Chevy Bolt - 200 mile range for $30k base price (after incentive)

[JohnSnowNW]

It really depends mostly on what net capacity the retail car battery ends up with.

Something to note, the Spark EV is it's daddy. It goes 82mi on 19kWh (gross) worth of battery.

GM actually dropped the S-EV battery size last year without affecting range or performance.

I think GM has probably sharpened a LOT of pencils on this nexgen drivetrain. 210 hwy, 235 city is what a typical non-hypermiler will experience.

HOWEVER, GM is likely to pad the marketing numbers downwards as is it's tradition.

Spark is a smaller and 1,000lbs lighter.

I'll be surprised if it returns an EPA Hwy rating above 200...but I suppose GM could be less conservative with the usable capacity.

I'm assuming 57kWh usable, at EPA efficiency of 3.45 miles/kWh....max.

 

[McRat]

714 lbs does make a difference in the city, but not so much on the hwy.

The Bolt weighs about the same as the Volt.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

714 lbs does make a difference in the city, but not so much on the hwy.

The Bolt weighs about the same as the Volt.

I've only seen the target weight of ~3800...nothing official. The problem is that the EPA cycle attempts to factor in passing, so the Hwy measurement has some specific testing that adds a weight penalty.

 

[McRat]

GM says 3580lb with a full tank.

It's using a lot of aluminum and polymer, the same way they put the 2016 Volt and the Caddy CT6 on a diet.

The original Volt weighed 3,780lb,

 

[JohnSnowNW]

GM says 3580lb with a full tank.

It's using a lot of aluminum and polymer, the same way they put the 2016 Volt and the Caddy CT6 on a diet.

The original Volt weighed 3,780lb,

Hmm, been trying to compare it to the i3...which is 600lbs lighter than that figure...and gets 114 miles out of <33kWh (probably 28kWh).

Tomorrow will be interesting.

 

[wdolson]

What will happen if the EPA range ends up being 180 or 190 miles?

 

[techmaven]

Wow. 238 miles of range. That's quite a bit higher than I thought.

Would still like to know the 70 and 75 mph range.

 

[Jeff N]

Wow. 238 miles of range. That's quite a bit higher than I thought.

Would still like to know the 70 and 75 mph range.

Yep, surprised me also. They didn't provide a breakdown of city vs highway. Still waiting for Opel to release a NEDC estimate which may give a clue on city range vs. highway since it is basically a city test cycle.

 

[RiverBrick]

The articles stating 238 miles of range are a bit vague. They could mean 238 city miles. Random reporters who normally cover ICE vehicles may misuse terms like "EPA range."

 

[Jeff N]

The articles stating 238 miles of range are a bit vague. They could mean 238 city miles. Random reporters who normally cover ICE vehicles may misuse terms like "EPA range."

It is a bit vague but they will be crucified if it is just EPA without clearly disclosing that since everyone will reasonably assume it is a combined number by default.

 

[Az_Rael]

Bolt EV Offers 238 Miles of Range

 

[JohnSnowNW]

3.96 miles/kWh if using the entire 60kWh...

That's a bit confusing...

 

[trils0n]

238 miles on 60kWh is pretty nice. That averages out to ~250Wh/mile, if the full 60kWh is available. Wonder what the total usable capacity is.

Looking like this car will do well for Chevy. Hopefully they figure out how to sell it. They still seem pretty clueless about selling the Volt.

 

[techmaven]

I'm quite suspicious of this number. The BMW i3, with its CFRP construction and the like gets 114 miles of EPA range on 33 kWh of battery. Either the Bolt doesn't have a 60 kWh battery, or something is not quite right, since GM claims it is more efficient than the 118 MPGe combined of the new 2017 BMW i3 with a much smaller battery and relatively exotic construction. Getting just double the 114 miles... to 228 would have been quite a feat. To get 238? I'd love to see independent tests. It could be that the i3 has a particularly large buffer and the Bolt has a particularly small one, but still.

 

[ebwb]

C&D says it's 128 MPGe city, 110 MPGe highway, and 119 MPGe combined.

