Chevy Bolt EUV Road Trip 

Being a Bolt owner, this is why the Tesla charging network opening up to Ford and GM owners is a great thing!

This video really demonstrated the term of "range anxiety" associated with EV's and you did a great job of relaying that. However, you kept a great attitude and perspective about it. I suspect most folks wouldn't have. Thanks for sharing this realistic perspective of EV ownership.

Thanks for showing this! They need to do much much better to make charging easier and more accessible to the average driver!

I have been watching you for over a year, indeed one of your best videos. The reason being is you have always been a fan of these electric vehicles, particularly the Bolt. That being said, your honesty in this vehicle showing the challenges one may face in having to charge this vehicle on a road trip makes this video one of your best. You didn't have to show us how stressful it can be to get into the situation that you got in to. You sell these vehicles for a living, as much as you love them, you were honest in your video about a something that could happen to anyone with this vehicle. I actually felt stressed for you watching you try to get to the charging station. That is what troubles me about getting an electric vehicle. It is a little bit harder for me to go to electric for two reasons, I live in a condo which will be challenge charging at home, plus I live in Queens, NY where it is another challenge finding a charging station. Part of me wants and is excited about getting an electric vehicle and the other part of me is the stress I would have portrayed in this video. The answer for my decision on purchasing an electric vehicle will be decided based on these two things which may take a few more years to happen. First, more charging stations being built around my area of travel and an increase in the speed a vehicle can be charged. I feel these vehicles were pushed way to fast ahead of having enough charging stations available. Anyway great video, I still feel one day in the future I will make the move to electric.

I’d say the Bolt is perfect for person that’s only commuting back & for to work, short drives etc. I really don’t see it as a long haul road-trip car.

You were lucky you didn’t have two little kids in the backseat saying are we there yet.😂

3 minutes in and I’m going to give my Mazda CX-30 a hug.

This is exactly why Ford and GM are adopting the NACS standard and putting the Tesla plug in their cars. There is literally 0 issue road tripping in Teslas. You always know that you have reliable chargers the entire trip

Great video! Hope, drama, insecurity, positivity, suspense, success! Looking forward to the rest of your trip. 🙂 I still have not made a long distance road trip in my Bolt, but this info is helpful as I plan one.

Thanks for keeping it real.

Got my car 4 days I am happy and grateful I found the right car for me The bolt is great car and will not miss gas station

Rich Rebuilds had the same issue with his Rivian traveling from Boston to Florida. Tesla has everyone else beat as far as infrastructure. My cousin visited me here in Chicago in 2018. She drove her Tesla Model X here from LA and then drove to Indiana and back to LA. She didn't have many issues. Not like you're having and this was seven years ago.

Excellent video in capturing the angst of "range anxiety." I Thank all you early trail blazers of owning EV's. After watching the video, I learned that you need to put way more energy, faith, planning, and patience in using EV's for a long trip. Until a reliable National Grid of EV chargers are in place - I'll stay with ICE. Those that say use an EV for local trips, and have a second car for long distance kind of defeats the purpose of being environmentally active. One final thought, we're retired and considered an EV. We live in North Caldwell and often travel to Philly. I visited two dealerships, one was a GM dealership (no name) the other was a Subaru dealership. One dealership pushed buying an EV and mentioned the ease of recharging. The other dealership, was honest about an EV not being ready for seniors traveling to Philly. We appreciated the honesty of the dealership that said to wait a few years. You're video proved the point. I hope you and your colleagues are very open and honest about the pro's and con's. Thanks again for all your terrific informative videos.

