Quick Spin: My Test of the Chevy Bolt

[Cmicasa the Great]

Had an opportunity to take a spin the Bolt  yesterday.. this model stickers at $41K and was pretty loaded. 

The car is very nice. First thing that struck me was the space. Outside I saw what looked like a compact car.. or more appropriately an alternative design to my ex's Encore. Inside I was greeted with a very clean sheet design.. still Chevy/GM, but with Silicon Valley influence. 

The ride was another strong, positive point. While not "Tesla quick" this was ever bit as quick as my Impala. Compare that the Tesla Model S 60 pulls the sprint to 60 mph in 5 secs. This Bolt does it in 6.3. If this were a race.. a drag race...  with pinks or pride on the line.. yeah.. it would be a lifetime, but in everyday life.. who gives a fuck.. especially when U saved about $30K. I won't even mention that the Bold is rated at 253 Miles on a charge while the Tesla is at 210.. and yes 234 if U pay an additional $9,000.  Yeah the difference in looks is the exact difference in choosing a Malibu (yes.. I don't see the Tesla as any better looking than the Chevy midsizer) over a Trax, but it really depends on your mission. My mission in this situation would be to buy something better looking than a price-point competitor.. and this Bolt wins hands down versus the Leaf, Prius, i3, and Cmax. So quiet that they have to fake the noise. So smooth I had to relearn to drive. The only thing I had to deal with was getting used to the CAMERA mirror like I had to in the CT6 and XT5s I have driven. Great feature. And love the surround camera on the headset.  I want one. This would be a great Daily Driver. 253 Miles and a 240-Volt/32-Amp Charging Unit cold charge it in 9 hrs (checked price at Home Depot.. $399.99) not to mention I have 3 charging stations ,that work 160 miles per hour, 2 miles from my house. 

Verdict. Hey GM... what the fuck is your problem? With this driveline.. and a simple directive.. U could put Tesla out of business. A Pick-up for GMC. A Sports car for Caddy. A Malibu all EV. A luxo coupe (Riviera) for Buick.. U would have this shit on LOCK. Add in the Volt, CT6 PHEV, and Malibu Hybrid.. and the skies the limit 

 

[FAPTurbo]

the interior is garbage and the seats are harder than a gm accountant on bailout day... 

[Blake Noble]

This review is comparing a $40,000 quasi-crossover with an interior crafted out of recycled Cavalier parts bin pieces to a $70,000 luxury fastback sedan.

I SHIGGY. THIS IS QUALITY JOURNALISM. GET THIS MAN A JOB WITH DOUG DEMURO ON AUTOTRADER DOT COM SLASH OVERSTEER.

[balthazar]

The Bolt and Model S are not remotely in the same price range.
That said- they are widely compared by both the press & consumers because the main purchase factor for both is being a high range EV. Different buyers have different criteria.

[oldshurst442]

For a 40 000 dollar Chevrolet that is principally a high tech machine...Id say the Bolt is pretty great in how GM did the interior. Material wise, tolerance wise...

Id say even better than how Tesla did theirs in relation to the Tesla's 70 000 dollar price tag.

In short, I think the Bolt does a better job representing its 40 000 dollar price tag on the interior than Tesla does (on the interior) representing the Model S' 70 000 dollar price tag.

That is just my humble opinion.

And yes I have experience with a Tesla Model S. P85D to be exact. No...not the fully full-on luxury optioned one...but the more or less basic interior options...

My business partner owns one. I see it daily. I drive it on occasion for shytes and giggles. I LOVE IT!!!

I would purchase and Im considering heavily on getting myself a Model 3... maybe...we have a long ways to go before I trade in my current car and by that time...maybe other 100% EVs from other manufacturers might be available by then...but to reassure you folk, as of now, Id rather a Model 3 that aint even out yet to the Bolt...

But...when I discuss...I at least want to be as truthful as I can...

 

[balthazar]

^ And that's a very valid point; is the Model S interior worth $30K more than the Bolt?

[frogger]

GM couldn't even figure out his to put the Malibu hybrid batteries under the back seat like just about everyone else has by now...so you are left with a joke of a trunk for a "family" car.

 

[Cmicasa the Great]

2 hours ago, FAPTurbo said:

the interior is garbage and the seats are harder than a gm accountant on bailout day... 

as so often is the case your dumbass is wrong

2 hours ago, Blake Noble said:

This review is comparing a $40,000 quasi-crossover with an interior crafted out of recycled Cavalier parts bin pieces to a $70,000 luxury fastback sedan.

