Review of the Chevy BOLT EV | Over A Year of Driving | One Pip Wonder
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- čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
- We have been driving our electric car for a years and half now, here are our thoughts.
Thanks for watching!
What happens to used car batteries? Check out this article for the answer: www.wired.com/story/cars-goin...
Music from CZcams Audio Library
Guest: Daniel Minotto
Host: Jona Minotto
Photography, Filming and Editing: Jona
Nice review. I’m two weeks into a 2023 Bolt EV
I love my Bolt - I picked up mine used, and being in my price range was the biggest deal for me. Literally every other car available is nowhere even close to the value of the Bolt. I look forward to all the newest vehicles flooding the used market in a few years.
Both me and my wife have been driving our Bolt EVs for 4 years. We do not own any gas cars. The only drawbacks are the small space, the reduction of 40% - 50% in range during winter, and going on longer trips that are beyond the Bolt’s range. We are used to it by now and it just requires a little more planning. So far both cars have been very reliable and never let us stranded. Even in winter during a blizzard where we can get 30cm+ of snow here in Toronto, the Bolt doesn’t get stuck and just keeps on going (we have winter tires for both). We are sticking with electric cars and have recently just ordered a bigger EV SUV as a 3rd vehicle that we will use for outings and trips.
Welcome to the club fellow Bolters! It looks like you got yourselves a Premier trim. Have you played with you rearview mirror yet? If not, toggle the lever under the mirror and you might be pleasantly surprised.
I bought my Premier brand new back in 2019 and have been honeymooning with it ever since. The best car in my life, Chevy or not.
10:00 One pedal driving is very convenient. I didn't see that mentioned in this excellent video. So: there are three ways to brake and I use one pedal mostly. I use the paddle when I am in impatient traffic or signals change unexpectedly. Actual braking is only needed very sporadically.
It's the choices that I love, I have a Fiat 500e with two pedal breaking and a BMW I3 with 1 pedal ONLY
I'm not that good with the one pedal, so I use the paddle to slow down and stop.
1 pedal driving has one serious drawback - the car can only decelerate up to a certain point by taking your foot off the accelerator pedal. If something unexpected happens you need to move your foot over to the brake pedal to stop faster
If you leave it in D when you take your foot off the accelerator it slows down more like a manual transmission car with your foot off the gas - you put your foot on the brake to slow down more quickly, and if you need to stop really quickly your foot is already on the brake pedal
you have spent your entire life driving with a gas pedal and brake pedal, so switching to one pedal driving you will not be as smooth (when you have passengers in the car) and you will not be able to stop as quickly when you need to
also if you are using the cruise control in L (Lazy? mode) when you disable the cruise the car hits full regen and slows down abruptly, unless you put your foot on the accelerator and try to speed match your foot before cancelling the cruise - its just easier to keep the car in D when using the cruise, and drive with the cruise control + - and cancel buttons
Nice review. We have a 23 on order and can’t wait to c how it all works out.
I appreciated your video and sharing your experience. Very enlightening.
We have a 2020 Bolt on lease and are going to buy it. It's a great car, quick, quiet and reliable. Unfortunately ours didn't get the new battery, but you can pick up a 2017-2019 for about $15K and those get new batteries. 19 Bolts have started on fire because of the battery, FAR MORE gas vehicles start on fire than that.
I have a 22 EUV and love it! They have actually addressed some of the issues you have with yours.
We just got 2023 Bolt EV, and love it. Interestingly, because we got the basic model, it does not have some of the things that your 2018 has. We did not get the Comfort Package, for instance, so no heated steering wheel or seats. That would have cost another $1000. And we did not get the phone charger. We’ve only had the car a few weeks, but really love it!
I got a 23 also, I don't think there is heavily optioned as the earlier models. I went in for a 1lt, heated seats aren't worth $1,000, they gave me a deal on a 2 LT on the lot, not the color I wanted
Great review. We are looking at picking up a used Bolt this summer. I mostly work from home since Covid. But I do have to go to the office twice a week. And I think this would be a terrific commuter car. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Great video! We are taking the leap to go EV and Chevy. I just heard your comparison to your Volvo. We’ve had decades of trading our Hondas every three years. I didn’t think to try out the wipers. I hope they’ve improved them in 2023. I love your enthusiasm and I really hope we like our Bolt when we get it. Thanks!