Model S 60 does 94/97/95 while 60D does 101/102/101.

Home on the Range: 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EPA Rated at 238 Miles of Range

GM's learned a lot of lessons with two generations of Volt and Spark EV. I imagine the motor design and regen braking efficiency both play a large role, in addition to aerodynamics, weight, and rolling resistance. I know Spark EV had a huge motor and a tall final drive ratio, which kept RPMs low and MPGe high. Wonder how Bolt EV compares.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

I'm quite suspicious of this number. The BMW i3, with its CFRP construction and the like gets 114 miles of EPA range on 33 kWh of battery. Either the Bolt doesn't have a 60 kWh battery, or something is not quite right, since GM claims it is more efficient than the 118 MPGe combined of the new 2017 BMW i3 with a much smaller battery and relatively exotic construction. Getting just double the 114 miles... to 228 would have been quite a feat. To get 238? I'd love to see independent tests. It could be that the i3 has a particularly large buffer and the Bolt has a particularly small one, but still.

I believe the i3 has around a 15% buffer.

 

[techmaven]

C&D says it's 128 MPGe city, 110 MPGe highway, and 119 MPGe combined.

Model S 60 does 94/97/95 while 60D does 101/102/101.

Home on the Range: 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EPA Rated at 238 Miles of Range

GM's learned a lot of lessons with two generations of Volt and Spark EV. I imagine the motor design and regen braking efficiency both play a large role, in addition to aerodynamics, weight, and rolling resistance. I know Spark EV had a huge motor and a tall final drive ratio, which kept RPMs low and MPGe high. Wonder how Bolt EV compares.

Those MPGe ratings are really something for 60 kWh of battery, and with a curb weight of 3600 or pounds. If it's true, that's hats off to GM. I'd like to see independent tests though. It's almost 1,000 heavier than the i3, has poorer aerodynamics, and gets better efficiency? Hmm...

 

[ebwb]

Those MPGe ratings are really something for 60 kWh of battery, and with a curb weight of 3600 or pounds. If it's true, that's hats off to GM. I'd like to see independent tests though. It's almost 1,000 heavier than the i3, has poorer aerodynamics, and gets better efficiency? Hmm...

Some figures... doesn't seem entirely impossible.

i3 94 Ah (33 kWh): 2,961 lbs and 118 MPGe
i3 94 Ah (33 kWh) REx: 3,234 lbs and 111 MPGe
Bolt EV (60 kWh): 3,580 lbs and 119 MPGe

Looks like GM gave media test drives. Some news outlets have pics of the factory, etc. Driving impressions seem to be embargoed until later today (Tuesday).

Edit: Chevy uploaded equipment list here: http://www.chevrolet.com/content/da...ew/02_Pdf/bolt-ev-trims-comparison-081016.pdf

The packages look very similar to Volt. Wonder if they'll price it identically (i.e., MSRP $33,220 for LT and $37,570 for Premier).

 

[techmaven]

Some figures... doesn't seem entirely impossible.

i3 94 Ah (33 kWh): 2,961 lbs and 118 MPGe
i3 94 Ah (33 kWh) REx: 3,234 lbs and 111 MPGe
Bolt EV (60 kWh): 3,580 lbs and 119 MPGe

Looks like GM gave media test drives. Some news outlets have pics of the factory, etc. Driving impressions seem to be embargoed until later today (Tuesday).

That list shows how implausible it is... Add weight to the i3 to get half way to the Bolt's weight and the combined MPGe plummets from 118 to 111. Add another 350 pounds and the MPGe would drop even further. Maybe the power electronics?

 

[Oil4AsphaultOnly]

I believe the i3 has around a 15% buffer.

Taking out the 15% buffer, that means the i3 gets 114 miles on 28.5kwh of charge. That means, without adding weight (2961 lbs), the i3 can go 228 miles on 57kwh! The bolt would have a 5% buffer in that case!

Either the 60kwh is usable (66kwh raw?) or the bolt is significantly more aerodynamic than the i3.

My bet is on a significantly larger battery.