Wow! We are definitely kindred spirits. We were completely sold on a Tesla Model 3. It wasn't until we received the text from Tesla stating our car was ready for pickup that we started questioning our decision. We asked ourselves pretty much all the questions you answered in your video. And we came to the same conclusion as you. We ended up cancelling our Tesla order(cost us the $250 reservation cost), and in early January, 2023 purchased a 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV at a local dealership. It was also the combination of me watching multiple positive Bolt reviews on TH-cam as well as my wife being very disdainful of Elon Musk. Our family takes fewer long trips by car than you, so I would say we will be charging at home or work 99% of the time. It's only been 3 months, but we are absolutely loving our Bolt EUV. Most fun I've ever had driving! Great video! Thanks.
We rented a Bolt EUV last week while visiting family in San Diego. It was very comfortable and fun to drive. In fact I think it was more comfortable than my brother’s model 3. I liked the seating position much better. The slow charging time was my only real issue.
Great video! I just bought a 2023 Bolt EV 2LT using the $7500 tax credit so got this for around $23,000!! I have a 2014 Nissan Leaf that has only 65 miles on a full charge so this Bolt is fantastic. I agree with all your comments and I know the Bolt is being discontinued but there are still some out there if you search for them.
😁EXCELLENT. Just the facts. I couldn't agree more as I'm a living example. On my fifth EV since 2013. My 2023 Bolt 2LT, my second, is my current EV because it makes sense. Had a 2019 Tesla Model 3 Performance which was too flashy and more EV than I needed. I prefer my low profile Bolt. A budget EV, even when not on a budget. Thanks for your common sense reasoning.
@@Hbd2002 It's not how many years that counts, it's how many miles it will travel that matters. Electric motors can last 1 million miles. Battery packs can last 500,000 miles or more.
@D Vader My 2015 VOLT has 140,000 miles and it has not lost any noticeable capacity. Checked the pack and it still holds its full charge. Why? 16 AMPS 220V charging.
@@Hbd2002your car did not “last” in its original configuration. You have constantly repaired and rebuilt your 30 year old vehicle. This can be done to ANY vehicle, ICE or EV.
I am a Tesla owner, and your comments make total sense to me. I am, in fact, looking at buying a 2023 Bolt and keeping my 2019 Model S Tesla, and becoming a two EV family.
I have a 23 bolt 2lt and it's outstanding! Quick and comfortable with lots of range and features. GM put a level 2 charge in my garage for free. Best car I've ever driven.
Last spring I was trying to decide between the Chevy Bolt and the low end Ioniq 5. At the time the Chevy dealers were not allowed to let me test drive a Bolt because of the battery issues. Teslas were way out of my price range. I’m looking to keep the car for at least 10 years. The Ioniq 5 had the best battery in my price range and Hyundai had a great warranty. I bought the Ioniq 5 SE at sticker price, $7500 rebate, no state sales tax and got a terrific trade in amount. Really happy with my Ioniq 5 but I also know most Bolt owners are very happy with their cars too. Hoping Tesla opens up their charging to non-Tesla EVs soon.
Bought a 2023 EUV. Does everything I need and he forgot to mention, you probably have a GM dealer down the road, while Tesla centers aren't in smaller cities/towns. Very mature and responsible thinking!!! Tesla is amazing, but also like a Religion.
I purchased a used 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV last year on Black Friday because it was a good price. Compared to my 2015 Nissan Leaf, the range is 3 times greater.
I’m a very happy Bolt EUV owner. Fully loaded with the giant sunroof and SuperCruise. I’ve also rented a Tesla for a road trip and agree with everything you said. There are absolutely things the (Model S in my case) does better than most CCS cars. But for the *vast* majority of my driving, the Bolt does everything I need and more. I too am going on a road trip this spring, from Ohio to Washington DC. Other than spending just a bit more time than I’d like charging in Pittsburgh, it looks to be completely feasible.
@@SpinnerEV Bro... you spent all that money on a lousy Bolt when you could've downpayment that for a Tesla with supercharger networks reliably all across the US? ugh.. 🤦♂🤦♂. I dont even know why ur posting videos like this. It's just laughable lol
In the fall of 2022, my wife and I took a two-month long roadtrip in our 2021 Bolt EV from the Mid-Atlantic northward to Nova Scotia, took a ferry to Newfoundland and back, then proceeded to drive entirely across Canada (we did our best to avoid long sections of the Trans-Canada because we dislike freeway driving) to Vancouver Island. After our visit to Vancouver Island, we dropped back into the states in Washington, stopped in Montana for a few days to visit friends there and then drove back home to the Mid-Atlantic. In total we drove 12,864 miles. There were no issues with inoperable fast-chargers that impacted our trip, though there were some inconsiderate and clueless EV drivers that wanted to charge well beyond 75-80% when there were cars lined up behind them waiting to charge. The time spent and frequency of charging sessions did become a source of frustration for us. A friend of mine, said if we had a Tesla it would have went smoother, so I showed him the Supercharger network map and compared it to the route we planned. There was essentially no Supercharger presence where we were travelling. Another frustration for us was that when we wanted to go to places that were far off the beaten path, in Newfoundland especially, there were simply no chargers available. My main takeaways on this: 1) If you plan to drive the Interstate or Trans-Canada, charging isn’t a problem. We avoid those types of routes because, though they can be great for fast point a to point b travel, it is boring. Our default mode for travel is two-lane travel. 2) The Bolt EV has enough range to do long-distance travel even with only 80% range available to use, but you will be stopping every couple of hours and then sitting for 30-60 minutes to recharge the car. That got really old after a while. At this point, we have a Lucid Air Pure on order and, between the longer range, higher efficiency and much faster charging speeds, that should resolve the majority of complaints we had taking the Bolt on the road for an extended road trip. What about the Bolt ? Do we plan to keep it ? ABSOLUTELY ! It is a phenomenal car for a vast majority of the driving we do and after we get the battery pack replaced the battery warranty starts all over again, so that is a huge bonus for us.
In the video, SpinnerDaj mentioned that the sunroof in the Model 3 doesn't have issues with glare. Does the sunroof in the Bolt EUV have glare problems? I'm thinking about maybe getting one, and I've never driven a car with a sunroof before.
And here's another issue that wasn't mentioned in the video: getting service and repairs on your car. As of August 2023, there are 234 Tesla stores in the US, compared to 2,904 Chevy dealerships. That's 12 times more Chevy dealers and service shops than Tesla has. And to make it even more skewed, 25% of all Tesla shops are in California, whereas Chevy dealers are much more uniformly distributed around the country. My personal opinion is that a pure EV just won't fit my lifestyle, because of the scarcity of chargers in rural areas. I spend a lot of time camping on Federal land (National Parks/Monuments, National Forests, BLM land), and most of these areas are so remote that there's no way you could drive any EV there from where I live. So I compromised on a Toyota Rav4 Prime. This is a PHEV, so I can drive up to 42 miles on cheap electricity, enough for in-town errand running, then drive up to 575 miles on the 14 gallons of gasoline it holds. If my circumstances were such that a pure EV would be suitable for me, I'd buy a Bolt before any other EV, including the Toyota BZ4X, which is $43,000, and has less range than the Bolt.
I totally understand your reasoning, it makes a ton of sense. I don't get why people feel the need to get "more range" for that 1 trip that they take to grandmas once a year. (just rent a tesla from hertz) We own a Mini Cooper SE (100% electric) and my wife drives that to and from work,, it charges back up to 100 in about 30 minutes when she gets home.. I drive it on weekends all over the place running errands and we honestly never get that 114 mile range down below 50%.. it's crazy.. Now I used to travel a lot.. my first "ev" was a Volt, then I ordered a model 3, got tired of waiting and bought a used Model S p85, with free supercharging.. I put 121,000 miles on it driving for work, making money on mileage everyday. when the prices for used cars went up, I sold it for almost what I paid for it 2years before and bought a model Y before they went crazy with the prices.. back in 2021.. I got it at the end of 2021, it has been rock solid.. the S was not.. it was in the service center often.. after 18,000 miles my Y hasn't had a single issue. Anyway, sorry for the paragraph here, I love all electric cars.. my wife just loved the look of the mini or I would have gotten a Bolt. and the mini is so damn fun, when the come out with a 4 door ev, I will trade in my y for it. I don't go on long trips anymore and probably charge once a week in the Y, but it is a utilitarian beast.. my big dog, my son and 2 friends, my wife and the groceries can fit, and if i want, I can have my bike on bike rack off the trailer hitch.. it's a beast and hard to get rid of.
Good, fair comparison taking into account your needs and lifestyle. One last positive for the Bolt you didn’t mention is the color, which is cooler than any of the Tesla colors!😆
One big positive that only Sandy Munro brought up is ITS SIMPLICITY. Very inexpensive and conventional design. Mc Pherson struts, rear suspension is like a trailer, but with suspension. The drive unit, very simple. Plus, you need parts such as, struts, 12V battery, etc. All available at Auto Zone.
I ordered an EUV a few weeks ago instead of a M3 or MY simply because the Bolt is still 1/2 the purchase price when you also figure in 6% Michigan sales tax. And my Bolt is only intended for local duty, my Highlander or F150 will be for trips.
Within the Lower Peninsula, the CCS charging network is surprisingly well built out. You can still go a lot of places easily in the Bolt. But I would drive your F-150 if you’re headed to Montana or something
I have a ‘22 Mach-E which I bought it over a Tesla for many of the same reasons. A BIG one for me was the phantom braking. I rented a Model 3 for a week and it did it to me twice. It felt like the car was trying to kill me. Also, getting in and out of the thing was not a pleasant experience for my 40+ year old body either. I appreciate what Tesla has done (and continues to do) to kickstart the EV industry, but they’re not for everyone and that’s ok. Having multiple competing brands and a variety of models is a good thing!
Tesla is by far still the best. Maybe lucid air? But tesla is just testing their batteries to find a solution to sustainable energy. Cars are just a test market. A big one.
I really like your video. I've been driving my 2019 Bolt for 3 years, and my experiences line up well with your discussions of the Bolt's merit and weaknesses. Thanks so much for the video!
That's an excellent point about a vehicle sitting low and getting in and out plus the overall feeling when driving. I don't road trip very much. In rural northern Michigan your more concerned with getting around in really bad winter weather. The other major factor is that me and my wife have two vehicles. So you can more easily cover all your needs between the two but things like getting in and out of a vehicle and riding low means you really dislike driving the vehicle. I can have one vehicle more for winter and one more for summer and road trips and be happy driving either one at anytime as long as I don't dislike driving it. We have a 2022 chevy bolt by the way.