My 23 is new to me, but I don't know what the problem is with the wipers come on mine seem fine
Love the color, I may be getting one of these this summer. Im looking at a red one but I like this one as well. I was looking at the ev6 but I’m not paying 40k-50k for a car. Great video.
thanks!
great video!
I absolutely LOVE the colors for the chevy bolt. I love the blue, yellow green color, the orange💙🧡💚
Hi One Pip Wonder! I really liked your video on the Chevy Bolt. I also have a 2017 Bolt for 2+ years now. My partner has a Tesla Model 3. I thought I should point out that the Tesla can actually also use a Level 2 home charger (240V system) since Tesla supplies their cars with a J-1772 adapter that attaches to the plug and has the proprietary Tesla configuration on the other end to fit into the car. Also, if you put your Bolt into the “L” mode while driving, you will get regenerative braking whenever you let up on the accelerator pedal. Some owners think that the “L” stands for “Low gear” and that it will decrease your range. But after testing it for many miles and charge cycles, I don’t see much difference if any. Using it in “L” allows you to perform “one pedal driving” unless you have to stop very fast. I also use that steering wheel paddle to increase the regen if I’ve failed to let off on the accelerator soon enough when needing to turn or stop. I’m so glad you like your Bolt! We need everyone to get on to cleaner, greener, safer and smarter transportation to help save our planet! Cheers!
P.S. I couldn’t tell from the video, but if equipped, your Bolt should be able to charge at DC fast charging stations when long distance traveling. Not that you do this as you explained in your video. But I rely on them a lot when visiting family in PA since I live in Maine. However, the Bolt has to be equipped with this feature since Chevy made it an “option”, and charged buyers around $600 for it! I’m so glad my used Bolt came with it - in fact, I wouldn’t have bought it without it, or paid to have it installed. When traveling 700+ miles one way, you can’t practically be sitting for 4-6 hours each time you need to charge to 80% to get back on your journey. 1 1/4 hours is long enough! My partner’s Tesla can do it in less than 30 minutes and makes me envious of her! :) But otherwise, the Bolt is a great little EV!
$600 was a deal compared to what they charge for minor options now, might be better off getting a 2LT trim if you want heated seats and cross traffic
Just got mine yesterday. 2019 with 135k miles, new battery in early 2022, $9400. Seems like it was a good deal. Bought it privately.
Going with my girlfriend to pick up hers tomorrow.
Yaya!😎
Wish GM would have kept that flavor of Orange. It was my favorite color, but was discontinued by the time I was ready to buy.
Nice video !
woohoo knoebels, awesome place!
If you want to turn down the volume on the initial boot up of the car, as you turn it on, hold down the volume down button and it will change the volume so it isn’t so loud.
gonna try that thanks
@@onepipwonder915 Cool, let me know if you got it to work.
I wish you had shared your “one pedal driving” experiences. Good video though. Great vehicle choice.
Am thinking of getting a bolt how does the charge work at home.
put your seat belt on before hitting the start button and it will not ding at you
its very quiet, so it feels like you are going slower than the speedo says - I checked mine twice with a hand held GPS and the speedometer is spot on - driving at 55mph with the cruise control on, the lane keeping and forward collision system watching out for you, its very peaceful and Zen
BTW, you did not mention the lane keeping function. It engages over 38 mph. If you drift over the line on either side of the lane it gently steers you back into your lane. It so subtle that you might not even notice its doing it, with the yellow icon on the dash board, and it dinging at you if you keep doing it.
Tesla comes with an adapter to use the J-1772. So if you have a level 2 charging (240V, 32-48amp, Nema14-50 plug) station installed in your garage you can use the J-1772 plug for both non Tesla and Tesla.
