Living with a car from the present - 2019 Bolt EV

Keith Tanner said:

 But now you can jump in the Toyota and drive all the way to San Francisco while only stopping for 30s every six hours to refuel!

ICE cars make such a fuss about moving around compared to an EV. Sorry to hear about the bump to the Bolt. 

yes!

When I saw the Bolt yesterday and had all of my stuff in my hands, I was seriously considering just dealing with it so I could get out of the Camry.

One Tunakid saw the Camry yesterday, and thought it looked nice, then asked why it wasn't plugged into the charger. These kids are going to grow up in a different world than I did, when a 225 HP Mustang GT and a 214 hp 911 was really something.

Well I got the Bolt back. The buff job was very close to the rest of the body.

Then I drove to work this morning and found that the blind spot monitoring is all messed up. It's telling me about cars that are not there, and missing cars that are there. I don't use it that much, but it needs to be right. I E-mail the guy, really nicely, asking if there is anything I can do here to try and avoid the return trip and rental again. On his advice I go check and unplug and re-plug the connector, and find that the connector is just flapping in the breeze down there. It broke free during the accident and the little clippy-do on it was never repaired.

Grrrr

The body shop returned my car yesterday. They fixed the blind spot monitors, which consisted of applying foil tape to the inside and attaching them to the bumper properly. They also managed to fix the squeak, which seemed to be just an adjustment of the latch.

Whew.

Now the unlucky insurance guys get to pay for two $400+ rental bills. Insanity.

After a half day in a Tuscon, four days in a Camry, and five more in a Sentra, I am really glad to be back in the Bolt. Even without the usual rental car blues, the Bolt is so much better than all of those cars.

VW has been working feverishly on their ID lineup, and honestly I was pretty excited. Another mass-market automaker pushing the game ahead a bit was a neat prospect.

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/09/revealed-2021-volkswagen-id-4/

So, a bit more cargo space, less range, and same money as the Bolt, which came out in 2017. I am not sure that's helpful.

If buying today, I'd still get the Bolt.

You bought used, so the VW isn't an option today :) It'll be interesting to see if VW and the new GM options move the game on at all. 

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Since I'm being hypothetical, I'm thinking either new/new or used/used, and for me, the Bolt wins either in my case. 

Based on price, size and range? Nobody's driven one yet, AFAIK, and the range is still an estimate. EPA hasn't tested yet, so VW is giving an estimate. It's a bigger battery than even the 10% larger one in the 2020 Bolt. A big advantage to the VW is that the US public does prefer the tall CUV packaging.

The Ars article talks about an 11 KW onboard charger - what does that mean for a plug, I wonder? That's enough for normal (return to home) use. Naturally, it'll also use the EA network. Between this and the Ford, that network may get stress-tested pretty soon. Let's hope it holds up, because if it crumbles under these early mass-market EVs it'll take a while to shake that off. 

In reply to Keith Tanner :

If I were buying today, I'd buy a used Volt. Yes Volt.  I can live with 50 mile range and the flexibility of infinite ( Gasoline) range.  GM is a well proven product and as transportation toasters become better accepted. Service will even filter down to us Luddites. 
     But frankly I understand BabyBoomers love affair with our V8's. If we have to buy a truck to get one, Well, I guess that's the cost. 

Keith Tanner said:

Based on price, size and range? Nobody's driven one yet, AFAIK, and the range is still an estimate. EPA hasn't tested yet, so VW is giving an estimate. It's a bigger battery than even the 10% larger one in the 2020 Bolt. A big advantage to the VW is that the US public does prefer the tall CUV packaging.

The Ars article talks about an 11 KW onboard charger - what does that mean for a plug, I wonder? That's enough for normal (return to home) use. Naturally, it'll also use the EA network. Between this and the Ford, that network may get stress-tested pretty soon. Let's hope it holds up, because if it crumbles under these early mass-market EVs it'll take a while to shake that off. 

I doubt that the estimated range will differ much from the EPA figure, but time will tell. Yes, I am basing that on numbers. The VW otherwise would have nothing to offer me beyond what the Bolt does.

frenchyd said:

In reply to Keith Tanner :

If I were buying today, I'd buy a used Volt. Yes Volt.  I can live with 50 mile range and the flexibility of infinite ( Gasoline) range.

That's what our household did. My girlfriend has a Volt for commuting and our serious road trips (in the higher trim it's a really comfortable place to be, at least in the front seats) and I have a Bolt for bopping around town.

I really need to figure out the "fun" car now, though. My wrx has too much overlap with the bolt, so it has barely gotten driven this year. At lot of that is due to quarantine, but i've been thinking hard about going back to a miata as the fun car.

My concern about the Volt is that it's twice as complex. It has two complete powertrains, which means more cost, more complexity, worse packaging and more points of failure. It's not really good at either mode, just acceptable.  Hybrids like this are a stopgap solution for a poor charging infrastructure, which is a problem that's being sorted out. I do love the look of the first generation, though - it was an attractive looking car.