Ride height is why I didn't get a Model 3.I dont like driving sitting low down. Not an issue getting in and out i just prefer a higher driving position. I am considering a Model Y but there are a few things about it i dont' like so currently I'm bouncing around different models from other OEMs. The SC network does keep pulling me back to Tesla though.
Yes that is something the young Kyle Connors of the world don’t bring up I need something easy to get into at 59 and I like hatchbacks better than a trunk and I could care less about a frunk we didn’t have them before and got along great.
I bought a 2020 Chevy Bolt and not a Tesla or almost the exact same reasons given in this video except I have 1 more which *might* be as important as the money factor: parts & service. I am an experienced mechanic and you cannot, as far as I know, go over to Tesla and order parts that YOU replace. I do not see Chevrolet (GM really) putting restrictions on the parts sold to their electric cars. Chevrolet also makes available a set of shop manuals for the total car.... including the information on the particular hazards of the high-voltage circuits and how to deal with them... listing all the factory special tools... this level of trust and customer support is something Tesla lacks. There is also the Chevrolet dealer network. Tesla only has service centers in a few areas. Chevy dealers are all over. These facts are also worth considering when choosing between the Tesla and Bolt. (BTW.... I LIKE Teslas but they were out of my budget)
We ordered a Bolt EV last June here in Canada and it's still not here yet... but we ordered what we need and not what we wanted...Bolt has it all for us retired folks.
It's amazing to see a bolt video without mentioning plasticky dash and uncomfortable seats. It's good-looking, spicy performance, best price, why nitpick.
Great review, everything you pointed out are the exact same things I commented to myself in my own Tesla Bolt comparison. I just rented a model 3 last weekend to get me to the Chevy dealership. I hated the model 3 ergonomics, ridiculous rear view mirror, the aggressive regen, and the constant taking my eyes off the road to find some screen control. Give me dials and knobs, please.
The regen is easily adjusted in the settings. You can even make the Tesla act like a vehicle with an automatic transmission with the adjustable 'creep' setting and no regen. With maximum regenerative braking, after a while, you learn to sloooowly lift off of the accelerator pedal at the right time and distance so as to not stop short of stop signs or traffic signals. No brake pedal application is needed. You'll never have to replace brake pads or rotors, and the motors put a little energy back into the battery.
I’ve had a Model 3 for 4 years and love it, but I agree with every one of your points. Model 3 RWD is a great value and a great car, but as long as Bolt remains significantly less expensive, it’ll also remain a great value.
I have a 2018 Bolt EV with the replaced battery. Outstanding commuter car with level II charger on our garage. Between CA and power company credits, we will get up to 4K credit. O love our Bolt, but I think the EUV might have a better ride
The Bolt is NOT a road tripping vehicle. Good if local driving is your situation. My brother has a 2019 Bolt and the 50kw charging is no better than a 2013 Nissan Leaf.
My Bolt EUV is a wonderful little car. I'm retired and don't do many road trips anymore. I really see it as a city car and it's great for that. Should I find myself needing a longer journey I'll either rent an ICE car or ride with one of my kids. Just love this car it's quick, it's a hoot!!
Good for you and I'm sure it will be a nice BEV for you.....I was looking at them but once I found out it doesn't come in AWD I went ahead and ordered a 2023 Corolla hybrid LE AWD a couple of weeks ago and it's supposed to be in around late February.
I own a 2022 model y performance and a 2023 Bolt EUV, which is my 3rd Bolt that I have owned (the other 2 were bought back by GM for battery recall). I am 6 ft and 250 pounds guy myself and I agree with you on the easiness of getting in and out of the y and Bolt is a lot better than the model 3 I am retired and do Uber as I can't watch TV the whole day and that is why I have the bolt euv. The most efficient car out there. I get almost 300 miles on a full charge here in Southern California. My kids play a lot of travel sports and that is why I have the Y. When it comes to comfort on long rides and the charging infrastructure, you can't compare. Otherwise, the Bolt is the best value if you don't travel by far
We've had a 2022 Bolt EUV Premier (loaded except for the SuperCruise package) since mid-December (unfortunately, we missed out on the tax credit but it hadn't been announced yet in mid-December and we needed a new car pronto). It became available on a Saturday morning (it had just come in but the person who ordered it cancelled his order since he had moved to Arizona for the winter and didn't want to come back to pick it up), the salesman called us, we went over and checked it out and drove it home later that same day. We're very happy with our Bolt. We're still a bit leary of the slowness of DC fast charging on road trips, but to be honest, we haven't needed it yet almost 3 months later. But our first EV road trip will be a bit of a learning experience for us. We're looking forward to hearing about your experience during your March in-Texas road trip.
After dealing with OnStar I almost wish I bought a Model 3. Their website says my 2023 EUV should have 3 years of remote access but it only came with 1 and it's ending. They are trying to charge me for the remaining 33 months and graciously giving me 2 more of the 36 months of service even though their website clearly says 3 years is standard. Onstar and the EV concierge are both pointing the finger at the dealer which is ridiculous that I'm having to do all of this to get a "standard' feature. To say I'm pissed off is an understatement.
I am looking at getting a Chevy Bolt EV 2LT this spring 2023 and just getting the adaptive cruise control. Price is also my main concern. MSRP price on the 2LT is a just over 29,000 dollars which includes delivery charge. At least so far it is like that. There is no tax credit for the Bolt EV cars or incentives, at least I don't think there is. Problem right now is availability. Hardly any or no Bolt EV cars are in the dealership lots. And none for the model I am looking for - the 2LT. I would have to order the car. I will talk to the dealership the end of March 2023 and see what the status is on getting my particular Bolt EV car and how long to get it. I don't want to buy a car in the Dealership lot which they have added allot of extras and protection gimmicks to the car which they really jack up the price and i don't want. So I shall see what the end of March 2023 brings for getting a Bolt EV.
I think the Bolt is a fine car for the money. My only complaint with it is that GM isn’t making them faster. It’s not for me (wife doesn’t like small cars), but there’s certainly a market for them and more EV’s is a good thing. =)
It's a very simple made car that does the job for the average Joe. Tesla is like a religion. Yes, they're very advanced, but also a money pit when all those gizmos start malfunctioning.
I agree. My wife commutes 40 miles a day to work and store. I have a level 2 charger in my garage. I charge it to about 90 percent on Saturday and it more than makes it the whole week till next Saturday.
After watching everything I can find I cannot find any flaws to your logic. So I went to my local Chevy dealer and ordered the Bolt EV. Now just waiting to see if they can get any allotment. I told them I am in no hurry so it's not a problem if it takes a while for them to get the car I ordered. Thanks for the great videos.
I seriously considered a Bolt and ended up purchasing a Model Y. My main reason is that I do drive long distance more often and the charging speed in the Bolt is very slow compared to the Tesla. I think a lot of people don't realize all the options there are out there. If I didn't drive as much as I do, the Bolt would've won hands down.
My Bolt EUV Premiere is the cats a**. Came off a dealer lot loaded without Supercruise which I had no use for anyway. I also could have done without the glass roof but the Bose sound is killer. There is so much to like with this car that it begs the question, "Why doesn't everyone at least want one?"
When I found out that you need to spend close to 6K to get the BOSE, I said fuck it. ( upgrade to premier + sound and sun package). Went to Amazon and bought Rockford Fosgate speakers for 400 bucks ( all 4). Got a used Rockford box with 2 10 inch subs and amp off Craigslist for 300 bucks. Much cheaper!!!
Only 3 reasons to buy Bolt over Model 3. 1) You don't like Elon Musk, valid reason 2) Price 3) You don't care about driving long distance reliably. To say Tesla supercharging is way better is an insane understatement, using CCS now would be like using supercharging in 2016.
@@michaelhogan6770 covered under price I think ;) Larger purchase price usually equals more expensive parts? Maybe production scale should equal cheaper parts?
about a week ago, jan 2023, i got a bolt euv. i got essentially the base model, because i did not see a benefit of the better trips/options for 10-20% increase in cost, 22k vs 27k after credit/CA rebate, so far i like this car :)
I was looking for a Bolt around Portland area recently, no dealer will sell it at msrp. More like msrp+4k if they have one. It doesn’t close the price gap but does make ready available Tesla model 3 more appealing.
Thank you so much for this excellent post!! Sincerely. It’s so difficult to find honest, objective, and factual presentations on TH-cam that your post is genuinely refreshing for exactly those characteristics. Plus, for me I am currently trying to decide whether or not to buy a model three, and I certainly may consider the bolt after seeing your video. Thank you again.
I bought an EUV for the very reason of ease of getting in an out. Thanks for mentioning that most reviewers don't. The m3 is way too low to the ground for folks with bad knees or hips. I also have adaptive cruise control which is very good. The automatic braking saved me from an accident in stop and go traffic. It was fastsr than me. Great car.
I appreciate your comments. Like you said 98% of the time you are charging at home, while you sleep. I will also add that 98% of the time people are not driving over 200 miles a day so when you charge it, you are charging it for only an average of 2 hours during the night because you are just charging what you actually used. One area that was also not discussed: Buying a Bolt in Texas vs buying a Tesla in Texas. My understanding is that it is a more complicated process because of the dealer networks in Texas. I also understand that there are also problems buying Tesla's in other states for the same reasons. Some other state also give additional rebates for both Bolts and Tesla's. However, there are some states that are giving these rebates to Bolts and not to Tesla's. The other item is smaller garages favor the Bolt as well as smaller parking spaces. This is because the car is shorter than the Tesla's .
Thanx, great vid and great perspective... Similar to when I got my Bolt in 2017. Now, the Model 3 hadn't been released yet. But I had friends who had a spot on the waiting list they were willing to let me take. So I could have gotten one, but not for 4-6 months or so.... And yeah, the MSRP on the Bolt was higher, making the price to the Model 3 closer. But the model 3 still would have been more expensive. On top of that, Chevy was doing discounts, so I got about $6k off. So yeah, the Bolt was available and much cheaper... Also, similar to you, I prefer the higher sitting Bolt. And really, I like how small the Bolt is. Fits nicely in my garage, and yet a surprising amount of storage in the Bolt... I prefer the one pedal driving also... And as for build quality, yeah, it's not as fancy a car (and for the price it shouldn't be), but my Bolt still looks pretty much as it did when I bought it... It has help up very nicely over the 5+ years I've had it... And, I like the smaller hatchback look to the sedan look. Now, that is nothing against the Teslas. Those are GREAT cars! I have several friends with them. They love them. And that is great. And I agree, the charting and charging infrastructure are a slam dunk for Tesla still... That said, I have 120 mile commute for 95% of my driving. So almost all of my charging is work/home. And the few longer trips I have taken aren't that long and haven't been an issue for me. All in all, my Bolt is a great car for me and I love it... Tesla is also a great car. Great options are a great thing! ;-) Enjoy!