I SHIGGY. THIS IS QUALITY JOURNALISM. GET THIS MAN A JOB WITH DOUG DEMURO ON AUTOTRADER DOT COM SLASH OVERSTEER.

No bitch.. sorry... I wasn't the first person to compare the two and I damn sure won't be the last. The interior was actually decent considering the tech.. and if U really think a Tesla has an interior worthy of a $70K car, then U really are one of the dumbest muthafuckas I've yet to see in this forum. To make it even worse.. I wasn't comparing the Tesla so much as referencing it since they are similar in their implementation of EV tech.

From MT: LINK

Materials are all price-appropriate and look pulled straight from the cool pages of the Ikea catalog. The ultra-thin front seats are nonetheless comfortable and supportive. The driver gets a reconfigurable high-res 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster, which does a good job at giving the driver only the information needed, such as speed, battery state of charge, range, and power usage, without overwhelming with extraneous information—like what exactly the powertrain is doing at any given moment.

[Cmicasa the Great]

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

^ And that's a very valid point; is the Model S interior worth $30K more than the Bolt?

No. I have said it on several occasions the Model S' is not even remotely worth the $70K price tag. It really isn't even unique in its styling if compared to any other large car from Chevy.. Mazda.. Honda.. If the Bolt is $45K max.. the the Tesla S should be no more than $55K

[ocnblu]

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

The Bolt and Model S are not remotely in the same price range.
That said- they are widely compared by both the press & consumers because the main purchase factor for both is being a high range EV. Different buyers have different criteria.

Balthy I think that is a Volt interior, not a Bolt.  And yes, the Model S is showing a gratifying drop in sales year over year.

[balthazar]

Ahh, was inter-misled.
Bolt interior:

 

Still not seeing any Cavalier bits... but it is below that of the Volt's via the pics.

Edited September 24, 2017 by balthazar

[Cmicasa the Great]

The interior was very nice for what it is.. the car is not supposed to be a luxury vehicle.. in fact.. it may be against the ideals of many of its intended buyers. Personally.. I think Chevy got this one right.. as they got this gen Volt right as well. In other words.. they did their damn research and came up with a winner. My biggest gripe continues to be that this and Voltec is not available in every division in various configs. In truth, it TRULY is the way of the future. It is inescapable . Fossil fuel vehicles as a primary source of transportation will leave this country in a very inferior position in the next two decades. 

[ocnblu]

I like the Bolt and I don't see anything wrong with it except for its impracticality, same as every other electric.  But if I'm going to limit myself to putzing around close to home, I'd rather spend $37k to do it than $70k.  Plus it has the power of the Chevrolet brand behind it.  That is a longterm advantage.

[Drew Dowdell]

The Bolt's interior is intentionally lightweight in order to preserve range. It's just like when GM did the ATS where every ounce counted.  Is it a $40k interior? no... it's a $40k drive-train.  It makes the next generation of drive-train accessible to a new crop of buyers.

OCN, you're not stuck putzing around close to home.  You can make it all the way to my house on a single charge, and 30 minutes on a DC fast charger will get you another 90 miles of range in a pinch. 

 

[G. David Felt]

On 9/23/2017 at 2:46 PM, FAPTurbo said:

the interior is garbage and the seats are harder than a gm accountant on bailout day... 

Disagree, they are very comfortable and as pointed out as a daily driver and commuter car, quiet and relaxing to drive in or ride in even if you are a big guy like me.

@Cmicasa the Great Did you use the Sport mode button on the dash? I did and you truly get a nice boost of power making that 0-60 even faster.

On 9/23/2017 at 5:11 PM, frogger said:

GM couldn't even figure out his to put the Malibu hybrid batteries under the back seat like just about everyone else has by now...so you are left with a joke of a trunk for a "family" car.

 

Or, GM was thinking of comfort over a harder seat. Plenty of unknown reasons as to why GM did that.

[frogger]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

Or, GM was thinking of comfort over a harder seat. Plenty of unknown reasons as to why GM did that.

I think GM invests the bare minimum in hybrid aside from the Volt, maybe they are waiting until pure-EV's is the way to go.  Only Toyota and luxury makers seem to be doing much in the way of hybrids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

Or, GM was thinking of comfort over a harder seat. Plenty of unknown reasons as to why GM did that

How does putting batteries under a seat make a car less comfortable? 

[Robert Hall]

1 minute ago, ccap41 said:

How does putting batteries under a seat make a car less comfortable? 

I wonder if the batteries under the seat restricts seat travel or necessitated thinner/less padded seats? 

[frogger]

Maybe the newer modular platforms the class leaders have developed safely allow for that location.  The new 2018 Camry and Accord hybrids have little or no storage compromise, Sonata and Optima do a much better job in that area than the Malibu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 25, 2017 by frogger

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

How does putting batteries under a seat make a car less comfortable? 

