Thank you for your reviews. I have listened to several of the videos and find them down to earth and practical. I'm purchasing a 2020 that was an executive car for 28K. I said I'd never buy another GM product, but here I am. It's all your fault! LOL
Sorry, I'm not from these shores originally and didn't get the memo about disliking GM as a national sport! They made a forward-thinking PHEV, then a capable BEV, and we were sold =) Glad the vids helped though and like most owners, I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun in your new Bolt. Congrats!
I also upgraded from a 2017 Bolt to the 2020 back in February. Even in the San Francisco Bay Area it was cold enough the first couple of months that the efficiency wasn’t great and 20+% of battery energy was going to heat the car, but now that it’s warmer the 2020 seems just as efficient as the 2017 and the extra range is noticeable. I recently did a battery capacity and range test and got 232 miles driving from full down to 1% at 70 mph on the freeway. My next EV I definitely want faster charging and adaptive cruise control, but when I compared the Tesla Model 3 and Kona to the Bolt the deeply discounted price on the Bolt won out. I’m loving it so far
I think that nails it for me too... it's not that there aren't better EVs, it's that none of them compete at the Bolt EVs real-world price point. I was surprised it didn't do better in the winter, but I think the fast charging speed improvements are what they were really pushing in cold weather. Either way, we're definitely seeing the best of the extended battery capacity here in summer.
@@plugandplayEV there aren't better BEVs in anywhere near the price point. When the model 3 owners start having battery capacity loss at 100,000 miles and the Bolt's have none, then we'll know which the better BEV is (also just in vehicle quality alone the Bolt kills everything in its range class).
The low mileage makes it pretty desirable , although you might see if you can get a grand or two knocked off based on 2020 models being available for $25k in some areas. The lowest prices I've seen on used Premiers is ~$19k, but those are closer to 40k miles on the clock. I just saw a post about a Bolt owner in Canada pushing past 200,000 miles with nothing more than routine maintenance and only single digit battery deg, so there's a lot of life in these puppies yet!
My wife and I recently bought a 2020 Bolt EV. I was really nervous about it, afraid it would upset our life, fearing range anxiety. In the end, it is truly an amazing car. We think nothing of driving to a city 2 hours away and drive around and then drive back home without having to charge it. 99% of our charging is done at home. My wife loves not having to take it to a gas station and she also loves the fact it has actual knobs. It does not take a scientist to drive it, it is a very nice car. We recently went on a longer trip and tried out the DC Fast Charger, and that was a good experience. The last 3 weeks here in Michigan have been around 0 F, yeah very cold. The car is amazing, we drive more now than we did before, it is so fun to drive. Ice, snow, cold, wind, we have been in it all and the car has done amazingly well. We don't think of it so much as an EV, it is our car and we love it. Great job GM.
Probably true. I feel the same about a lot of driver tech, but often it comes down to car purchases being as much (or more) about emotion as it is rational choice. At the end of the day, it's a niggly thing but one that plenty of people mention, and some even get stuck on.
The Bolt is a Rock-star commuter (if you have home charging)! The lack of options like ACC, Sunroof and wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay is a bummer :( The DCFC "speed" is disappointing (especially in 2020 like you said) that will have single car owners/family's consider other EV options. Your point is important - Rather buy a 2020 if the price is close to that of a used one (remember state and utility company incentive in your area can bring the price down a lot) - the warranty and extra battery range alone are worth it!
That is one thing that I can genuinely say surprised me: I never expected GM to fill so much of the lost $7,500 tax credit with their own discounts. Our jaws hit the floor in January when we realized we could get into a 2020 for almost half the monthly price of the 2017 and a lower residual at the end. And those great deals seem to have held up since then.
thanks for your review. Just bought a new 2019 (February 2020). Loving the car so far. Looking forward to future EV's when I can road trip without even thinking about it and planning stops ahead of time .
Yeah it shouldn't be too much longer. We see the likes of Apple and Google working in EV charging to maps and OS, while the manufacturers are improving the in-car systems. Between the two, and infrastructure expansion, we should see big improvements over the next couple of years.
Thanks for the review. You mentioned the VW id.3 which I'm a little disappointed in. The ~57kWh battery model charges to 80% in 35 minutes...a marginal improvement over the Bolt. So I hope the new models from Chevy will beat that.
I had read 100kW minimum for the base ID.3, though that could be the old station capability vs. car intake trickery (like 80kW in early reports for the Bolt, but that was the recommended station capability to get its actual 55kW max). Haven't seen any real world charging tests myself but that would definitely be underwhelming.
Hi Guys, Hope "WALMART" soon sees the advantage of having say 6x EV Charge Stations near front door of every USA Store! It is perfect blend~ Shopper now has a hour or more to shop inside!
Nice video, Steve. I am just about to cross the 3,000 mile threshold on my 2020 Bolt Premier. I am very happy with my purchase. Hope to do my first long trip to upstate New York, in September. I was hoping to extend the trip to Montreal, but the border is still shut, and for who knows how long.