Your points cover much of what I am weighing in the decision of which car to get next. I am glad to hear someone acknowledging a factor that I also consider important: ease of entry and exit from the vehicle.
I am a used 2020 Chevrolet Bolt Premier owner for similar reasons. My main reason for choosing a used Bolt EV over a used Tesla Modle 3 was price. After title, licensing, registration, and trade in, my total cost was $29,459.20. Keep in mind to that this was a Black Friday sale, so that helped. Having CCS charging and 200+ miles per charge was a significant upgrade from my older 2015 Nissan Leaf.
I’ve done Amarillo to Dallas with both Bolt & Model Y. With the Bolt you not only have a longer route, you get the opportunity to use the most expensive charging I’ve ever seen, in Oklahoma. (Francis Energy)
I was very lucky to get a great deal on a used Model 3 a few years back and am very happy with it. That said your points are important considerations for new buyers and it will be very interesting to see how the new access to Tesla superchargers may affect future road trips. Thanks and enjoy your EV!
We keep 3 vehicles in the fleet; each has a purpose. We have just placed an order for a 2023 Bolt EUV because we wanted to upgrade the "city car" in the fleet (its replacing a 09 Prius). The EUV gives us room to handle up to 4 adults within the city. We rented a standard Bolt for a week and found charging in the garage worked for 90% of the time using the LVL 1 charger; there were 2 times a LVL 2 charger would have been better. We wouldn't use this car for road trips. A Tesla (any model) would be overkill for this role; throw in the price point difference and its not in a consideration. I think in the not to distant future, the manufactures will start to offer more lower priced options for this role including Tesla. But it's not here yet. We use a Lincoln TC (our second vehicle in the fleet) and will be upgrading it to a ES300H soon. That vehicle will return 40 MPG so driving 800 miles nonstop will be easier, just 1 stop for gas and restroom breaks as needed. I can make the on way trip on about $70. The electric vehicle might use ~$40 in electricity to make this trip. Saving $30 but having to stop 3 times waiting for a few hours each time stretches' out the trip from a 12 hr trip to closer to a 20 hr trip or likely a 2 day trip. If you stop overnight, I doubt you will find a good hotel for $30 or $40. If you want to avoid the expense of the hotel stay, you have to drive 20hrs+ in a day. No thank you. When the car battery technology advances again and the charging infrastructure matures and promulgates to more areas, it may be possible to merge the 2 vehicles into 1. Vehicle #3 is the truck. We use it for a lot of things to include the occasional towing duty. A electric truck for the city might be doable on the 3 current offerings (Ford, Rivian or Chevy) but I don't think they are practical for long distances towing anything. Charger access with a trailer is much harder and the range takes a nose dive. I doubt this will get resolved soon. Added to this, the aerodynamics of the truck offerings adds to the inefficiency of the truck EV. The Tesla truck might have an aerodynamic advantage, but they made it too big to fit in a garage. The Canoo truck is the only one putting out a new possible packaging solution for the truck. We'll see about that one. So there you have it, the Tesla isn't for everyone. They have a lot of +'s but they don't check all of the boxes I need plus they check a lot of boxes I don't need. The little Chevy Bolt EUV checked all the critical boxes and many of the desired boxes, that's why we went in this direction. Its too bad Chevy doesn't really understand the nitch this vehicle fills and is killing it off for something else (2023 is the MY). If their next offering doesn't continue to fill the existing nitch, then they are going to loose the slot to Tesla's new small car or VW ID2 offering. Time will tell if GM has any smarts left.
I just got a 2023 speced exactly the same as yours. After the tax credit my cost will be 19K. Can't beat that and I am very happy with it. Just get a CCS to Tesla adapter and use the Tesla destination chargers if you want. Plus... I hate the Tesla computer interface and I have no desire to support Elon. Very happy with the Bolt.
I have a 2021 Model 3 Long range, I love it. I am going into the market to buy a second car, I test drove a Chevy Bolt at a local dealership. The Bolt will be my next purchase soon, it's a great bargain and enough performance for my needs, it will be a great second car next to my Model 3.
Very well said. I don't understand why people compare certain vehicles when priced so differently. It's like seeing a Camry driver and judging them for not buying an ES350 for only $15k more. Some people don't need or want luxury and just want what they want.
We bought a 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV Premier last July in "small town" Ohio. Our attraction to the car was 95% driven by the cost of gasoline - 5% "green". For our use (wife's 80 mile round trip work commute) it has been FANTASTIC. Other than the commuter duties, it's a city car used around town - like many others in the comments. The wife uses the Super Cruise on her commute... but after the free subscription expires, it's NOT worth it. It works great, but to us it's a frivolous novelty. That said... the adaptive cruise and collision avoidance features are MUST HAVES - and come included - no "subscription" needed. It has fun, peppy acceleration, but the ride is a little harsh on bumps. As an around town car, we have NO regrets. My opinion? The Bolt IS NOT a road trip car. Why? The charging infrastructure - which I don't expect to significantly improve anytime soon - at minimum 10 years. Secondly, "road charging" is VERY EXPENSIVE and NOT convenient. Do the math... if you're paying the same as petrol to "re-fuel", AND wait four times as long... what's the point? Just take your ICE car. Currently the Bolt (and other non-Tesla EVs) only make economic sense if you charge at home overnight, and do not road trip with it. Charging at home on 15¢ kWh "fuel", we save 6¢ per mile vs gasoline. When you start paying 40¢ or more for "road charging" kWh, there's NO economic advantage. Our home actual kWh rate is just below 15¢. As a comparison, in our previous RAV4, my wife averaged 30 mpg. At current $3.10 per gallon gasoline, that's 10¢ per mile. She averages 3.8 miles per kWh in the Bolt. At 15¢ per kWh, that's 4¢ per mile. Complete disclosure... (1) IF you use the Bolt's regen braking, you may NEVER need new brakes. (2) Due to weight, tires wear out MUCH faster on an EV. (3) There are no oil or fluid changes on the Bolt, only cabin filters. (4) Winter driving REALLY sucks battery power. Expect to use more kWh in winter, but averaged out, still cheaper than gasoline. Bottom line... "self maintenance" on the Bolt is DIRT CHEAP compared to an ICE vehicle. The current state of non-Tesla EV charging infrastructure is NOT conducive to "road tripping". It's almost an afterthought - like cities allowing development BEFORE transit is thought through, designed and built. The thing is (although none of us were alive then) that early 1900s ICE vehicles has a very similar frustration. Eventually the infrastructure caught up due to federal highway subsidies and big oil subsidies. Elon Musk is like the Henry Ford of EVs... sort of. He's made them "available", although not necessarily "affordable". The Tesla charger network WORKS because it's under direct control of Tesla. Tesla's sales depend heavily on a reliable charging network. For all the other EVs, you're stuck with a disparate "hit or miss" mix of janky charging networks. In today's world, competition in charging networks (outside of Tesla) has been superseded by profit motive. Gone is the competition incentive - eroded by a mindset of collusion... conspiring to keep prices high and thus more profit.
2021, Needed a new car, wanted an electric, T3s were 40k used, too hard to get in and out of and sat to low. I tested and brought new base model Bolt from my local Chevy Dealer was 27,300. 25k later no problems, 200-220 a charge in Winter if I drive drive on the freeway and blast the heater. 300+ in spring, summer, fall, with no AC. Goes like heck, 2.5 sec 30-50 makes passing a breeze
The Bolt delivers excellent value for the price. And that's why GM has lost a lot of money on them, and why they're terminating production of them. And that's not even counting the battery recall problem. .... And fit and finish problems on Teslas? That' so last year. I got my Model Y in Dec 2022, and it's been perfect then and now. I wouldn't even think of taking a road trip in a CCS car. Just too many problems with EA, Evgo, and Chargepoint. My road trips in my Model Y have been trouble free with only short stops at Superchargers.
We're currently shopping for an EV, and we looked at the Tesla Model 3 and Chevy Bolt. Like you, we couldn't justify the $9,000-13,000 extra for the Tesla over the Bolt. (Not just the price of the car, but the price of the charging cord and not getting the $1,000 for a level 2 charger from Chevrolet.) Also, I didn't like their implementation of one-pedal driving and the fact that all of their controls we're on a touch screen. I also heard the same complaints about fit and finish with the Tesla. We're going with the Bolt. It's now just a matter of whether to get the EV or EUV. Yours looks sharp.
Thanks. We don’t usually carry back seat passengers, and didn’t need the extra rear seat leg room of the EUV. I’m told that the EUV has a smoother ride than the EV, but that the EV feels sportier. I went with the EV because it was a little less expensive and had a teeny bit more range.
The bolt is a great car, I was looking into one but it was a little to small for us. We had a Niro PHEV and it wasn't really living up to it's expatiations of EV driving, in the winter it had to run the gas motor all the time for the heater to work and in EV mode it was fairly underpowered. We traded it in on an Ioniq 5 and went full EV. Never really considered a Tesla at all.
I have both Bolt Premiere and MY. Other then the obvious price difference, the MY has better seats, much larger cabin and cargo space, better speakers compared to the Bose, better software and autopilot. Quality quite similar, not the greatest but the Bolt actually rides better. Charging is the major factor, I don’t think I’ll ever drive long distance trips in a Bolt. New Bolts have super cruise but that’s paying extra $2k on top of the premiere price but you still have that slow level 3 charging.
I understand completely.......I bought a leased Bolt EV coming off of a 3 year lease with 30,500 miles on it. I got a pretty good deal on it. Last year I had the 259 mile battery pack put in from the recall. I was getting 238 miles when I first got it. It is one of the best cars I have ever owned. I do wish I had access to DC Fast Charging but most of it is located on Interstate Highways. Since last August I have charged for free at home and when I go to the beach 170 miles away. I use Level 2 chargers for free and have gotten used to doing that. I am still looking at Tesla Model 3's and Ioniq 5's and 6's. The Ioniq 6 SE RWD is what I am leaning towards because of the 363 mile range. That would give me over 100 miles of extra range and I have seen some listed for around 41,000 dollars. The drag coefficient is very good for the Ioniq 6 as well as the Tesla Model 3. If in 2024 you are able to get a 7200 dollar instant rebate I may consider a Tesla Model 3 or an Ioniq 6.
Good honest review. As Elon has stated he is not concerned with putting EV competition. Tesla has a goal to improve life for all humans and create a sustainable future. GM is not concerned with any goals to be sustainable. Still, the GM EV has is merits and deserves credit.
