some headaches. Buy a Tesla!