If you ever get to sit in some of the early Hybrids, the last seat was used by many to store the batteries and as such, you had minimal travel room for the sprints, less ability for padding, etc. Sit in the first generation Hybrids on the back seat is much like sitting on a brick bench for a road trip. 10-15 min one can survive, but longer and your butt hurts.

[ocnblu]

8 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

The Bolt's interior is intentionally lightweight in order to preserve range. It's just like when GM did the ATS where every ounce counted.  Is it a $40k interior? no... it's a $40k drive-train.  It makes the next generation of drive-train accessible to a new crop of buyers.

OCN, you're not stuck putzing around close to home.  You can make it all the way to my house on a single charge, and 30 minutes on a DC fast charger will get you another 90 miles of range in a pinch. 

 

Yeahbut... if there is an accident on the highway and I'm stuck in traffic for an hour or two, or if there is construction and a detour is in effect, plus depending on the weather, etc. etc.  Those questions remain open.  The world is not perfect, and right now, electrics make sense only in a perfect world.

[oldshurst442]

6 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

Yeahbut... if there is an accident on the highway and I'm stuck in traffic for an hour or two, or if there is construction and a detour is in effect, plus depending on the weather, etc. etc.  Those questions remain open.  The world is not perfect, and right now, electrics make sense only in a perfect world.

 Yeah...and you might get hit by lightning too!

 

[Cmicasa the Great]

8 hours ago, dfelt said:

@Cmicasa the Great Did you use the Sport mode button on the dash? I did and you truly get a nice boost of power making that 0-60 even faster.

No I didn't.. even still I was very pleased with the acceleration as I had to come off the line to get in front of an Altima that was being driven slow.

3 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Yeahbut... if there is an accident on the highway and I'm stuck in traffic for an hour or two, or if there is construction and a detour is in effect, plus depending on the weather, etc. etc.  Those questions remain open.  The world is not perfect, and right now, electrics make sense only in a perfect world.

With respect.. the same thing could happen if U had only a few gallons of gas. Yes.. U could walk to the nearest gas station if U were close or call road side.. but U can kinda do the same thing with EVs by just calling AAA.

[ocnblu]

Not a member.

 

[G. David Felt]

13 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Yeahbut... if there is an accident on the highway and I'm stuck in traffic for an hour or two, or if there is construction and a detour is in effect, plus depending on the weather, etc. etc.  Those questions remain open.  The world is not perfect, and right now, electrics make sense only in a perfect world.

My friend, now your just trying to find excuses. best part of being stuck in traffic is unlike a gas engine that you would need to turn off if you are behind an accident and not moving at all, an Electric just uses no power, detours and contruction are not really an issue either as Electric even if your going slower you use less electricity, cannot say that with an ICE especially if your in a performance auto. My Trailblazer SS AWD that I love does worse in slow traffic and stop n go traffic than if it could just cruise along. The BOLT would be even more efficient. 

From AAA to to major credit card companies, insurance companies and surprise is that most Cell phone providers offer road side assistance programs either for free or for minimal cost that is cheaper than AAA. Best part is in looking into these they all offer mobile charging for EV's if stranded.

We are in a Great time as we have some if not the most powerful ICE options ever and we are moving to a new performance standard in EV's and one that will make the cities, roads the world a better place to live in helping to clean up the world.

3 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Not a member.

Do not have to be a member as for a nominal fee they will still come to you and charge you right up, no different than paying someone else to bring you gas.

[ccap41]

14 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Yeahbut... if there is an accident on the highway and I'm stuck in traffic for an hour or two, or if there is construction and a detour is in effect, plus depending on the weather, etc. etc.  Those questions remain open.  The world is not perfect, and right now, electrics make sense only in a perfect world.

As others find excuses to like it, I have to agree with you. Yes, 238 miles is a lot of range but if you get caught in a snow storm or a legitimate traffic jam and when you get rolling you can't just pull over at the nearest gas station to fill up and get going again. 

They do make sense in the correct situation. 

21 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Do not have to be a member as for a nominal fee they will still come to you and charge you right up, no different than paying someone else to bring you gas.

I can call a family member or friend to grab some gas for me. Can they bring be some electricity? I can walk to a gas station, buy a gallon in a tank and use that. Can I buy some electricity that easily? 

[G. David Felt]

51 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I can call a family member or friend to grab some gas for me. Can they bring be some electricity? I can walk to a gas station, buy a gallon in a tank and use that. Can I buy some electricity that easily? 