It's amazing no one seems concerned about the quality of a GM made EV when you consider how many quality issues they have with gas powered vehicles which they have been making for a very long time . Thanks to all you early adopters who are willing to spend hard earned money on a GM product. Those of us who are Solar DIYers will often repurpose new or used EV battery packs. GM made battery packs have been a joke among us DIYers and the companies that sell used batteries and solar panels. I sure hope GM has improved the quality of their battery packs for your sake.
I do have a Chevrolet Bolt too. A lot of your comments I do recognize. I see how they compromise to get to an affordable price. I do live in an area close to the sea with a salty climate. I just gonna take the car dissembled and paint the aluminum and steel parts that are uncoated. They will not last long. It is so far good and doable. I like the motor design; if you carry GM name on top of your office towering over Detroit; having your captains and crews passing under it providing ground resources to the steel-producing factories. Controlling torque ripple and radiant forces by the shift of the center of gravity, punch a tiny little hole in your IPVMsynRM engine. 🙂
Thank you for being so honest, you are a man of integrity. I agree with your comments. I own a model 3 and a model Y and the model 3 is exactly what you stated, hard to get into. I'm 62. I prefer the model Y however model 3 is much quicker and more fun to drive. I feel you on the price, it is a very good reason to buy the Bolt. As far as build quality goes, I was fortunate enough to receive 2 Tesla's that are flawless in build quality. I know that not all owners are so lucky, poor build quality is a curse that has a huge impact on reputation, I hope this will settle out over time as we see the build improve. Thanks for the quality video. I am so tired of the Tesla hit pieces. This was refreshing to see.
I was in the market for a Bolt EUV around the same time you bought yours. I ended up passing on several due to greedy dealer markups. Same for f-150 lightning, Mach-E and Hyundai ionic 5. I had a reservation for a Blazer ev and then when Tesla lowered prices in January I canceled my Blazer reservation and jumped on a new Model Y long range. Its way more than I wanted to spend, but I Absolutly love it! No regrets other than I didnt order it with a tow hitch. Ive heard the stories of bad build quality, but I havent found that to be the case with mine. I guess time will tell.
@@SpinnerEV I got its at exactly the right time. They raised the price just a few days later. I think it's $2000 more right now for the same car. I really like the Bolt EV too. There are quite a few features it has that I wish my Tesla had, like cooled seats and camera rearview mirror. I had a 2018 Chevy Volt before and it was excellent too.
Price and availability is the only reason you buy a Chevy. Do you recall when the Bolt's batteries were defective and GM abandoned their Bolt customers?
SpinnerDaj, I've started saving your videos! Good reasons for choosing the Bolt over the Tesla. We're thinking of getting an EV as our near-retirement car in the next couple of years. Waiting for the Chevy Equinox EV to come out later this year, then waiting another year to see the reviews it gets and for Chevrolet to get the kinks out.
Rented a 23 Model Y for the weekend. 2nd day of driving the Model Y, we drove to a Chevrolet dealership and bought a loaded 23 Chevy Bole EUV Premium Redlinein Solar Flare silver. Shout out to CAPITOL CHEVROLET in Salem Oregon, for great customer service and for honoring MSRP pricing. If you have been looking, you know how rare this is. I will shop with Capitol again for this reason.
I have an electric lil Fiat 500. Milage sucks but it works for me and where I like (in San Diego, CA)..I love it and it's small and fit wherever. But the Chevy Bolt is the car I want once I need to upgrade. I just love it much better. Tesla don't really catch my eye plus the same reasons you said. Nice color on your Chevy and good pup!!! 👍 thanks for the video
Agree. I have a 2019 Bolt. I was tempted by the flashiness (and in so many ways, superiority) of the Tesla, but it really boiled down to money. I didn't feel like blowing $50k on a Tesla when I could get maybe 85% of the Tesla for less than half of the price. Is the Tesla better? In many ways, yes. Much like a Ferrari is in many ways better than a Miata... the extra chunk of cash buys a lot more stuff, as you'd expect. But for my needs, both cars get me there, but only one left an extra $30k in my pocket. I'll upgrade eventually, but I *really* love my Bolt, far more than I expected to. The one major distinction for me, however is I rarely travel long distances. I actually have only exceeded one charge's range on a road trip once, in the over 3 years I've owned the car. If long road trips were a regular part of my life, I might feel differently.
I'm between a Bolt EUV, a Tesla, and the Ioniq 5. My main concern with the Bolt is the additional charging time and limited range. I've heard rumors the 2024 model will refresh the charging architecture and increase from 50kW to something higher/faster, but there's a lot of rapid innovations happening with EV's in general right now so I am hoping to postpone a purchase as long as possible to ensure I get the most bang for the buck when I inevitably make the jump.
Buying a Tesla is more for prestige too. People won’t say wow, you bought a Bolt. You can’t even tell a Bolt from all other similar looking car these days. Supercharging is way more important especially if you don’t have home charging. If money is a priority then of course the Bolt is the one for you. Just like comparing a buying BMW to a Chevy sedan. You get what you pay for. That’s why there’s cars for every price range.
And now Tesla is going to open their network to /CCS equipped EV's (and plugins) so, eventually, you can go on that loop trip again and I'll have 7 more charging locations I can use too (2 of them have infrequent use by Teslas). BTW: I have a Mach-E GT Performance.
Re the form factors/ease of entry; I'm on my second tall hatchback (2020 Honda Fit, previously 2008 Toyota Yaris) and to me it's the perfect butter zone between a too-low conventional sedan and a crossover that compromises handling for "rugged" looks.
When the Bolt came out, I thought people were misspelling Volt. Which is a hell of a lot more logical for an electric car. You know, volts, amps, ohms.
I keep gravitating more and more to the Bolt over Tesla. It just isn't justifiable even if you have the money to buy a Tesla...especially knowing their fit and finish is a nightmare.
Good points made in this video. There is another issue that wasn't covered: what the likely state of charging infrastructure will be over the next 5 years or so. EV sales are ramping up quickly, but EV charging infrastructure is not keeping up. To keep the public charging infrastructure at the same ratio of chargers to EV's that it is now, for every 10 EV's sold, at least 1 new charger needs to be added to the grid. The reality last year, was that 50 new EV's were added for every 1 new charger installed (in California). The result is that ever more often, people are arriving at Electrify America, EV-Go, and Charge Point stations with their car batteries on fumes (not enough juice to get home), and finding them all in use, or 6 in use and 2 broken; that's another problem that's getting worse instead of better: older chargers are breaking down and repairs are lagging behind. EV's are fine if you can charge at home, and have a gas powered second vehicle for those long road trips. But the way things are now with public charging, I'd never even consider doing a long road trip in any EV, even a Tesla. Too much chance of being stranded somewhere. And if you are always using DC Fast Chargers that cost 43¢/kw-hr (Electrify America, EV-Go), there's no savings. A Toyota Prius burning $4.00 gasoline isn't going to cost any more to run than an EV burning expensive electricity from thoose DC chargers. If you can always charge at home for 10~14 cents per kw-hr, and where you live doesn't get very cold in winter, than a Bolt is a great car for under $24,000 with the tax rebate.
God bless . Thank you so so much it's an easy pick this vehicle is in my price range size and let's be honest there's room for friends .it's the only ev I want.
I'm a senior citizen, and if I were to buy another car it would NOT be a Tesla. The Bolt sounds like it would work just fine for me. The only long trips I take are about 4 times a year to visit family, round trip 150 miles, so I'd always be charging at home.
Thanks for the info. I totally agree with you and your choice. I am considering the Bolt EUV for the same reasons you stated. Thank you very much! Blessings!
Good acknowledgement of Tesla charging/mapping advantages. Still, your point made. Comfort, price. And I haven't yet heard negatives about the Bolt fun driving factor. Plus really neat color and style of your Bolt.
I am a tesla owner but proponent of the bolt. You make valid points, but I have to say, the Tesla is a better road trip car. The limiting charging speed of 50 kw is the bolts Achilles heel. Maybe when the bolt based on the ultinum platform comes out it’ll fix it. But charging that takes an hour for 80 pct, especially doing a road trip over multiple charging stops is limiting IMO
Very well said! Hope I get the EV or Bolt EUV if my budget permits. Been watching all your Bolt EV videos thanks for sharing your experiences. More power to your channel! 🤘
Sounds like you might want to rent a model Y for the six road trips you do, and use the Bolt as your daily driver. Please update this video in a year or two!
I'm in the reverse situation in Canada. The Bolt my first choice is not available anywhere, unless I want to overspend on a special ordered EUV that the customer reneged on. I was going to live with the limited fast DC Charing. I had a second thought on that though and figured my wife might want to use it to visit the kids 8hrs away and have to spend 40Min at a fast charger would not make her happy. So now am looking at Tesla or Ionq 6. Tesla can be bought today Ionq 6 order waiting list.
Wow! We are definitely kindred spirits. We were completely sold on a Tesla Model 3. It wasn't until we received the text from Tesla stating our car was ready for pickup that we started questioning our decision. We asked ourselves pretty much all the questions you answered in your video. And we came to the same conclusion as you. We ended up cancelling our Tesla order(cost us the $250 reservation cost), and in early January, 2023 purchased a 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV at a local dealership. It was also the combination of me watching multiple positive Bolt reviews on TH-cam as well as my wife being very disdainful of Elon Musk. Our family takes fewer long trips by car than you, so I would say we will be charging at home or work 99% of the time. It's only been 3 months, but we are absolutely loving our Bolt EUV. Most fun I've ever had driving! Great video! Thanks.
We rented a Bolt EUV last week while visiting family in San Diego. It was very comfortable and fun to drive. In fact I think it was more comfortable than my brother’s model 3. I liked the seating position much better. The slow charging time was my only real issue.
Agreed
Great video! I just bought a 2023 Bolt EV 2LT using the $7500 tax credit so got this for around $23,000!! I have a 2014 Nissan Leaf that has only 65 miles on a full charge so this Bolt is fantastic. I agree with all your comments and I know the Bolt is being discontinued but there are still some out there if you search for them.
😁EXCELLENT. Just the facts. I couldn't agree more as I'm a living example. On my fifth EV since 2013. My 2023 Bolt 2LT, my second, is my current EV because it makes sense. Had a 2019 Tesla Model 3 Performance which was too flashy and more EV than I needed. I prefer my low profile Bolt. A budget EV, even when not on a budget. Thanks for your common sense reasoning.
How long do cars like this last? I currently have a regular gasoline car and it’s lasted over 30 years.
@@Hbd2002 hard to tell, come back in about 20 years and we will see. Our Leaf is 9 years old and will last for many more years.
@@Hbd2002 It's not how many years that counts, it's how many miles it will travel that matters. Electric motors can last 1 million miles.
Battery packs can last 500,000 miles or more.