Nice video Dave. This situation is exactly why I was dumbfounded that GM was abandoning their awesome Voltec platform, or their plug-in hybrid technology. The Chevy Volt was a great transitional car to let people drive electric, while having the gas engine for long range travel, or if you just forgot to plug in the previous night. A plug-in hybrid Equinox probably would've sold well, if the Toyota Rav4 Prime's popularity is any indication. Some tips for your future EV road trips. If you have to stretch your range, drive slower. Set the cruise control to 5, 10, or even 15 mph below the speed limit (though turn your emergency lights on if on the freeway), and take secondary roads if possible. Avoid cruise control though if you're climbing a hill as the car will then use more power going up. Some other apps you might want to consider is A Better Route Planner, which can help you plan for trips based on your EV and charging stations available. The Windy app is also useful if you want to see if you're going to have head winds to drive into on your trip. You mentioned Plugshare, which is also useful, especially if you want to check how reliable a station is based on community feedback of that station. I'm glad that as of this post, GM and Ford at least are going to adopt Tesla's NACS (North American Charging Standard) connector in the US. The supercharger network is vastly superior to Electrify America, Chargepoint, EVgo, and other CCS charging stations due to how widespread it is, and the sheer number of charging stations they have. The Tesla connectors are also much smaller, so easier to use, and much more powerful. CCS cables are no fun to use when it's really cold out due to how massive they are. This should help ensure that their EV customers will have a much better ownership experience, and allow Tesla to build out even more superchargers in more places.

Thanks Dave for sharing this review.

Another good vehicle video. I had no intentions to buy or lease a electric vehicle, but after watching the video it confirms another reason why I do not want one. I live in Pa. and it is hilly also no gas station by me have the chargers but around 5 miles there is outlets that have them. These vehicles are good for in town running around that is about it. I will stay with my gas vehicles, like you said I passed probably 20 gas stations. Oh by the way, the local Chevy Dealer by me does not have electric chargers as of yet.

Dave is super easy to talk to. If I lived in Livingston New Jersey I would come see Dave for all my car needs. He is full of valuable information. He is also a good listener. Dave, you are an inspiration. Thanks for all your advice.

We got to stick with the plugin hybrid, we are not ready for full EV yet

Alwayssss have a plan B, C and D with the public chargers. Half of them in my area are either broken down or not in service for some reason. We still have a long way to go with reliable public chargers. Great video dude!

On the opposite end of the EV spectrum, I rented a Tesla Model Y from Hertz in Portland OR. Drove it over a week and put over a thousand miles on it. Tesla Superchargers are easily mapped by the car's navigation system and every one of them worked without me doing anything else other than plugging in. Driving the Model Y was no more hassle than any gas car.

So glad you did this video. Lots of insights to get people to think about EV

Your video was informative. You did not sugar coat it. It not impossible to travel with a EV but it takes longer and careful planning. Thanks for not taking the company line. Hopefully there is a part two to this video.

We LOVE our EUV for all our local (200 miles or less) trips. Our Highlander, which sits in the garage undriven for weeks at a time, is our trip car 😉

Dave I would have a panic attack! Have been thinking of venturing out but still apprehensive for this exact reason

This video is very informative. I really like how Dave takes time to show his trip in the Bolt. This is a great example of the experience of owning an electric car. This video is honest in showing some of the difficulties of taking a long trip in an electric car. Dave has a style of showing the whole experience and presenting with taste and style.

Thank you for this video! In gas cars, most of us don't really prepare where we're going to fill our tanks up so interesting to see how that differs in electric cars.

Very interesting! You are in great shape and handle stress well. If it was me, my t-shirt would have been soaked from nervous sweat. Soaking wet.

I appreciate this video!

If you had hit a traffic jam you would have been screwed

Thanks for putting this video out there Dave. I'm sure a lot of folks including myself have been skeptical about EVs for this very reason. There needs to be way more charging stations available before this segment of cars can flourish more. I'm sure as time goes on there will be. I'm not there yet on it.

Excellent video...thanks for sharing your experience. Bolt EUV is an excellent vehicle.

Looking forward to this video!!

Thank you for the realistic review.

Your experience was exactly why I passed on the Tesla I was seriously considering last year. I talked to a few owners that have experienced what you did or worse on long trips. One friend who has owned a Tesla Model 3 for years bought a second gas car just for long trips. He loves his Tesla but won't replace it when it's time.