Hello! Thank you so much for this video- you did a really good job of making the car real for those of us who don't yet drive one. I've been struggling to find any in Canada- like anywhere in Canada- and am on the list for the 2023 when it comes out. Unfortunately for us up here, the pricing is ridiculous- I looked at one last week that was priced at $50,000 (tax in). It was a 2021, no rebates available. And you know what? It sold at that price in 2 days. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but I simply don't have that kind of financial resources. Thanks again for a great video!! You've helped me stick to my plan to find a Bolt, used or otherwise.
thanks so much for the kind comment. Hope there will be more affordable options on the market soon!
Wow, I wonder if it would be cheaper and legal to take a trip to us and get one of ours
No transmission really helps add interior space.
If you fasten your seat belt before starting; there will be no beeping.
Did you all get a recall to change your battery
Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm curious, If you buckle your seatbelt before turning the car on, does that alarm still sound?
You had me out in the car double checking. If the belt is on first it won't ring. But it rings as long as the belt is off or the door is open with the emission button on. 👍
Thank you for the great info on the car. Which year Bolt do you have and what trim model did you get?
hey :) it was 2017 and it was the primum trim model. We actually traded it in recently and I still kind of miss it even though we love our new electric car.
What car did you replace it with?@@onepipwonder915
You can absolutely get an adapter for a regular J1772 charge to charge a Tesla. Just FYI. I love the wipers on my Bolt. She is certainly quick, not necessarily fast, but quick. It’s disappointing that they charged extra for DC fast charging.
I can't wait for the equinox
I think the alarm when you turn on the car is the seat belt alarm. If you put your seat belt on before turning it on, you shouldn't hear that sound.
Yes its for the seat belt or when are the door is open. Its just that its very loud and there is no volume lol thanks for commenting!
Great vid, have you had to any maintenance on the car in the two years you've had it
No normal maintenance due to no engine. But we did end up replacing the USB unit as the old one stopped working and it's the only way to get navigation. Also as I mentioned the rear view mirror, user error.
That car doesn't have DCFC??? WOW!!! Definitely something you would use to go to work and come home.
I have the same color Chevy Bolt! Love my vehicle...good job going greeen
Nice review. Since you are finding it so quiet, Is the pedestrian alert disconnected?
I didn't get that, my pedestrian alert on my 23 is louder than some gas cars
Great video! I had an electric car but sold it. It really only works if you have a home or a place to charge it, like a work. It was nice though! I’d say in today’s world, an idea situation would be having both an EV and an ICE car. EV for basic stuff around town, and the ICE for extended road trips.
Agreed, its not perfect for everyone but such great options for a household with more than one vehicle.
Bolt for in town
Model Y for road trips
Ram for off-road & situations where the other two just don’t work.(charging deserts or big loads)
@@onepipwonder915 add in your solar panels, and it’s a no brainer
With the longer range of 250+ miles in a Chevy Bolt, the need for an ICE car for trips is negated. Sure, you have to stop for a bit over an hour to get back up to 80% charge, but it’s only after you’ve traveled 200+ miles and it’s time for a restroom break, a cup of coffee, a walk or a snooze. Enjoy life and don’t be in too big of a hurry! Most importantly, that too many American’s forget, ignore or deny, is that we owe it to our generation and those to come a better livable planet. Reducing our carbon footprint individually will collectively make a big impact to a cleaner, greener, safer & smarter world! “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!”
@@evevangelist5910 The problem with humanity right now is that people don't want to adapt and change their habits for the survival of the human species. A major change in lifestyle is needed from everyone, we also need to change the fundamentals of economics and capitalism by developping local sustainable economy not based on making profit no matter what and put an end to the free trade treaty that encourage slave labour and offshores tax haven.
Knobles! I derailed old smokie as a kid in the 70's.
looking into one but likely not a buyer until the market gets back to normal.
How many miles do you have on it now? How is it now? Any changes in range or anything else?
Hey there, we did not ever see a change in range over the three years we drove it. But we got a new battery only one year after our purchase due to a recall, so its hard to judge.
I showed my brother your video because he checked out the electric cars at the Auto Show this year, and he's intrigued by your car's screen on the left side that shows a bird's eye view of the car. He said to ask you how they get that camera angle showing the overhead view?