@D Vader My 2015 VOLT has 140,000 miles and it has not lost any noticeable capacity. Checked the pack and it still holds its full charge. Why? 16 AMPS 220V charging.
@@Hbd2002your car did not “last” in its original configuration. You have constantly repaired and rebuilt your 30 year old vehicle. This can be done to ANY vehicle, ICE or EV.
I am a Tesla owner, and your comments make total sense to me. I am, in fact, looking at buying a 2023 Bolt and keeping my 2019 Model S Tesla, and becoming a two EV family.
Thanks!
I have a 23 bolt 2lt and it's outstanding! Quick and comfortable with lots of range and features. GM put a level 2 charge in my garage for free. Best car I've ever driven.
Last spring I was trying to decide between the Chevy Bolt and the low end Ioniq 5. At the time the Chevy dealers were not allowed to let me test drive a Bolt because of the battery issues. Teslas were way out of my price range. I’m looking to keep the car for at least 10 years. The Ioniq 5 had the best battery in my price range and Hyundai had a great warranty. I bought the Ioniq 5 SE at sticker price, $7500 rebate, no state sales tax and got a terrific trade in amount. Really happy with my Ioniq 5 but I also know most Bolt owners are very happy with their cars too. Hoping Tesla opens up their charging to non-Tesla EVs soon.
We got the Ioniq 5 also, an SE AWD. The Bolt was a good value but just to small for us.
Bought a 2023 EUV. Does everything I need and he forgot to mention, you probably have a GM dealer down the road, while Tesla centers aren't in smaller cities/towns. Very mature and responsible thinking!!! Tesla is amazing, but also like a Religion.
I purchased a used 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV last year on Black Friday because it was a good price. Compared to my 2015 Nissan Leaf, the range is 3 times greater.
good job. with tesla charging opening up to other cars soon , it would be incredible for all other evs
I tried ordering your car exactly. Three days later, the dealership had an allotment for an euv. It's in transit and I'm ecstatic.
Nice!
At msrp? So hard to find any in my area that aren't marked up a couple grand.
@Phillip Banes Bad advice. Got to stop enabling these dealers to charge over MSRP.
@@JustMe99999 Exactly, with interests rates so high (vs just last year) dealers will get off their high horse once the sales start drying up.
I got mine for MSRP. Waited 6 months for it. It's outstanding!!!
I’m a very happy Bolt EUV owner. Fully loaded with the giant sunroof and SuperCruise. I’ve also rented a Tesla for a road trip and agree with everything you said. There are absolutely things the (Model S in my case) does better than most CCS cars. But for the *vast* majority of my driving, the Bolt does everything I need and more. I too am going on a road trip this spring, from Ohio to Washington DC. Other than spending just a bit more time than I’d like charging in Pittsburgh, it looks to be completely feasible.
On our last road trip we found timing the charging stops at meal times made the wait way less noticeable.
@@SpinnerEV Bro... you spent all that money on a lousy Bolt when you could've downpayment that for a Tesla with supercharger networks reliably all across the US? ugh.. 🤦♂🤦♂. I dont even know why ur posting videos like this. It's just laughable lol
In the fall of 2022, my wife and I took a two-month long roadtrip in our 2021 Bolt EV from the Mid-Atlantic northward to Nova Scotia, took a ferry to Newfoundland and back, then proceeded to drive entirely across Canada (we did our best to avoid long sections of the Trans-Canada because we dislike freeway driving) to Vancouver Island. After our visit to Vancouver Island, we dropped back into the states in Washington, stopped in Montana for a few days to visit friends there and then drove back home to the Mid-Atlantic. In total we drove 12,864 miles. There were no issues with inoperable fast-chargers that impacted our trip, though there were some inconsiderate and clueless EV drivers that wanted to charge well beyond 75-80% when there were cars lined up behind them waiting to charge.
The time spent and frequency of charging sessions did become a source of frustration for us. A friend of mine, said if we had a Tesla it would have went smoother, so I showed him the Supercharger network map and compared it to the route we planned. There was essentially no Supercharger presence where we were travelling. Another frustration for us was that when we wanted to go to places that were far off the beaten path, in Newfoundland especially, there were simply no chargers available.
My main takeaways on this: 1) If you plan to drive the Interstate or Trans-Canada, charging isn’t a problem. We avoid those types of routes because, though they can be great for fast point a to point b travel, it is boring. Our default mode for travel is two-lane travel. 2) The Bolt EV has enough range to do long-distance travel even with only 80% range available to use, but you will be stopping every couple of hours and then sitting for 30-60 minutes to recharge the car. That got really old after a while.
At this point, we have a Lucid Air Pure on order and, between the longer range, higher efficiency and much faster charging speeds, that should resolve the majority of complaints we had taking the Bolt on the road for an extended road trip. What about the Bolt ? Do we plan to keep it ? ABSOLUTELY ! It is a phenomenal car for a vast majority of the driving we do and after we get the battery pack replaced the battery warranty starts all over again, so that is a huge bonus for us.
In the video, SpinnerDaj mentioned that the sunroof in the Model 3 doesn't have issues with glare. Does the sunroof in the Bolt EUV have glare problems? I'm thinking about maybe getting one, and I've never driven a car with a sunroof before.
@@flamingspinach no issues because it has a motorized shade you can open and close
And here's another issue that wasn't mentioned in the video: getting service and repairs on your car. As of August 2023, there are 234 Tesla stores in the US, compared to 2,904 Chevy dealerships. That's 12 times more Chevy dealers and service shops than Tesla has. And to make it even more skewed, 25% of all Tesla shops are in California, whereas Chevy dealers are much more uniformly distributed around the country. My personal opinion is that a pure EV just won't fit my lifestyle, because of the scarcity of chargers in rural areas. I spend a lot of time camping on Federal land (National Parks/Monuments, National Forests, BLM land), and most of these areas are so remote that there's no way you could drive any EV there from where I live. So I compromised on a Toyota Rav4 Prime. This is a PHEV, so I can drive up to 42 miles on cheap electricity, enough for in-town errand running, then drive up to 575 miles on the 14 gallons of gasoline it holds. If my circumstances were such that a pure EV would be suitable for me, I'd buy a Bolt before any other EV, including the Toyota BZ4X, which is $43,000, and has less range than the Bolt.
I totally understand your reasoning, it makes a ton of sense. I don't get why people feel the need to get "more range" for that 1 trip that they take to grandmas once a year. (just rent a tesla from hertz) We own a Mini Cooper SE (100% electric) and my wife drives that to and from work,, it charges back up to 100 in about 30 minutes when she gets home.. I drive it on weekends all over the place running errands and we honestly never get that 114 mile range down below 50%.. it's crazy.. Now I used to travel a lot.. my first "ev" was a Volt, then I ordered a model 3, got tired of waiting and bought a used Model S p85, with free supercharging.. I put 121,000 miles on it driving for work, making money on mileage everyday. when the prices for used cars went up, I sold it for almost what I paid for it 2years before and bought a model Y before they went crazy with the prices.. back in 2021.. I got it at the end of 2021, it has been rock solid.. the S was not.. it was in the service center often.. after 18,000 miles my Y hasn't had a single issue. Anyway, sorry for the paragraph here, I love all electric cars.. my wife just loved the look of the mini or I would have gotten a Bolt. and the mini is so damn fun, when the come out with a 4 door ev, I will trade in my y for it. I don't go on long trips anymore and probably charge once a week in the Y, but it is a utilitarian beast.. my big dog, my son and 2 friends, my wife and the groceries can fit, and if i want, I can have my bike on bike rack off the trailer hitch.. it's a beast and hard to get rid of.
Good, fair comparison taking into account your needs and lifestyle. One last positive for the Bolt you didn’t mention is the color, which is cooler than any of the Tesla colors!😆
One big positive that only Sandy Munro brought up is ITS SIMPLICITY. Very inexpensive and conventional design. Mc Pherson struts, rear suspension is like a trailer, but with suspension. The drive unit, very simple. Plus, you need parts such as, struts, 12V battery, etc. All available at Auto Zone.
I ordered an EUV a few weeks ago instead of a M3 or MY simply because the Bolt is still 1/2 the purchase price when you also figure in 6% Michigan sales tax. And my Bolt is only intended for local duty, my Highlander or F150 will be for trips.
Within the Lower Peninsula, the CCS charging network is surprisingly well built out. You can still go a lot of places easily in the Bolt. But I would drive your F-150 if you’re headed to Montana or something
Trips in a gas guzzler l?
I have a ‘22 Mach-E which I bought it over a Tesla for many of the same reasons. A BIG one for me was the phantom braking. I rented a Model 3 for a week and it did it to me twice. It felt like the car was trying to kill me. Also, getting in and out of the thing was not a pleasant experience for my 40+ year old body either.
I appreciate what Tesla has done (and continues to do) to kickstart the EV industry, but they’re not for everyone and that’s ok. Having multiple competing brands and a variety of models is a good thing!
Tesla is by far still the best. Maybe lucid air? But tesla is just testing their batteries to find a solution to sustainable energy. Cars are just a test market. A big one.
I really like your video. I've been driving my 2019 Bolt for 3 years, and my experiences line up well with your discussions of the Bolt's merit and weaknesses. Thanks so much for the video!
That's an excellent point about a vehicle sitting low and getting in and out plus the overall feeling when driving. I don't road trip very much.
In rural northern Michigan your more concerned with getting around in really bad winter weather.
The other major factor is that me and my wife have two vehicles. So you can more easily cover all your needs between the two but things like getting in and out of a vehicle and riding low means you really dislike driving the vehicle. I can have one vehicle more for winter and one more for summer and road trips and be happy driving either one at anytime as long as I don't dislike driving it. We have a 2022 chevy bolt by the way.
Ride height is why I didn't get a Model 3.I dont like driving sitting low down. Not an issue getting in and out i just prefer a higher driving position. I am considering a Model Y but there are a few things about it i dont' like so currently I'm bouncing around different models from other OEMs. The SC network does keep pulling me back to Tesla though.
Yes that is something the young Kyle Connors of the world don’t bring up I need something easy to get into at 59 and I like hatchbacks better than a trunk and I could care less about a frunk we didn’t have them before and got along great.
I bought a 2020 Chevy Bolt and not a Tesla or almost the exact same reasons given in this video except I have 1 more which *might* be as important as the money factor: parts & service. I am an experienced mechanic and you cannot, as far as I know, go over to Tesla and order parts that YOU replace. I do not see Chevrolet (GM really) putting restrictions on the parts sold to their electric cars. Chevrolet also makes available a set of shop manuals for the total car.... including the information on the particular hazards of the high-voltage circuits and how to deal with them... listing all the factory special tools... this level of trust and customer support is something Tesla lacks. There is also the Chevrolet dealer network. Tesla only has service centers in a few areas. Chevy dealers are all over. These facts are also worth considering when choosing between the Tesla and Bolt. (BTW.... I LIKE Teslas but they were out of my budget)
We ordered a Bolt EV last June here in Canada and it's still not here yet... but we ordered what we need and not what we wanted...Bolt has it all for us retired folks.