Thanks Dave, I'll stick with my Diesel Mercedes.

A very useful video. It underscores the importance of some preplanning. Thank you.

Your best video yet!! I love my Chevy Silverado! Full it up please!

Amazing,mindblowing!

Fantastic video showcasing the EV experience. Well done and I look forward to more!

Yes - CCS, Planning is a MUST

Love the positivity.. but this is why my new bolt is our main local car. Not a travel car

Great video. Relatable and Informative.

Sweating bullets with ya Dave B. Safe travels and better luck charging down the road.

Penn state sheetz saves the day for Dave B 😁

Great job.

Been driving ev’s for 10+ years, great video!

This was so good!

Its good to know that you did not run into a traffic jam or worse, a car wreck on your journey, gads !

Great video it remained me why I’m not getting an EV any time soon

Your efficiency on that trip was 3.7 miles per kilowatt-hour. Which is very good. The BOLT EUV is efficient. Not as good as most Tesla's but still a good outcome. Of course that is greatly affected by weather, terrain, and how you drive.

Thanks for another great video with a little slice of ev life. I thought that looked like route 11, a place I travel often. Arriving at Bloomsburg Chevy confirmed it. Those circular marks on the road gave it away. Don’t see those in many places. I think they were installed to help drivers mark their distance from other cars to avoid rear end collisions. Lots of places to turn off on that stretch.

Omg that was nail-biting

NICE!!!!

My God you have guts!!!!!

Very interesting but ill keep my prius with 57 MPG

Hi Dave. Love your videos. I have been driving a Bolt EV since 2019 here in Southern California. U had a used 2017 EV, brand new 2021 EV and now a 2023 EUV. I love my 2022 EUV and I use it primarily for Uber driving. I have been averaging 4.7 miles/kw since 1/1/23. I get over 300 miles on a full charge with 90% street driving. This problem you are having is primarily a ccs problem and not a Bolt problem. You hear horror stories from thousands of ccs ev owners when it comes to road trips. My friend had a 170000 Porsche Tycan and after 5 months of dealing with the charging infrastructure, he returned it and bought a Tesla. I also own a Tesla model y performance and I have driven it from Los Angeles area to Arizona, Oregon, Washington and Colorado without a problem. I guess that is why Ford and GM are joining the Tesla supercharger network. The Bolt is perfect as a daily driver and as a ride sharing vehicle, but not for long road trips.

I can feel the tension..😂

Great video Dave. It's good to know that we are moving towards a more unified charging network as the Tesla charger is becoming the standard over the next few years. It will make EV ownership alot easier. Still hoping to get a Bolt.

Yep, the average American would immediately turn this right back in. Electric cars at this point are only good for commuting to/from work and running around town. Any road trips need to be gas period. Electric will never completely catch on until there is charging stations at pretty much every gas station. And also that in 5-10mins I can go to empty to a full charge. Sorry on a road trip I don’t feel like wasting hours sitting.

This just why I won’t own an electric car. I just don’t want to deal with charging it.

If I were going on a road trip I'd call the gas stations in advance just to make sure now because of this video 😅

I have a Tesla on my 4th one. Definitely a Tesla fan boy. But I have thought about buying other bands of EVs. But the charging infrastructure isn't that great. Never know of they are working, or if they are going to be full with other people charging, or they are just slow to charge. I do think that will all change with Tesla opening up their charging network to other EVs. Tesla's Supercharging network from my experience is so much better. They are always working, never had to wait for one to be available, and quick to charge. I just drove from TN to Fort Lauderdale FL and back without any charging issues.

Bonjour-Dave~bravo!pro picture!:)

Since you made it. I am happy for you. As a long time EV driver and having 2 Bolts, for trips I use A Better Route Planner to plan the trip. Also the members fee is worth 4 dollars. It pays for itself in 1 to charge. Then just cancel it. I don't use my Chevy app for trips.

