The Bolt fixes that highway wimpiness.
Chevy Bolt EV Nearly As Quick As 300HP Dodge Charger From 50-75 MPH - HybridCars.com
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Bolt EV EPA range = 238 miles combined!
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Chevy Bolt EV Nearly As Quick As 300HP Dodge Charger From 50-75 MPH - HybridCars.com
Chevrolet Bolt
Length 4,166 mm (164.0 in)
Width 1,765 mm (69.5 in)
Height 1,595 mm (62.8 in)
Curb weight 1,624 kg (3,580 lb)
BMW i3
157″ L x 70″ W x 62″ H
Bolt has a very slightly larger frontal area (+24.6 in^2)
Chevrolet Bolt
Gear ratio: 7.05:1
BMW i3
Gear ratio: 9.70: 1
Maybe the taller ratio on the Bolt that makes a difference?
Yeah, just like Tesla could have been optimizing profits and compromised safety in pushing out "Autopilot". After all, Elon himself said the latest Autopilot software changes would have likely prevented the death of Joshua Brown. Perhaps if Tesla had waited until more testing had been done, they could have released Autopilot at a later date with the newest software in place.
See how easy the tables can be turned?
You really want to go down this slippery FUD road? Get a grip.
SureValla
Member
Agreed, to this list I'll add
4) Bolt interior lacks creature comforts of an entry luxury vehicle I'm hoping that the 3 will have
If anybody is still confused, picture your hand. Now picture a glove that's the exact same shape as your hand, just scaled up by a factor of 3.
Both have the same drag coefficient because Cd is a dimensionless quantity, which means physical size (dimensions) of the object is irrelevant, only it's shape. Two items of the same shape, regardless of size, will have the same Cd, even if one is 1000x larger.
But when you stick your hand, then the gloved hand hand out the window, what do you expect to happen? Obviously the gloved hand hand will experience much more drag because it's larger. Just because Model S has a lower drag coefficient doesn't mean it will have a lower drag force. Since Model S is larger than a Bolt, it may be more aerodynamic, but it's sheer size (and mass) might increase the drag force beyond that of the Bolt. If the Model S was shaped like a Bolt, but stayed the same size, it would be hideously inefficient.
Model S is 196″ L x 77″ W x 57″ H. If we scaled a Bolt up to 196" L, it would be 80" wide and 73" tall. That's pretty close to an Escalade, which isn't exactly a car known for its aerodynamics.
That said, I feel the Model 3 will face the same issue. It may be an insanely aerodynamic car, but will it still be too big that its drag force is greater than a Bolt?
This announcement from GM is good news for EVs and is definitely going to heat up the competition between GM and Tesla. I am glad to see that GM seems to be getting more serious, but you are correct to point out that the Model 3 will come with DC charging capability as standard, so it is in fact many thousands of dollars less expensive but is easily capable of long distance travel since of course it has the Supercharger network available to it on a PPU basis and GM has no such network.
Maybe this Bolt news will spur Tesla to boost the base range of the Model 3. Competition is good.
Because the Tesla is much faster at that sort of thing. That's a given. The point is that the Bolt is still going pretty strong at highway speeds unlike all previous less than $100,000 commercial non-Tesla EVs.
Yes, because Tesla had absolutely no hands in that system's development whatsoever. They let Mobileye develop it, then just dropped it into the S/X without any questions asked, hoping for the best.
Well, we know the CdA of the Model S - 6.2 sq ft. And GM previously told us the Cd and frontal area of the Bolt, which you then get a CdA of 8.05 sq ft. Possibly GM sandbagged that figure.
In either case, the major range gain isn't at highway speeds. The EPA 5 cycle isn't particularly representative of highway cruising for long distances. It has a lot of acceleration and deceleration, which favors lighter vehicles. The 110 MPGe highway for the Bolt is not far from the 106 MPGe for a Model S 90D which is tested at an average speed of 48 mph. Likely at 70-80 mph, the Model S is more efficient and therefore, with even lower CdA, the Model 3 will be far more efficient. It is a suspect rating, however, what is very curious is the claimed efficiency on EPA city ratings, which make up 55% of the combined rating. GM is saying that the efficiency compares quite well against a vehicle that is 1,000 pounds lighter with relatively exotic CFRP construction, similar motors and battery chemistry. The city rating is slow enough that aerodynamics doesn't play much of a factor. That's very, very curious.
Unfortunately, range is given using the EPA combined mileage with the usable battery capacity. In reality, they should do a steady 70 mph test in different temperatures with HVAC on and average the efficiencies and then multiplied to then get range. After all, range is most important when one is doing bit highway jumps. It would be horrible to try to drive 200-250 miles in mostly stop and go traffic and not really a real use case, which is basically what is being tested now.
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Yes, there are tradeoffs in motor design but generally having the motor spin slower at highway speeds probably help efficiency and helps the motor deliver stronger torque.
Conversely, a higher reduction gearing like the i3 helps quick acceleration at slower speeds like launching 0-30 mph.
I vaguely recall the Model S RWD motor is about 9.4:1.
Folks are making so many comparisons to Tesla. The real issue is for Nissan, BMW, and Kia. How can anyone justify buying their quirky ev cars with 60% less range, same cost, and equally awkward styling available in the Bolt. GM just annihilated all the other competition - Tesla and GM are only compelling ev manufacturers at the moment
The "new" Ford Focus Electric with 100 miles of range? Who's gonna buy that thing now? Lol
Same with the "upgraded" i3. The Bolt simply destroys all current (and for Ford, future) non-Tesla BEV offerings out there at the moment.
JohnSnowNW
Active Member
No one is buying Leaf's for anywhere close to the cost of the Bolt. BMW is in trouble, I agree.
The i3 with the 33 kWh pack that gets 129 MPGe city (vs the Bolt's 128 MPGe city) weights 2961 pounds which is about 620 pounds lighter than the Bolt, not 1,000 pounds. Still, yes it's very impressive.
https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/article/attachment/T0259560EN_US/358538
The Volt already meant that GM was serious. The question is whether the seriousness in engineering translates rapidly into seriousness in the marketplace. I think that the Bolt will easily sell out production, and its GM's next step that's important.
The DCFC option will not be expensive: it's $750 on the Spark EV and at 90 miles in 30 minutes, it's not going to be faster.
Tesla won't need to boost the base range but they might want to provide an affordable option for extra range.
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