Tuna, it'll be interesting to see EVs start to differentiate themselves on more than just three points on a spreadsheet. ICE vehicles already do that, otherwise it we'd all be driving around in Nissan Altimas and BMW would have gone out of business years ago.

Keith Tanner said:

My concern about the Volt is that it's twice as complex. It has two complete powertrains, which means more cost, more complexity, worse packaging and more points of failure. It's not really good at either mode, just acceptable.  Hybrids like this are a stopgap solution for a poor charging infrastructure, which is a problem that's being sorted out. I do love the look of the first generation, though - it was an attractive looking car.

Tuna, it'll be interesting to see EVs start to differentiate themselves on more than just three points on a spreadsheet. ICE vehicles already do that, otherwise it we'd all be driving around in Nissan Altimas and BMW would have gone out of business years ago.

I agree on the Volt and all other hybrids. My Bolt will never need:

Spark plugs, oxygen sensor, catalytic converter, fuel injector, motor mounts, oil filters, transmission services, fuel pumps, valve adjustment, timing belt, headgasket...

And it hardly ever uses the brakes.

It's not just the three points, it's all of that maintenance gone. Additionally a serene drive for lots of miles. Also cargo. Wow. So much cargo and passenger space for such a small car. It's officially a subcompact, but I fit better in there, and my kids better in the back, than the Camry I rented.

I have no reason to believe that the VW is any better at any of those things, so I'm calling it even with the ID4 and Bolt in terms of "general EV advantages", and above and beyond that it isn't any better on paper, other than a mild increase in cargo space. I like the Bolt look better, and I really like the interior, so the VW would have to bring something to the table. It doesn't. If we got the ID3 and it got more range (although the Bolt range really is plenty), was faster, had a lower buy-in, or something like that, it could make me rethink.

I am happy to see that GM does continue to evolve the Bolt - it doesn't get the headlines, but the 2020 model has a bigger battery and some interior rework at least. Kinda the same as the i3, which kept improving under the radar without all the gushing articles that you see for a new 3-series every six weeks.

Camping.

I have sleep apnea. As such, I generally hate camping. I won't shell out the hundreds of dollars for a battery capable of powering the CPAP all night, and the lithium ion jump pack I have is only good for about three hours, even with no heated tube and no humidifier. To the normal breathers out there, that means that in addition to waking up miserable, as if someone was gently suffocating me in my sleep, with a jaw that feels like I went a few rounds with Tyson, a headache that is my entire head, and a grogginess that lasts for over one day, the time I do have with the CPAP is dry cold air. Nice. I am a Ranger with Trail Life, which means I am leading kids the next day pretty much on caffeine and prayers as they gallivant about in the woods. It also means that these trips aren't really something I can skip.

Why am I putting this here?

Tunakids are getting older. My youngest boy is nine. This weekend was a trip, and at the urging of Tunakid #2, 10 years old now, I went to sleep in the tent, but this time with an alarm and a plan. I woke at 1 AM and went to the bolt with my sleeping bag and CPAP machine.

The bolt has a tiny DC battery for accessories, but the big battery charges it if the car is on. I plugged in the CPAP, started the car from the passenger seat, and went to sleep reclined all of the way in the sleeping bag. The car believes you have made an error after two hours and shuts itself off, but it is trivial to roll over and start it again. Apparently you can override this by leaving it in neutral, but that adds the whirring of pumps and such that I was unwilling to inflict upon the others at the campsite. Helpfully, the first time I woke to restart the car I recognized that I could turn the heated tube on, and also turn the heated seats on. Despite only sleeping for maybe six hours, two at a time, it was the best nights sleep I have ever had camping.

Yay for the future!

Sleeping in heated seats while camping :) When I was a boy, we had to carry our own canoe through the woods with everything on our backs - and we liked it!

How much power does the CPAP draw, both at minimal function and with all the bells and whistles turned on?

Keith Tanner said:

Sleeping in heated seats while camping :) When I was a boy, we had to carry our own canoe through the woods with everything on our backs - and we liked it!

How much power does the CPAP draw, both at minimal function and with all the bells and whistles turned on?

I've never measured, but I can check roughly based on how quickly it drains the jump pack. 

I can say that those hours on the car with the heated seats and the cpap were worth about four miles of range. 

Really puts the size of the battery in the car into perspective.

In case you find yourself camping and don't have the ability to sleep in the car or you want to skip the reset every two hours - there are some nicely integrated power packs with built-in inverters on the market. They do cost money, but it may be an option in the future. According to their specs, this thing should run a CPAP for about 15 hours on one charge: https://www.jackery.com/products/explorer-300-portable-power-station 

Keith Tanner said:

Sleeping in heated seats while camping :) When I was a boy, we had to carry our own canoe through the woods with everything on our backs - and we liked it!

How much power does the CPAP draw, both at minimal function and with all the bells and whistles turned on?

This guy did way more analysis than I will ever do.

http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=102179

I drove up behind the Bolt over the weekend with a van full of kiddoes and noticed that the rear bumper looked funny. Crawling beneath I found that the bumper lip was hanging inches below the shelf it is intended to attach to. Then I noticed other problems. I first blamed the body shop, but upon closer inspection, I think I was hit-and-runned in a parking lot. Nice. People are not good.