Thanks for doing a real world take on EV ownership and confirming for me I never want one.

Right in my hometown area near Bloomsburg, the closed sheetz! 😂

This was a fun road trip, but I’m going to stick with my MDX lol. Worrying if I have enough charge for long road trips and trying to find a charging station would drive me crazy lol

Thanks for sharing! Nope, I really think Hybrid is the way to go. Always good to have a back up plan, right? EV is just not there yet for long distance driving. Maybe in the future, my opinion.

Great video!! Damn man you just about made it lol

I love the idea of electric vehicles but the infrastructure needs to be improved for sure!

Thank you for this video. I've been driving my 2020 Bolt for almost 3 years and love it, but the public infrastructure for long trips is not quite where it needs to be. I'm in northeastern PA and a week ago drove to JFK airport and back on a single charge. It was 246.5 miles which gave me 32 miles to spare. I would have had to use a public charger in the middle of winter. The dealership where I purchased my Bolt had finally installed a Fast charger on their lot a few months ago. However, the company that did the installation has not finished the connection for use. I was there recently and the manager I spoke to had no explanation why it's still unavailable. So I wasn't surprised that you had no access to the dealership's charger.

One thing for sure is this makes good content, next year there will be fast chargers every 50 miles thanks to tesla, we can only hope charging a electric vehicle will get easier but for now charging at home is the best option.

Meanwhile I have the polar opposite, ford excursion 7.3 diesel with 44 gallon tank 😂

With all the things one may have to deal with during a road trip this video exposes the shortcomings of EV vehicles & charging on a long trip like wasted time, stress of finding a charging station, going off the interstate to find a charger and also when you pull into the charging station there are no available chargers to start using immediately ( don't we all want to add time to our trip) A EV for local use and errands seems to be logical, but long trips its not ready for prime time.

This is a great example of a long trip with a electric vehicle. I was able to drive a Volkswagen ID4 for a couple of days.

Wow, I almost followed a similar path along 80 with my Rivian last month, and had considered the stop in Bloomsburg, glad I took the Subaru instead as timing was a factor on my trip.

Was that weird being a Chevy delar for a sec - that you don’t work at to try and charge your car. But nice cidei to bring this yo us. And I appreciate you having some humor in this it shows that you are having fun at times.

As others have said, I appreciate your honesty and transparency in this video. I would have been completely stressed out and then totally irritated to add so much time to my trip to recharge the battery (I mean you are not even at your final destination yet in this video, and I saw a 1+ hour charging time for this leg). I will stick with my ICE vehicles for sure.

Dave, you're patience is amazing. I would have stopped at the next Chevrolet dealer, and traded the Bolt for a gas powered something. LOL BTW, thanks for the honesty sir.

The general public will simply not put up with charging infrastructure roulette.

Good thing you didn’t hit any traffic either!

Great video. I haven't needed to use public charging for my Bolt yet (love the ability to charge at my house) but because of these issues I have many charging apps pre-loaded on my phone. From many reviews such as yours, I know that should I need a public charging station I will first check the status of the chargers (good or out-of-service), their availability (in use or free), and previous customer comments (e.g., sketchy or good location, food or shopping available, etc.). Plus it certainly seems that some charger companies maintain their charging stations better than others. I am surprised that this area of Pennsylvania had such a paucity of charging stations. I live well northwest of Phoenix, and the range on the Bolt is sufficient for my occasional trips to southern Phoenix and back which is plenty for my normal use. Rural Arizona is quite devoid of chargers though, so I would use my Silverado for those trips. P.S. - curious what the Chevy and GMC dealerships would have said if you had time to go in and ask about their chargers? 🤔

😂 I’m not stressed, I’ll just shut down every possible energy usage and drive like a grandma!

Driving in rain reduces range by 10% or so. Driving into the wind reduces range by 10% or so. Can you see why Dave struggled on this day?