Thank you, just brought up the next start up, a Super Capacity Quick Charge tank. About the size of a 1 gallon can, enough capacity to get you to the next charge station or off the road. 

New Ideas, New Inventions and the future is all about making money!  

Plus very few people walk to get their own gas anymore, they would rather make a call, then wait for someone to bring it too them. Reality of our 21st century society and people being lazy. Rather sit on their butts, wasting time on Facebook than like you or me who would set off to find a solution and keep moving.

[ccap41]

7 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Thank you, just brought up the next start up, a Super Capacity Quick Charge tank. About the size of a 1 gallon can, enough capacity to get you to the next charge station or off the road. 

New Ideas, New Inventions and the future is all about making money!  

Plus very few people walk to get their own gas anymore, they would rather make a call, then wait for someone to bring it too them. Reality of our 21st century society and people being lazy. Rather sit on their butts, wasting time on Facebook than like you or me who would set off to find a solution and keep moving.

It is a very good idea. I'm not sure how practical it is to store for long periods of time in the trunk/hatch for an emergency though. 

I would definitely rather walk a couple of miles than overpay somebody to do that for me, in most circumstances. Half because I'm cheap, half because I'm not lazy lol.

[Drew Dowdell]

15 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Yeahbut... if there is an accident on the highway and I'm stuck in traffic for an hour or two, or if there is construction and a detour is in effect, plus depending on the weather, etc. etc.  Those questions remain open.  The world is not perfect, and right now, electrics make sense only in a perfect world.

You realize that you don't really use electricity when you're not moving in an electric... it's not like you drain the battery when you're just sitting there. 

[ccap41]

Same with a gas vehicle if you don't mind the silence on the radio or the heat/cold that is outside. 

[G. David Felt]

5 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Same with a gas vehicle if you don't mind the silence on the radio or the heat/cold that is outside. 

Difference is if you're at Idle, you use gas, at idle in an EV, is no joules are used unless you have your AC/heater/radio going. Then still is less than having to idle the whole auto to just run those things.

I do get your saying just turn off the gas motor, but EV is more efficient in this regards when your just idle.

[Drew Dowdell]

20 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Same with a gas vehicle if you don't mind the silence on the radio or the heat/cold that is outside. 

It means the excuse of traffic doesn't really enter into range... if you're just creeping along the highway at 25mph instead of 75mph, you'll be using less electricity anyway. 

[ccap41]

37 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Difference is if you're at Idle, you use gas, at idle in an EV, is no joules are used unless you have your AC/heater/radio going. Then still is less than having to idle the whole auto to just run those things.

I do get your saying just turn off the gas motor, but EV is more efficient in this regards when your just idle.

Uhh.. duh? You're also not listening to the radio or running the AC or heat.

My only issue is when you do get going again a gas powered vehicle can take the next exit and find a gas station in, most likely, only a few miles. 

24 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

It means the excuse of traffic doesn't really enter into range... if you're just creeping along the highway at 25mph instead of 75mph, you'll be using less electricity anyway. 

Except in a gasoline powered vehicle I wouldn't mind running it knowing I can fill up when I get moving again.

[G. David Felt]

7 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Uhh.. duh? You're also not listening to the radio or running the AC or heat.

My only issue is when you do get going again a gas powered vehicle can take the next exit and find a gas station in, most likely, only a few miles. 

Except in a gasoline powered vehicle I wouldn't mind running it knowing I can fill up when I get moving again.

To Each their own, but I feel your fears are greatly overblown my friend. It is not as tragic you think now compared to the 90's or even first 10 years of 2000.

[Drew Dowdell]

17 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Uhh.. duh? You're also not listening to the radio or running the AC or heat.

My only issue is when you do get going again a gas powered vehicle can take the next exit and find a gas station in, most likely, only a few miles. 

Except in a gasoline powered vehicle I wouldn't mind running it knowing I can fill up when I get moving again.

You can do the same with a EV.... if you're not moving, you're not using juice. 

[ccap41]

9 minutes ago, dfelt said:

To Each their own, but I feel your fears are greatly overblown my friend. It is not as tragic you think now compared to the 90's or even first 10 years of 2000.

I've showed you an EV charging map of where I live. 62249 is my zip code, check out the charging stations.  

Like I said, they're great for the right circumstance. 

Just now, Drew Dowdell said:

You can do the same with a EV.... if you're not moving, you're not using juice. 

Can do what? Pull off at the next exit to fill up because I didn't want to sweat or freeze for an hour or two? 

[Drew Dowdell]

25 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I've showed you an EV charging map of where I live. 62249 is my zip code, check out the charging stations.  