Thanks, Jim. Yes, the border closure has changed some of our plans as well but I'm sure you'll find plenty in upstate NY to enjoy. Hopefully EVolve NY will have opened a few locations by then and you can grab some complimentary electrons to help test the system :-)
@@plugandplayEV I am waiting for the proposed fast charger in Bath, NY, to be installed. That would close a big gap, and enable me to plan a trip to the Niagara Falls region.
I found a 2020 Bolt for 23500, my question is I drive about 65000 per year for the next 2-3 years, then about 45000. The only way I can afford this is with a 6 year loan. I'm looking in 6 years about 350,000 miles. Will the battery last or should I wait 2 years and get something that might be more state of the art then. Charging is not a issue Free at work and can charge at home when needed.
350k is tough to assess, as the highest number I've seen so far on any Bolt is into the 200s. The few owners who've passed six figures report minimal degradation (5-8%, depending on how you calculate capacity) and no loss of performance, so those are solid early indicators. I'm assuming that free charging at work is L2, which works in your favor. It sounds like you won't need to DC fast charge a lot, which can take a toll on pack longevity, so as long as it's not going to be sitting in a baking parking lot all day you should have a routine that's not too hard on the pack. My personal inclination if the car works for you overall would be to go for it. The technology at that price point won't be much better in two years and you'll have missed out on the value of that "free fuel" by waiting. I wouldn't say the battery will still be like new by year four, but it should still be perfectly capable of handling the scenario you describe.
Interesting point they they’ve softened the suspension. My 2020 Bolt ride is significantly worse compared to my 2017 Volt. Wife and I just did a significant road trip in the Bolt over 350 miles each way and honestly my next road trip I parked the Bolt and drove the Volt since it’s significantly more comfortable on the highway. After 6000 miles in the Bolt and multiple road trips, ride quality is my number 1 complaint. Fast charging number 2. If the car would hold 55kw for longer even up to 75-80% charge and not taper that would be helpful. Otherwise don’t get me wrong I love the car. Love power. Volt feels absolutely lethargic compared to the Bolt and is great in the city and ok for occasional road trips.
I've heard mixed reviews of the suspension even in the latest model Bolt, so it must really depend what alternative vehicle the driver is used to. From my time in a Volt, it wouldn't surprise me that it feels more comfortable over long trips. The Volt and the Bolt are an excellent pairing. We try to keep everything to the Bolt, but my wife and kids have certainly fallen back on her brother's gen 1 Volt once or twice over the past few years.
My Mirai charges at 2,880kW so the Model 3 isn't even in the same sport let alone the same league, and that's what I take on road trips, so the Bolt's 55kW (for what I use it for) is *more* than adequate.
Right, I think the 2017 is actually the only model year that did hilltop reserve, energy use on a -5/+5 scale, and the other older software limitations. Nonetheless, most of the used Bolts available this year will be 2017s, so the comparison to folks thinking about getting a new 2020 instead is hopefully useful.
What are your thoughts on a "loaded" LT with DC II, Comfort and Convenience Package and DC Fast Charging for a $3.6k discount over the premier? That's the configuration that's calling out to me right now.
I think that's a great discount worth grabbing. The packages add most of the features people want in the Premier, so unless you explicitly need roof rails or leather seats, I'd go with the LT. I don't find the Bose system is worth much extra but we need easy-wipe seats and intend to add a roof rack, which is why we stuck with the Premier.
@@plugandplayEV Yeah, I've just got one child now and we do not do any camping since my wife does not like it and do not have any pets, and do not currently own a roof box. So I am thinking I could get by without that. Thanks for the input.
It has enough torque to rip through a set of tires in 18k miles if you punch it a lot. Who needs more than that? I don't want to be replacing tires every 20k, so I'm not going to use even what the Bolt has anyway.
Both my wife and I feel they're a little more supportive in the lower and upper-mid back areas. But they're still narrow and have the hard bolsters on either side (thigh area), so anyone who didn't like them before isn't likely to be convinced by the 2020 either.
Plug and Play EV - do you find them bothersome on longer journeys? I wish the seat has 6-way power, but otherwise, they’re tolerable seats for long journeys for me (6’1” - 225 lbs - mine’s a 2017). 2-12 to 14 hour trips in the past week, with only minor grumblings about the seats.
No, they're really just fine on any journey for both of us. I need to adjust my position occasionally, but I find that's true of home office seats over the course of a long day too. They could certainly be improved but I can't relate to them as a major area for complaint. Definitely a very personal thing.
That's certainly an outlook and something that will weigh on people's minds, but worth stating that the number of Bolts involved in fire incidents remains in single digits vs. ~100,000 cars sold globally to date. The recall also doesn't cover model year 2020 (or later), which is the focus of this video. Comparatively, there are similar recalls (fire risk, park outside until software checks complete by dealer) on gasoline models due to oil/fuel line leaks that affect hundreds of thousands of vehicles. Kia earlier this year, for example, covering multiple models from the past decade. Statistically-speaking, the Bolt EV is a miniscule risk to own.
Spent several minutes trying to spot a cat in the background before realizing this related to buggering up the sound... note to self: use a mic or stop touching the steering wheel!