Over 6 months and not there yet? Wow. Here in Buffalo, it took me 3 months to get my EUV.
So many videos have unnecessarily long rants on trivial matters, this is a nice change very concise and actually making great points.
Thanks!
It's amazing to see a bolt video without mentioning plasticky dash and uncomfortable seats.
It's good-looking, spicy performance, best price, why nitpick.
You didn’t factor the ugly factor . Lol
Great review, everything you pointed out are the exact same things I commented to myself in my own Tesla Bolt comparison. I just rented a model 3 last weekend to get me to the Chevy dealership. I hated the model 3 ergonomics, ridiculous rear view mirror, the aggressive regen, and the constant taking my eyes off the road to find some screen control. Give me dials and knobs, please.
The regen is easily adjusted in the settings. You can even make the Tesla act like a vehicle with an automatic transmission with the adjustable 'creep' setting and no regen.
With maximum regenerative braking, after a while, you learn to sloooowly lift off of the accelerator pedal at the right time and distance so as to not stop short of stop signs or traffic signals. No brake pedal application is needed. You'll never have to replace brake pads or rotors, and the motors put a little energy back into the battery.
I’ve had a Model 3 for 4 years and love it, but I agree with every one of your points. Model 3 RWD is a great value and a great car, but as long as Bolt remains significantly less expensive, it’ll also remain a great value.
Money you spend upfront, you get at the back.
I have a 2018 Bolt EV with the replaced battery. Outstanding commuter car with level II charger on our garage. Between CA and power company credits, we will get up to 4K credit. O love our Bolt, but I think the EUV might have a better ride
The Bolt is NOT a road tripping vehicle. Good if local driving is your situation. My brother has a 2019 Bolt and the 50kw charging is no better than a 2013 Nissan Leaf.
My Bolt EUV is a wonderful little car. I'm retired and don't do many road trips anymore. I really see it as a city car and it's great for that. Should I find myself needing a longer journey I'll either rent an ICE car or ride with one of my kids. Just love this car it's quick, it's a hoot!!
Good for you and I'm sure it will be a nice BEV for you.....I was looking at them but once I found out it doesn't come in AWD I went ahead and ordered a 2023 Corolla hybrid LE AWD a couple of weeks ago and it's supposed to be in around late February.
I own a 2022 model y performance and a 2023 Bolt EUV, which is my 3rd Bolt that I have owned (the other 2 were bought back by GM for battery recall).
I am 6 ft and 250 pounds guy myself and I agree with you on the easiness of getting in and out of the y and Bolt is a lot better than the model 3
I am retired and do Uber as I can't watch TV the whole day and that is why I have the bolt euv. The most efficient car out there. I get almost 300 miles on a full charge here in Southern California. My kids play a lot of travel sports and that is why I have the Y. When it comes to comfort on long rides and the charging infrastructure, you can't compare. Otherwise, the Bolt is the best value if you don't travel by far
You uber in the Bolt? Why not uber in the MY?
(I uber in my M3)
We've had a 2022 Bolt EUV Premier (loaded except for the SuperCruise package) since mid-December (unfortunately, we missed out on the tax credit but it hadn't been announced yet in mid-December and we needed a new car pronto). It became available on a Saturday morning (it had just come in but the person who ordered it cancelled his order since he had moved to Arizona for the winter and didn't want to come back to pick it up), the salesman called us, we went over and checked it out and drove it home later that same day. We're very happy with our Bolt. We're still a bit leary of the slowness of DC fast charging on road trips, but to be honest, we haven't needed it yet almost 3 months later. But our first EV road trip will be a bit of a learning experience for us. We're looking forward to hearing about your experience during your March in-Texas road trip.
My parents got a bolt too because they had a hard time using the center screen on a Tesla . They needed buttons too.
After dealing with OnStar I almost wish I bought a Model 3. Their website says my 2023 EUV should have 3 years of remote access but it only came with 1 and it's ending. They are trying to charge me for the remaining 33 months and graciously giving me 2 more of the 36 months of service even though their website clearly says 3 years is standard.
Onstar and the EV concierge are both pointing the finger at the dealer which is ridiculous that I'm having to do all of this to get a "standard' feature. To say I'm pissed off is an understatement.
Tesla cars are great. Love everything about it except EM. Got an euv. Not looking back
I am looking at getting a Chevy Bolt EV 2LT this spring 2023 and just getting the adaptive cruise control. Price is also my main concern. MSRP price on the 2LT is a just over 29,000 dollars which includes delivery charge. At least so far it is like that. There is no tax credit for the Bolt EV cars or incentives, at least I don't think there is.
Problem right now is availability. Hardly any or no Bolt EV cars are in the dealership lots. And none for the model I am looking for - the 2LT. I would have to order the car.
I will talk to the dealership the end of March 2023 and see what the status is on getting my particular Bolt EV car and how long to get it. I don't want to buy a car in the Dealership lot which they have added allot of extras and protection gimmicks to the car which they really jack up the price and i don't want.
So I shall see what the end of March 2023 brings for getting a Bolt EV.
I think the Bolt is a fine car for the money. My only complaint with it is that GM isn’t making them faster. It’s not for me (wife doesn’t like small cars), but there’s certainly a market for them and more EV’s is a good thing. =)
It's a very simple made car that does the job for the average Joe. Tesla is like a religion. Yes, they're very advanced, but also a money pit when all those gizmos start malfunctioning.
I agree. My wife commutes 40 miles a day to work and store. I have a level 2 charger in my garage. I charge it to about 90 percent on Saturday and it more than makes it the whole week till next Saturday.
After watching everything I can find I cannot find any flaws to your logic. So I went to my local Chevy dealer and ordered the Bolt EV. Now just waiting to see if they can get any allotment. I told them I am in no hurry so it's not a problem if it takes a while for them to get the car I ordered. Thanks for the great videos.
I seriously considered a Bolt and ended up purchasing a Model Y. My main reason is that I do drive long distance more often and the charging speed in the Bolt is very slow compared to the Tesla. I think a lot of people don't realize all the options there are out there. If I didn't drive as much as I do, the Bolt would've won hands down.
My Bolt EUV Premiere is the cats a**. Came off a dealer lot loaded without Supercruise which I had no use for anyway. I also could have done without the glass roof but the Bose sound is killer. There is so much to like with this car that it begs the question, "Why doesn't everyone at least want one?"
When I found out that you need to spend close to 6K to get the BOSE, I said fuck it. ( upgrade to premier + sound and sun package). Went to Amazon and bought Rockford Fosgate speakers for 400 bucks ( all 4). Got a used Rockford box with 2 10 inch subs and amp off Craigslist for 300 bucks. Much cheaper!!!
Only 3 reasons to buy Bolt over Model 3. 1) You don't like Elon Musk, valid reason 2) Price 3) You don't care about driving long distance reliably. To say Tesla supercharging is way better is an insane understatement, using CCS now would be like using supercharging in 2016.
Look at the price of replacement parts for each.
Like a wheel strut assembly
@@michaelhogan6770 covered under price I think ;) Larger purchase price usually equals more expensive parts? Maybe production scale should equal cheaper parts?
about a week ago, jan 2023, i got a bolt euv. i got essentially the base model, because i did not see a benefit of the better trips/options for 10-20% increase in cost, 22k vs 27k after credit/CA rebate, so far i like this car :)
Finally, after all the hype, it's okay to make bread and butter comparisons between Tesla and other vehicles. Took a while.
I was looking for a Bolt around Portland area recently, no dealer will sell it at msrp. More like msrp+4k if they have one. It doesn’t close the price gap but does make ready available Tesla model 3 more appealing.
Great video. Much respect for being a practical thinker when came to your purchase.
Thanks!
Thank you so much for this excellent post!! Sincerely. It’s so difficult to find honest, objective, and factual presentations on TH-cam that your post is genuinely refreshing for exactly those characteristics. Plus, for me I am currently trying to decide whether or not to buy a model three, and I certainly may consider the bolt after seeing your video. Thank you again.
Thanks!
I bought an EUV for the very reason of ease of getting in an out. Thanks for mentioning that most reviewers don't. The m3 is way too low to the ground for folks with bad knees or hips. I also have adaptive cruise control which is very good. The automatic braking saved me from an accident in stop and go traffic. It was fastsr than me. Great car.
Thanks!
Looking forward to seeing your March Texas road trip.
Same here. It will be near the end of March, so it may be the start of April before I can finish editing it.
I appreciate your comments. Like you said 98% of the time you are charging at home, while you sleep. I will also add that 98% of the time people are not driving over 200 miles a day so when you charge it, you are charging it for only an average of 2 hours during the night because you are just charging what you actually used. One area that was also not discussed: Buying a Bolt in Texas vs buying a Tesla in Texas. My understanding is that it is a more complicated process because of the dealer networks in Texas. I also understand that there are also problems buying Tesla's in other states for the same reasons. Some other state also give additional rebates for both Bolts and Tesla's. However, there are some states that are giving these rebates to Bolts and not to Tesla's. The other item is smaller garages favor the Bolt as well as smaller parking spaces. This is because the car is shorter than the Tesla's .
Great video! 2 years ago we bought a then 7 years old 2014 Leaf 24kWh. Great car, just right for us. I get your point.
Thanx, great vid and great perspective...
Similar to when I got my Bolt in 2017. Now, the Model 3 hadn't been released yet. But I had friends who had a spot on the waiting list they were willing to let me take. So I could have gotten one, but not for 4-6 months or so....
And yeah, the MSRP on the Bolt was higher, making the price to the Model 3 closer. But the model 3 still would have been more expensive.
On top of that, Chevy was doing discounts, so I got about $6k off. So yeah, the Bolt was available and much cheaper...
Also, similar to you, I prefer the higher sitting Bolt. And really, I like how small the Bolt is. Fits nicely in my garage, and yet a surprising amount of storage in the Bolt...
I prefer the one pedal driving also...
And as for build quality, yeah, it's not as fancy a car (and for the price it shouldn't be), but my Bolt still looks pretty much as it did when I bought it... It has help up very nicely over the 5+ years I've had it...
And, I like the smaller hatchback look to the sedan look.
Now, that is nothing against the Teslas. Those are GREAT cars! I have several friends with them. They love them. And that is great.
And I agree, the charting and charging infrastructure are a slam dunk for Tesla still...