The Bolt has 6 cameras. The images are stitched together to generate a live bird's eye view of the car and its surroundings. It's a super cool feature 👍
@@onepipwonder915 thanks for the info.! I'll tell him. That's so cool that they can put the images together to do that.
On the new bolt EVS you need to get to LT trim to get that
I live in Michigan and have a daily commute of 120mile total. I am nervous about battery life and having to charging station availability. Would you recommend this type of care for long distance commuters?
this car is very efficient, especially with the new batteries just installed this year (2022 recall). Our range is now up to 240/250 miles. We still have a slow charger though. If we drove the full range everyday we would have to get a fast charger installed.
@@onepipwonder915 you just need a 220v outlet ( dryer or oven outlet) . I'm going to rewire the detached garage with a newer service with 220v outlets for level 2 charge soon. I'll keep my 2018 Outback for long trips but drive a Bolt( when I get one) for work
Great video but you missed to share some important information a new EV owner might want to know
1.how many miles you get over a nights charge and how many miles of charge you use daily.
2.how is the battery holding up after 5 years of use (2017to 2022).
3.how many years warrantee you have left on the battery and the car
4.will you still buy an ICE car now that you have used for so many years.
1. Depends on how much charge you start with (lower charged batteries charge much quicker), but roughly 50 miles. If we had a 240v charger (instead of a 120v) it would be the entire battery
2. Batter is holding up perfectly find. I've experienced no range degradation.
3. No idea, but it's being replaced due to a recall either way.
4. I would have a very hard time buying another ICE car. This Bolt is probably worse case scenario when it comes to range and charging times (it lacks DC charging port), and I still have never needed to take my ICE car out instead because I lacked the needed range. That's including winter driving when the temp never rose above freezing for a couple weeks.
Your second point is not an issue. Every bolt manufactured either has or will be getting a brand new battery this year with a reset full 8yr/100k warranty. Basically, buying a used bolt is like getting a brand new EV for 50% off msrp. Pretty cool!
@@DanielMinottoII thank you Daniel. enjoy your ride
what is the range? over 200 right? cargo space is good? I wish i had this car once they get batteries fixed! thanks for posting.
the range is about 238 miles, this does change based on power consumption; heating, heated seats, etc. Cargo is plenty for grocery shopping and day trips. The floor of the trunk is removable and there is more storage space underneath as there is no spare tire. It would be tight for a vacation trip though. Thanks for watching!
The quote on solar panels was like $17,000 but save $18,000 within 20yrs so where's the savings? I'm couple years out before I can buy a Bolt. My Outback will be longer roadtrips and weekends. I'm nursing a 2007 Malibu till a get a Bolt for work
I drive a regular gas hybrid and have snuck up on people in the past....
does the running of the car not assist in charging the battery? not just that paddle brake
I think you are talking about a gas and electric hybrid where the gas engine can charge/recharge the battery. The Bolt only runs on electricity. But that would be nice if it worked that way!
@@onepipwonder915 Thank you for replying, was just wondering if there was some kind of dynamo in it really, but hey ho .
They do recharge with use of the normal brake peddle as well (which uses regen and normal brake pads to slow the car)
You can put the Bolt in the “L” drive mode and the regen will always be on and you can have 1 pedal driving, rarely using the brakes
@@sevenflashowls will definitely be thinking of an Electric vehicle next time but will depend on energy prices here in UK
please did you have your battery replaced
We are scheduled to have it replace for the recall in the next few weeks. Although it does not need it to be replaced to our knowledge.
I think the recall applies to ALL Bolts. Conforming to GM's charging recommendations sucks for long road trips.
when can I buy one? There are none available right now due to the battery recall?
Looks like they are planning on some of the 2022 Bolts to be available later this summer. But you might check your local used dealers to see what's available from the 2017 run.
GM has put a total stop sale on all bolts. You may find some at an independent dealer that will sell you one but no GM dealer will until the recall is complete. And if it hasn't been done, be prepared to wait. GM is prioritizing certain years however that only applies to customer owned cars. Any cars that were bought back, or are in dealer inventory have been 'deprioritized indefinitely.' Something my dealer conveniently forgot to tell me in November when he took my non refundable deposit on a car that I STILL don't own and currently have no date for getting a battery.