Like I said, they're great for the right circumstance. 

Can do what? Pull off at the next exit to fill up because I didn't want to sweat or freeze for an hour or two? 

If you're just sitting there, you're not using juice.... there is virtually no effect on range.  It's the same as if you shut your gas car off. 

You can make it from your house to St. Louis and then on to Indianapolis on a single charge, and there are at least 4 chargers in between, not counting the many dozen in each of the metro centers. 

"Filling up" with an EV requires a different mindset.  With gas cars, we usually just fill it up every time we stop. With EVs, you only ever fill up to the amount you need to get to your next planned charge plus a little wiggle room. If you think you're going to be driving through a major snowstorm, fill up accordingly.   In my case, I can only go about 2 - 2.5 hours before *I* have to stop for a break regardless of my fuel situation, in an EV, I would charge up at those spots...

So, if you are regularly jaunting across the country, pissing in water bottles, and never ever stopping, then no, an EV will not be for you.  But if you're a more realistic driver like 98.999% of drivers out there, the 250 mile range of an EV will be fine, even for road trips.

You can start at your zip code and reach any charger on this map with 50 miles to spare. 

[ccap41]

3 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

You can make it from your house to St. Louis and then on to Indianapolis on a single charge,

Um...no. 276 miles from my home, to work, then to Indy. 

 

8 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

With EVs, you only ever fill up to the amount you need to get to your next planned charge plus a little wiggle room.

Exactly, even worse if you're stuck in traffic. 

I just like the Volt's idea waaaaay more until there is a better built up charging infrastructure. If there was a charging network in more places like there is in, let's say, California, it would be a no brainer. it just isn't like that yet. 

[Drew Dowdell]

2 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Um...no. 276 miles from my home, to work, then to Indy. 

 

Exactly, even worse if you're stuck in traffic. 

I just like the Volt's idea waaaaay more until there is a better built up charging infrastructure. If there was a charging network in more places like there is in, let's say, California, it would be a no brainer. it just isn't like that yet. 

And you'll have a whole bunch of chargers along the way. 

How many different ways can I say that traffic does not matter to an EV?? You burn less battery per mile in traffic in an EV instead of more gasoline per mile in a conventional car.  Traffic. Does. Not. Matter. It has NO significant effect on range. 

[ccap41]

Okay so sitting in traffic, not moving, listening to the radio and using the AC in 15 degree weather has no effect on range? All of those things decrease range. I'm pretty sure you start losing range under 50 degree temperatures and the same with temps over 80, I believe. 

OR, I could live with the superiority of a Volt until there is a better built up infrastructure because I drive < 50 miles daily anyway. 

[G. David Felt]

2 hours ago, ccap41 said:

Okay so sitting in traffic, not moving, listening to the radio and using the AC in 15 degree weather has no effect on range? All of those things decrease range. I'm pretty sure you start losing range under 50 degree temperatures and the same with temps over 80, I believe. 

OR, I could live with the superiority of a Volt until there is a better built up infrastructure because I drive < 50 miles daily anyway. 

Volt is awesome and totally fine too, but Drew is making the point that the BOLT will use less energy than an ICE auto would use gas sitting in traffic.

[Drew Dowdell]

3 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Volt is awesome and totally fine too, but Drew is making the point that the BOLT will use less energy than an ICE auto would use gas sitting in traffic.

This.

Yes, if you're going to put the extreme example of 15 degree weather with the heat and radio blasting, there will be some reduction in range... but in normal circumstances with just a bit of traffic, no. 

And I just went through the scenario where I had a vehicle with 275 mile range, but with Florida gas stations out of gas. There was range anxiety as the hurricane approached. 

Charging stations don't run out of charge just because a fuel truck didn't pull up and too many people visited the station that day.

[ccap41]

I know if both are off. But if you want to be warm in the winter or cool in the summer so you keep them both on..  I'd be confident keeping the ICE on knowing I can pull off and fill up but not knowing exactly where the next charging stations is, is more stressful. 

You're right. Charging stations don't run out of electricity but power does go out for days/weeks during said hurricane situations and I'd assume those aren't a top priority to get up and running yet. So we're back to ground zero if you're talking about a hurricane-like storm. Both ICE and EV will give you range anxiety. I know if I had a full EV that I'd seriously be looking into a solar setup with a battery storage and in a bad weather situation... I'd still have a near infinite amount of fuel for my car. 

[Drew Dowdell]

My point was that gas stations we're running out of gas before the storm even hit. I arrived I Florida 5 days before the storm hit and large numbers of gas stations had closed. My parents business never even lost power though the house was without for a week.