That said, I have 120 mile commute for 95% of my driving. So almost all of my charging is work/home.
And the few longer trips I have taken aren't that long and haven't been an issue for me.
All in all, my Bolt is a great car for me and I love it...
Tesla is also a great car.
Great options are a great thing! ;-)
Enjoy!
Great info
Your points cover much of what I am weighing in the decision of which car to get next.
I am glad to hear someone acknowledging a factor that I also consider important: ease of entry and exit from the vehicle.
Quite valid point on Tesla's supercharger network.
I am a used 2020 Chevrolet Bolt Premier owner for similar reasons. My main reason for choosing a used Bolt EV over a used Tesla Modle 3 was price. After title, licensing, registration, and trade in, my total cost was $29,459.20. Keep in mind to that this was a Black Friday sale, so that helped. Having CCS charging and 200+ miles per charge was a significant upgrade from my older 2015 Nissan Leaf.
I’ve done Amarillo to Dallas with both Bolt & Model Y. With the Bolt you not only have a longer route, you get the opportunity to use the most expensive charging I’ve ever seen, in Oklahoma. (Francis Energy)
Really need ccs charging on 287. Not great to hear about the cost of Francis Energy. Thanks for the info.
I was very lucky to get a great deal on a used Model 3 a few years back and am very happy with it. That said your points are important considerations for new buyers and it will be very interesting to see how the new access to Tesla superchargers may affect future road trips. Thanks and enjoy your EV!
We keep 3 vehicles in the fleet; each has a purpose.
We have just placed an order for a 2023 Bolt EUV because we wanted to upgrade the "city car" in the fleet (its replacing a 09 Prius). The EUV gives us room to handle up to 4 adults within the city. We rented a standard Bolt for a week and found charging in the garage worked for 90% of the time using the LVL 1 charger; there were 2 times a LVL 2 charger would have been better. We wouldn't use this car for road trips. A Tesla (any model) would be overkill for this role; throw in the price point difference and its not in a consideration. I think in the not to distant future, the manufactures will start to offer more lower priced options for this role including Tesla. But it's not here yet.
We use a Lincoln TC (our second vehicle in the fleet) and will be upgrading it to a ES300H soon. That vehicle will return 40 MPG so driving 800 miles nonstop will be easier, just 1 stop for gas and restroom breaks as needed. I can make the on way trip on about $70. The electric vehicle might use ~$40 in electricity to make this trip. Saving $30 but having to stop 3 times waiting for a few hours each time stretches' out the trip from a 12 hr trip to closer to a 20 hr trip or likely a 2 day trip. If you stop overnight, I doubt you will find a good hotel for $30 or $40. If you want to avoid the expense of the hotel stay, you have to drive 20hrs+ in a day. No thank you. When the car battery technology advances again and the charging infrastructure matures and promulgates to more areas, it may be possible to merge the 2 vehicles into 1.
Vehicle #3 is the truck. We use it for a lot of things to include the occasional towing duty. A electric truck for the city might be doable on the 3 current offerings (Ford, Rivian or Chevy) but I don't think they are practical for long distances towing anything. Charger access with a trailer is much harder and the range takes a nose dive. I doubt this will get resolved soon. Added to this, the aerodynamics of the truck offerings adds to the inefficiency of the truck EV. The Tesla truck might have an aerodynamic advantage, but they made it too big to fit in a garage. The Canoo truck is the only one putting out a new possible packaging solution for the truck. We'll see about that one.
So there you have it, the Tesla isn't for everyone. They have a lot of +'s but they don't check all of the boxes I need plus they check a lot of boxes I don't need. The little Chevy Bolt EUV checked all the critical boxes and many of the desired boxes, that's why we went in this direction. Its too bad Chevy doesn't really understand the nitch this vehicle fills and is killing it off for something else (2023 is the MY). If their next offering doesn't continue to fill the existing nitch, then they are going to loose the slot to Tesla's new small car or VW ID2 offering. Time will tell if GM has any smarts left.
I just got a 2023 speced exactly the same as yours. After the tax credit my cost will be 19K. Can't beat that and I am very happy with it. Just get a CCS to Tesla adapter and use the Tesla destination chargers if you want. Plus... I hate the Tesla computer interface and I have no desire to support Elon. Very happy with the Bolt.
Any secret to getting that price with those specs? The closest price I can find the bolt with those specs are about 34k
No secret, just patience. Or you could find a dealer that will place the order. Best of luck to you, it can be done.
I have a 2021 Model 3 Long range, I love it. I am going into the market to buy a second car, I test drove a Chevy Bolt at a local dealership. The Bolt will be my next purchase soon, it's a great bargain and enough performance for my needs, it will be a great second car next to my Model 3.
“Why did I buy a bolt?”
“Well someone had to do it”
Very well said. I don't understand why people compare certain vehicles when priced so differently. It's like seeing a Camry driver and judging them for not buying an ES350 for only $15k more. Some people don't need or want luxury and just want what they want.
We bought a 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV Premier last July in "small town" Ohio. Our attraction to the car was 95% driven by the cost of gasoline - 5% "green". For our use (wife's 80 mile round trip work commute) it has been FANTASTIC. Other than the commuter duties, it's a city car used around town - like many others in the comments. The wife uses the Super Cruise on her commute... but after the free subscription expires, it's NOT worth it. It works great, but to us it's a frivolous novelty. That said... the adaptive cruise and collision avoidance features are MUST HAVES - and come included - no "subscription" needed. It has fun, peppy acceleration, but the ride is a little harsh on bumps. As an around town car, we have NO regrets.
My opinion? The Bolt IS NOT a road trip car. Why? The charging infrastructure - which I don't expect to significantly improve anytime soon - at minimum 10 years. Secondly, "road charging" is VERY EXPENSIVE and NOT convenient. Do the math... if you're paying the same as petrol to "re-fuel", AND wait four times as long... what's the point? Just take your ICE car. Currently the Bolt (and other non-Tesla EVs) only make economic sense if you charge at home overnight, and do not road trip with it.
Charging at home on 15¢ kWh "fuel", we save 6¢ per mile vs gasoline. When you start paying 40¢ or more for "road charging" kWh, there's NO economic advantage. Our home actual kWh rate is just below 15¢. As a comparison, in our previous RAV4, my wife averaged 30 mpg. At current $3.10 per gallon gasoline, that's 10¢ per mile. She averages 3.8 miles per kWh in the Bolt. At 15¢ per kWh, that's 4¢ per mile. Complete disclosure... (1) IF you use the Bolt's regen braking, you may NEVER need new brakes. (2) Due to weight, tires wear out MUCH faster on an EV. (3) There are no oil or fluid changes on the Bolt, only cabin filters. (4) Winter driving REALLY sucks battery power. Expect to use more kWh in winter, but averaged out, still cheaper than gasoline. Bottom line... "self maintenance" on the Bolt is DIRT CHEAP compared to an ICE vehicle.
The current state of non-Tesla EV charging infrastructure is NOT conducive to "road tripping". It's almost an afterthought - like cities allowing development BEFORE transit is thought through, designed and built. The thing is (although none of us were alive then) that early 1900s ICE vehicles has a very similar frustration. Eventually the infrastructure caught up due to federal highway subsidies and big oil subsidies.
Elon Musk is like the Henry Ford of EVs... sort of. He's made them "available", although not necessarily "affordable". The Tesla charger network WORKS because it's under direct control of Tesla. Tesla's sales depend heavily on a reliable charging network. For all the other EVs, you're stuck with a disparate "hit or miss" mix of janky charging networks. In today's world, competition in charging networks (outside of Tesla) has been superseded by profit motive. Gone is the competition incentive - eroded by a mindset of collusion... conspiring to keep prices high and thus more profit.
2021, Needed a new car, wanted an electric, T3s were 40k used, too hard to get in and out of and sat to low.
I tested and brought new base model Bolt from my local Chevy Dealer was 27,300.
25k later no problems, 200-220 a charge in Winter if I drive drive on the freeway and blast the heater.
300+ in spring, summer, fall, with no AC.
Goes like heck, 2.5 sec 30-50 makes passing a breeze
Your rational is sound to me. Thanks for the video.
Bought the EUV loaded, 1/4/23, love it. I charge w solar
The Bolt delivers excellent value for the price. And that's why GM has lost a lot of money on them, and why they're terminating production of them. And that's not even counting the battery recall problem. .... And fit and finish problems on Teslas? That' so last year. I got my Model Y in Dec 2022, and it's been perfect then and now.
I wouldn't even think of taking a road trip in a CCS car. Just too many problems with EA, Evgo, and Chargepoint. My road trips in my Model Y have been trouble free with only short stops at Superchargers.
We're currently shopping for an EV, and we looked at the Tesla Model 3 and Chevy Bolt. Like you, we couldn't justify the $9,000-13,000 extra for the Tesla over the Bolt. (Not just the price of the car, but the price of the charging cord and not getting the $1,000 for a level 2 charger from Chevrolet.) Also, I didn't like their implementation of one-pedal driving and the fact that all of their controls we're on a touch screen. I also heard the same complaints about fit and finish with the Tesla. We're going with the Bolt. It's now just a matter of whether to get the EV or EUV. Yours looks sharp.
Thanks. We don’t usually carry back seat passengers, and didn’t need the extra rear seat leg room of the EUV. I’m told that the EUV has a smoother ride than the EV, but that the EV feels sportier. I went with the EV because it was a little less expensive and had a teeny bit more range.
The bolt is a great car, I was looking into one but it was a little to small for us. We had a Niro PHEV and it wasn't really living up to it's expatiations of EV driving, in the winter it had to run the gas motor all the time for the heater to work and in EV mode it was fairly underpowered. We traded it in on an Ioniq 5 and went full EV. Never really considered a Tesla at all.
How are you enjoying the I5? It's a beautiful car IMHO; and it drives amazing!!
@@jimclay1969 Great car, solid with no noises. Really cheap to drive also, used 15.4kwh to drive 50 miles home tonight. That's about $1.45 in power.
I have both Bolt Premiere and MY. Other then the obvious price difference, the MY has better seats, much larger cabin and cargo space, better speakers compared to the Bose, better software and autopilot. Quality quite similar, not the greatest but the Bolt actually rides better. Charging is the major factor, I don’t think I’ll ever drive long distance trips in a Bolt. New Bolts have super cruise but that’s paying extra $2k on top of the premiere price but you still have that slow level 3 charging.
We have a 2020 Bolt and Love it! It's hard to explain to folks how nice it is not to have to stop and get gas. We also charge at home.