@@SweetLou0523 Guess I'm stuck without an electric vehicle for a while then. Tesla is out of my price range, but somehow everyone and there neighbor has one. Go figure.
It's also hard to trust GM at this point? Do they really know what they are doing?
@@trevordad27 those people are in severe debt. The payment on a tesla is a grand a month or more which is just stupid. If I'm paying $500mo on a car note, then I have made a catastrophic mistake. No vehicle let alone an EV is worth that.
Just suscribed because you are environmental aware.
thanks for the support :)
Great if you have a garage, but if you only have a carport with no electricity close this is not a possibility.
7:35 home chargers work for all electric cars including teslas. What you seem to be confused about is Tesla's superchargers. They work with only teslas.
Thank you for letting me know 👍
Interesting video. You brought up some things that I hadn't thought of--that pedestrians might not hear the car coming, that you can warm up the car in the garage and not have any carbon dioxide, etc. When you're in another city and don't know where the charging stations are, is there an app or something that shows you places where you can charge the car?
Yes! The myChevrolet Mobile App with Energy Assist alerts you to anything that might effect your route and lets you know where available charging stations are located, they compatibility and cost if there is any.
I don't get that, I have a 23 it's sound generator is very loud, a little annoying. Many gas cars are very quiet.
We tend to keep our cars until they no longer run, my last one went over 600K. That said, there was normal engine repair but not much. From what I hear, the batteries in electric cars should be replaced every 5 or so years which is no small cost. Fortunately for you and the Bolt, the recall gives your car more life. I'd say that's the only reason I haven't gone fully electric, but I am still very much considering it. Maybe next year when Hummer puts out their electric truck. :)
Daniel is already talking about maybe trading this in for the truck lol very tempting! Thanks for bringing up the point of the battery life. I should have thought of that. But the life span of an electric car battery is more like 10 years not 5. Something else to consider is the lack of the normal engine maintenance. No more oil changes and the like, which we are all used too but cost just the same. Thanks for watching Alex! Hope we make it to game night next month, we miss everyone :)
The engineering behind these new batteries are generations ahead of the old nissan leafs and toyota priuses that would wear out the batteries in 10 years. Beyond the chemical composition, the Bolts (and most other new ev's) have active liquid cooling of the batteries which greatly increase the life. From most accounts, the old Chevy Volt batteries which had liquid cooling have aged very well. Our car is 5 years old and still has 10% more range than the advertised amount when charged 100%. I doubt it would stay that way with 600k miles on it; but I expect these batteries to have a useful life much longer than 10 years.
No you don't need to replace battery of the cars. They are warranteed to last for 8 years but in practice most last the lives of the cars.
My hybrid battery has a warranty of ten years from Toyota
Current gen batteries are expected to last around 15 years or more
60 miles is not a long trip
Shame it wasnt rwd....
Pro -quick acceleration. Con -eco disaster
right now, there is $12,500 incentive credit for EVs, but there aren't any in stock, and they dont apply to Tesla because they're only for unionized makers. how the hell is that constitutional ???
That hasn’t passed yet.
None of that currently exists and the constitution doesn't have anything to do with tax rebates. Why do people always toss around "unconstitutional" for stuff that has zip to do with it?? Jeesh. So as far as the proposed ev credits go, it was part of BBB which the Republicans refused to support which is a shame. It would have switched the EV credit to a rebate and reset the cap for all manufactures, many of which have already sundowned on eligibility.
As far as your comment on the union aspect, that is incorrect. The proposed EV rebate was structured in different tiers. The more beneficial the manufacturing of the car was to America, the better the rebate. The base was like $7500 for everyone. Then there was a kicker for made in America, and then there was another kicker for union made. All combined the max would have been $12,500,
@@SweetLou0523 lol, giving a discount for a union made car is clearly not constitutional, taxes have to be spent to benefit all the taxpayers equally. that would be like having no sales tax on union cars while taxing non-union cars.
@@CrisusAttucks ok then, please cite me the specific portion of the constitution that covers that. You seem to firmly believe it's unconstitutional, convince me how please because I haven't been able to locate which ammendment covers that.