Anyway I spent a solid 45 minutes of otherwise-truck-time redoing the bumper. It looks fine now, but really this is irritating.

We have Duke electric here in SC. There are no peak or off peak hours as of yet. I just charge whenever I get home.

I got an Email about a new program. If I agree to let them monitor the house (and I already have a smart meter, so not sure why they bothered asking) for the EV charging times, they would pay me $500. If I only charged during certain hours (so a positive incentive to stay off peak) then I'd get $500 again, paid out quarterly over the next three years.

Check this out:

This is my whole house in March. Note to anyone with a functioning brain, the EV charge time is extremely clear.

Now check out when I filter for the EV only by whatever brilliant algorithm they developed.

Looks like I charged one time in March.

Remember that the next time you hear "Blah blah the grid can't handle the influx of EVs blah blah!", even the power company, knowing the charge rates of my specific charger and car, is wildly overestimating how much electricity it takes to charge it.

BTW I am well over 30K miles now. I'll give a brief update:

I still love the car. The iffy seats don't bother me at all. The app is a bit spotty and slow to start the car in the morning from the phone. The range on the fob isn't good enough to do this from inside unless I go right to the window upstairs. The cargo space continues to be great, and I've camped in it a few more times as well. I'm back up over 3.8 mi/kwh now that it's springtime. This is while driving very hard, at lots of high speeds on my route home. 

The infotainment is okay. Occasionally I'll get a rando popup on the screen warning me not to take my eyes off the road when I start the car. It doesn't go away when I tap it, it doesn't go away when I tap behind it. It goes away when it feels like it. That's a bit annoying. I still barely use the brakes, maybe 3-4 times per week if I am rushing.

Everything is as it should be. I've done nothing but rotate tires.

I brought the Bolt in to the local Chevy dealer for the real-deal battery recall. They scan the pack for the scary cells and replace the entire pack if they find any. They initially quoted me a half hour, so I elected to wait.

Apparently they also discharge and test the 12V battery. This becomes more like two hours. They drove me back to work in a Express that I cannot imagine anyone who isn't a plumber buying new. Stay tuned.

It ended up being five hours,I really really really really don't like it when people overrun their time estimates and don't bother to let you know, especially twice. 

But the battery is fine. Yay

Thought of you this week, 1: tunatruck, 2: Bolt.

why?

Ford Lightning.  I've always maintained that my ecoboost exists to take trash, pick up lumber, haul the boat 5 miles, and take 1x300 mile (each way) trip to outer banks with a bed load of our crap for our summer vacation. 

I was a little let down by the 300 mile range, until i found a review saying that the EPA test also includes 1,000 lbs in the bed.  Testers are seeing 460 miles range claimed on empty trucks... (ford wants to be super conservative on the battery capacity). 

I thought of this the day it dropped.  I guarantee someone is designing a bed accessory that contains another large ass battery.  I.e.  Tesla battery that you can plug into the truck.  my f150 could easily lose 6" of bed depth and still be plenty usable.  Make it look like one of the bed drawer kits that still give you a flat floor. and bam.  300 more miles range. 

Anyways, curious to your thoughts on it. (i'm betting there is another thread but your's has had such good EV discussions i figured I'd put it here).  

Mad_Ratel said:

Thought of you this week, 1: tunatruck, 2: Bolt.

 

why?

 

Ford Lightning.  I've always maintained that my ecoboost exists to take trash, pick up lumber, haul the boat 5 miles, and take 1x300 mile (each way) trip to outer banks with a bed load of our crap for our summer vacation. 

I was a little let down by the 300 mile range, until i found a review saying that the EPA test also includes 1,000 lbs in the bed.  Testers are seeing 460 miles range claimed on empty trucks... (ford wants to be super conservative on the battery capacity). 

 

I thought of this the day it dropped.  I guarantee someone is designing a bed accessory that contains another large ass battery.  I.e.  Tesla battery that you can plug into the truck.  my f150 could easily lose 6" of bed depth and still be plenty usable.  Make it look like one of the bed drawer kits that still give you a flat floor. and bam.  300 more miles range. 

 

Anyways, curious to your thoughts on it. (i'm betting there is another thread but your's has had such good EV discussions i figured I'd put it here).  

Cheaper than a comparative F150 with an ICE

Better equipped to do truck things. Many 120V outlets, even a 220V outlet. Can power a house in an emergency or when you are building the house. Power frunk means you can operate as a contractor with plug in power tools wherever you want.

Most fleet trucks drive very few miles. They have to do truck things a lot. Plumbers, welders, pipe fitters, contractors, carpenters, pest control, artists, HVAC repair, telecom techs, linemen, the list is endless. These people all drive trucks. Their companies are interested in $/day, and they don't drive all that many miles. They will all buy the Lightning and benefit.

The range is amazing, though not really surprising given how much real estate they have for batteries. It's plenty for basically everything.

Towing is probably the only place where it won't work well.