I understand completely.......I bought a leased Bolt EV coming off of a 3 year lease with 30,500 miles on it. I got a pretty good deal on it. Last year I had the 259 mile battery pack put in from the recall. I was getting 238 miles when I first got it. It is one of the best cars I have ever owned. I do wish I had access to DC Fast Charging but most of it is located on Interstate Highways. Since last August I have charged for free at home and when I go to the beach 170 miles away. I use Level 2 chargers for free and have gotten used to doing that. I am still looking at Tesla Model 3's and Ioniq 5's and 6's. The Ioniq 6 SE RWD is what I am leaning towards because of the 363 mile range. That would give me over 100 miles of extra range and I have seen some listed for around 41,000 dollars. The drag coefficient is very good for the Ioniq 6 as well as the Tesla Model 3. If in 2024 you are able to get a 7200 dollar instant rebate I may consider a Tesla Model 3 or an Ioniq 6.
I have a 2017 Bolt and I love it. I live in the mountains of Utah so I wish I had a dual motor but that is the only drawback in my mind.
navigating a touch screen in the M3 to toggle regen is just ridiculous.
Good honest review. As Elon has stated he is not concerned with putting EV competition. Tesla has a goal to improve life for all humans and create a sustainable future. GM is not concerned with any goals to be sustainable. Still, the GM EV has is merits and deserves credit.
It's amazing no one seems concerned about the quality of a GM made EV when you consider how many quality issues they have with gas powered vehicles which they have been making for a very long time .
Thanks to all you early adopters who are willing to spend hard earned money on a GM product. Those of us who are Solar DIYers will often repurpose new or used EV battery packs. GM made battery packs have been a joke among us DIYers and the companies that sell used batteries and solar panels. I sure hope GM has improved the quality of their battery packs for your sake.
I do have a Chevrolet Bolt too. A lot of your comments I do recognize. I see how they compromise to get to an affordable price. I do live in an area close to the sea with a salty climate. I just gonna take the car dissembled and paint the aluminum and steel parts that are uncoated. They will not last long. It is so far good and doable. I like the motor design; if you carry GM name on top of your office towering over Detroit; having your captains and crews passing under it providing ground resources to the steel-producing factories. Controlling torque ripple and radiant forces by the shift of the center of gravity, punch a tiny little hole in your IPVMsynRM engine. 🙂
Thank you for being so honest, you are a man of integrity. I agree with your comments. I own a model 3 and a model Y and the model 3 is exactly what you stated, hard to get into. I'm 62. I prefer the model Y however model 3 is much quicker and more fun to drive. I feel you on the price, it is a very good reason to buy the Bolt. As far as build quality goes, I was fortunate enough to receive 2 Tesla's that are flawless in build quality. I know that not all owners are so lucky, poor build quality is a curse that has a huge impact on reputation, I hope this will settle out over time as we see the build improve. Thanks for the quality video. I am so tired of the Tesla hit pieces. This was refreshing to see.
Thanks!
I was in the market for a Bolt EUV around the same time you bought yours. I ended up passing on several due to greedy dealer markups. Same for f-150 lightning, Mach-E and Hyundai ionic 5. I had a reservation for a Blazer ev and then when Tesla lowered prices in January I canceled my Blazer reservation and jumped on a new Model Y long range. Its way more than I wanted to spend, but I Absolutly love it! No regrets other than I didnt order it with a tow hitch. Ive heard the stories of bad build quality, but I havent found that to be the case with mine. I guess time will tell.
That was definitely a good time to get a Model Y
@@SpinnerEV I got its at exactly the right time. They raised the price just a few days later. I think it's $2000 more right now for the same car.
I really like the Bolt EV too. There are quite a few features it has that I wish my Tesla had, like cooled seats and camera rearview mirror.
I had a 2018 Chevy Volt before and it was excellent too.
Price and availability is the only reason you buy a Chevy. Do you recall when the Bolt's batteries were defective and GM abandoned their Bolt customers?
SpinnerDaj, I've started saving your videos! Good reasons for choosing the Bolt over the Tesla. We're thinking of getting an EV as our near-retirement car in the next couple of years. Waiting for the Chevy Equinox EV to come out later this year, then waiting another year to see the reviews it gets and for Chevrolet to get the kinks out.
Thanks!
Rented a 23 Model Y for the weekend. 2nd day of driving the Model Y, we drove to a Chevrolet dealership and bought a loaded 23 Chevy Bole EUV Premium Redlinein Solar Flare silver.
Shout out to CAPITOL CHEVROLET in Salem Oregon, for great customer service and for honoring MSRP pricing. If you have been looking, you know how rare this is. I will shop with Capitol again for this reason.
I have an electric lil Fiat 500. Milage sucks but it works for me and where I like (in San Diego, CA)..I love it and it's small and fit wherever. But the Chevy Bolt is the car I want once I need to upgrade. I just love it much better. Tesla don't really catch my eye plus the same reasons you said. Nice color on your Chevy and good pup!!! 👍 thanks for the video
Thanks! We have a Fiat 500e as well. My wife uses it as her daily driver, the Bolt was my upgrade.
Agree. I have a 2019 Bolt. I was tempted by the flashiness (and in so many ways, superiority) of the Tesla, but it really boiled down to money. I didn't feel like blowing $50k on a Tesla when I could get maybe 85% of the Tesla for less than half of the price. Is the Tesla better? In many ways, yes. Much like a Ferrari is in many ways better than a Miata... the extra chunk of cash buys a lot more stuff, as you'd expect. But for my needs, both cars get me there, but only one left an extra $30k in my pocket. I'll upgrade eventually, but I *really* love my Bolt, far more than I expected to.
The one major distinction for me, however is I rarely travel long distances. I actually have only exceeded one charge's range on a road trip once, in the over 3 years I've owned the car. If long road trips were a regular part of my life, I might feel differently.
I'm between a Bolt EUV, a Tesla, and the Ioniq 5. My main concern with the Bolt is the additional charging time and limited range. I've heard rumors the 2024 model will refresh the charging architecture and increase from 50kW to something higher/faster, but there's a lot of rapid innovations happening with EV's in general right now so I am hoping to postpone a purchase as long as possible to ensure I get the most bang for the buck when I inevitably make the jump.
Just as this guy said. How often do you need DCFC. Most chargers in North America are 50 kwh anyway.
I don't think they are upgrading the charging architecture as they are phasing the car out of production. Which sucks lol.
@@artimusbill yup 😑
Buying a Tesla is more for prestige too. People won’t say wow, you bought a Bolt. You can’t even tell a Bolt from all other similar looking car these days. Supercharging is way more important especially if you don’t have home charging. If money is a priority then of course the Bolt is the one for you. Just like comparing a buying BMW to a Chevy sedan. You get what you pay for. That’s why there’s cars for every price range.
And now Tesla is going to open their network to /CCS equipped EV's (and plugins) so, eventually, you can go on that loop trip again and I'll have 7 more charging locations I can use too (2 of them have infrequent use by Teslas). BTW: I have a Mach-E GT Performance.
Re the form factors/ease of entry; I'm on my second tall hatchback (2020 Honda Fit, previously 2008 Toyota Yaris) and to me it's the perfect butter zone between a too-low conventional sedan and a crossover that compromises handling for "rugged" looks.
When the Bolt came out, I thought people were misspelling Volt. Which is a hell of a lot more logical for an electric car. You know, volts, amps, ohms.
I keep gravitating more and more to the Bolt over Tesla. It just isn't justifiable even if you have the money to buy a Tesla...especially knowing their fit and finish is a nightmare.
Good points made in this video. There is another issue that wasn't covered: what the likely state of charging infrastructure will be over the next 5 years or so. EV sales are ramping up quickly, but EV charging infrastructure is not keeping up. To keep the public charging infrastructure at the same ratio of chargers to EV's that it is now, for every 10 EV's sold, at least 1 new charger needs to be added to the grid. The reality last year, was that 50 new EV's were added for every 1 new charger installed (in California). The result is that ever more often, people are arriving at Electrify America, EV-Go, and Charge Point stations with their car batteries on fumes (not enough juice to get home), and finding them all in use, or 6 in use and 2 broken; that's another problem that's getting worse instead of better: older chargers are breaking down and repairs are lagging behind. EV's are fine if you can charge at home, and have a gas powered second vehicle for those long road trips. But the way things are now with public charging, I'd never even consider doing a long road trip in any EV, even a Tesla. Too much chance of being stranded somewhere. And if you are always using DC Fast Chargers that cost 43¢/kw-hr (Electrify America, EV-Go), there's no savings. A Toyota Prius burning $4.00 gasoline isn't going to cost any more to run than an EV burning expensive electricity from thoose DC chargers. If you can always charge at home for 10~14 cents per kw-hr, and where you live doesn't get very cold in winter, than a Bolt is a great car for under $24,000 with the tax rebate.
God bless . Thank you so so much it's an easy pick this vehicle is in my price range size and let's be honest there's room for friends .it's the only ev I want.
I'm a senior citizen, and if I were to buy another car it would NOT be a Tesla. The Bolt sounds like it would work just fine for me. The only long trips I take are about 4 times a year to visit family, round trip 150 miles, so I'd always be charging at home.
Thanks for the info. I totally agree with you and your choice. I am considering the Bolt EUV for the same reasons you stated. Thank you very much! Blessings!
Thanks!
Good acknowledgement of Tesla charging/mapping advantages. Still, your point made. Comfort, price. And I haven't yet heard negatives about the Bolt fun driving factor. Plus really neat color and style of your Bolt.
Thanks!
I am a tesla owner but proponent of the bolt.
You make valid points, but I have to say, the Tesla is a better road trip car. The limiting charging speed of 50 kw is the bolts Achilles heel. Maybe when the bolt based on the ultinum platform comes out it’ll fix it. But charging that takes an hour for 80 pct, especially doing a road trip over multiple charging stops is limiting IMO
Very well said! Hope I get the EV or Bolt EUV if my budget permits. Been watching all your Bolt EV videos thanks for sharing your experiences. More power to your channel! 🤘
Thanks!
Sounds like you might want to rent a model Y for the six road trips you do, and use the Bolt as your daily driver. Please update this video in a year or two!
Hard to know what the future holds, but I plan to keep making videos, especially of the road trips.
I'm in the reverse situation in Canada. The Bolt my first choice is not available anywhere, unless I want to overspend on a special ordered EUV that the customer reneged on. I was going to live with the limited fast DC Charing. I had a second thought on that though and figured my wife might want to use it to visit the kids 8hrs away and have to spend 40Min at a fast charger would not make her happy. So now am looking at Tesla or Ionq 6. Tesla can be bought today Ionq 6 order waiting list.
Your reasons are very personally specific and time specific.
This was a great review. Thanks for sharing.
I am looking at the Bolt for all the same reasons. Good video!
Thanks!
I like my bolt but my wife hates the look.