I like your idea, take the plates off and abandon the piece of crap. No way would I ever consider going through this. You are a better man than I.

Great Video appreciate you sharing this info and knowledge. But I'm hearing that Silverado WT gonna do 450 miles plus and that's a game changer.

Dave, love your honesty here... & it sure was nerve-wracking even to watch. I would not want that much anxiety on a road trip. You end up driving way more miles than you need to, & it's all about "finding the charging station" instead of easily getting to your destination. I would prefer to keep my high-highway-mileage V6 engine (Buick) that gets me 33 or more MPG on the highway, or possibly switch to a hybrid at some point... but the EVs are not for me at the moment. I applaud your attitude, but I couldn't take such a vehicle on an extended road trip. If that last Sheetz place was not working, you'd have been sunk!

My family and I took our first real "road trip" in our 2023 Bolt EUV recently - first trip where we were traveling far more than the capacity of the battery would allow. Our experience was good, but only because I did some research ahead of time and really planned the trip. All I could think though was how the average person (my Dad for instance) would never be happy with the way the current infrastructure is and the amount of forethought needed for longer trips.

So stressful not to find charge stations as it needs. on other hand, your sharing can help for decision to buy EV. Plus, followed your stream a few weaks ago about miles / kwt, distance range. it is one of most useful info for EV's.

What a disaster!

Did it really take 1 hour and 16 minutes to charge? It only cost $12.54 for the charge, but I would have paid $125.40 to not have to wait that long. ;-) Excellent video!!

Sheetz did this to me in Wytheville Va , Circle K is a good one to look at.

Once the gov figures out how to apply taxes, the cost to drive (compared to sized gas car=Chevy Spark) will be greater since the policos assume drivers of EVs have a greater ability to pay. Your car got 47mpg (Cost of $14.44. Assume $3/gal=4.8 gal 226mi/4.8 gal= 47mpg) But you spent 1.25 hrs getting fuel and maybe another 2 hours searching for a station.

Ev's are great if you charge them in your garage every night and just use them around town but if you need to drive 500 miles or so you got a problem in most cases. I have a friend who has an older Nissan Leaf and the battery has degraded to where it will only get around 75 miles to a charge. But he is ok with that because he just has a 5 mile drive to work and he only plugs the car in once or twice a week.

Dave thanks for video. My wife and I took our daughter’s Altima to dealership for a service and my wife talked them into letting us drive the new Aryia. I am a 2020 Silverado 1500 Z-71 RST 5.3 owner and love it but loved driving the Aryia. My wife a 2022 Genesis GV70 Sport Prestige and can drive anything hated it and for some reason was a little afraid of it. I asked the dealership at the time how many they have sold and they said none so far. I used to be against electric vehicle but not now, however, issues like you just had and the length of time to charge on a trip turns me off from getting one. Although 45 minutes to an hour resting while charging on a trip would in some ways be good I just don’t want to take that amount of time and just want to get there. I will keep my Chevrolet that I love and love to hear it start up and rumble. You don’t get these sound with an EV.

I have learned to plan but I'm fortunate we have a lot of charges in this part of the country. I can't compare, I have never been below 20%.

As I've always said, I love watching your vlogs, for the entertainment & informational value. However, an EV would definitely not fit in to my life, especially, with what you described & illustrated. Living in a rural area would definitely be a challenge for an EV owner. I'm looking forward to your next vlog.

Great video! I have to say, I was panicking for you. I drive a Chevy Malibu, and I have been thinking about an EV for my next car, but after seeing this video, I think I will pass... LOL!

Once an EV hits about 500 miles range and 10 minutes to fully charge then EVs will be the future and gas will be obsolete. But until then I'll keep my 15 Golf TDI 50 mpg consistently. Good vid tho shows reality of a long distance drive in an EV. Can't wait to see the rest.

A good backup plan for a Bolt highway trip would be to hit a RV park. Most have 50amp NEMA 14-50 outlets which will work with the evse supplied with the Bolt EUV.