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

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At least with a non-Tesla brand, if they say I can come by and pickup a car by 3, they don't mean 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months, or 3 years.

For those who want EVs, all that matters is whether you can actually get a car from a manufacturer.

Right now, getting a Model 3 from Tesla is the same as getting a Mission E from Porsche. No fixed date for delivery.

Explain that to all the Canadians who have been waiting 6 months to pick up their Bolt that was sitting on the dealer lot, just because GM is not able to ship windshield wiper motor -- a trivial part that has been blocking all sales in Canada as the original was recalled due to freezing up in cold winter.
 
Explain that to all the Canadians who have been waiting 6 months to pick up their Bolt that was sitting on the dealer lot, just because GM is not able to ship windshield wiper motor -- a trivial part that has been blocking all sales in Canada as the original was recalled due to freezing up in cold winter.

Windshield wipers are not trivial. Besides, the Bolt is a 'compliance' car we are told so no shipments to Canada are necessary or desirable since we are also told:

May 2017, Elon Musk: "...GM appears to be losing $10,000 a car on the Bolt. No, they’re not. They are making it up on CARB credits."

You can't get CARB credits from Canada. May 2018 was the highest Bolt EV sales month in Canada with 395 units. When corrected for population, that's equal to over 3,500 a month for Canada. That is higher than the peak month in the US which was Dec 2017 when Trump abolished the EPA dept and EV rebates.

Can you explain that? Why GM would ship the most cars to non-CARB states, and ship more per capita to Canada than any country including the US?
 
Windshield wipers are not trivial. Besides, the Bolt is a 'compliance' car we are told so no shipments to Canada are necessary or desirable since we are also told:

May 2017, Elon Musk: "...GM appears to be losing $10,000 a car on the Bolt. No, they’re not. They are making it up on CARB credits."

You can't get CARB credits from Canada. May 2018 was the highest Bolt EV sales month in Canada with 395 units. When corrected for population, that's equal to over 3,500 a month for Canada. That is higher than the peak month in the US which was Dec 2017 when Trump abolished the EPA dept and EV rebates.

Can you explain that? Why GM would ship the most cars to non-CARB states, and ship more per capita to Canada than any country including the US?

The Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV) Standard Comes into Effect - Automakers will have to offer more rechargeable electric and hybrid vehicle models in Québec - Portail Québec
 

"Major automakers, those that sell or lease more than 20,000 vehicles in Québec annually, will need to earn a specified percentage of credits based exclusively on ZEV models, starting in 2020. "

GM gets nothing for delivering 2017, 2018, 2019, and some 2020 plug-ins.

Toyota and VW, the world's largest automakers are just laughing their asses off. Like they care about selling in Quebec in 2018...
 
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Sure, once they truck it in from the one dealer in that state or the next one over that has one...

Never had a problem with that. I suppose it could happen, but after way more than a dozen purchases this century, that's not been a problem. I will have more problems picking up a Tesla. Drive further, possibly no test drive, due bill, and non-refundable deposits even on commodity versions or inventory units, no matter how screwed up the car is. It is up to them whether to force you to accept a damaged car. IIRC, you must make a non-refundable deposit on an INVENTORY car before you even see it. I'm not even sure that is legal, but it is certainly unethical. It makes Craig's List look honorable.:D
 
Never had a problem with that. I suppose it could happen, but after way more than a dozen purchases this century, that's not been a problem. I will have more problems picking up a Tesla. Drive further, possibly no test drive, due bill, and non-refundable deposits even on commodity versions or inventory units, no matter how screwed up the car is. It is up to them whether to force you to accept a damaged car. IIRC, you must make a non-refundable deposit on an INVENTORY car before you even see it. I'm not even sure that is legal, but it is certainly unethical. It makes Craig's List look honorable.:D
I suspect being in CA makes getting a Bolt less problematic. Greencar's take on it is that it's a "low volume specialty car", however.

Nonetheless, they do say, "Still, you can get a Leaf or a Volt or a Bolt EV from at least one dealer in all 50 states.", I guess you just have to hope it's the one near you.
 
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Yes, California is #1 buyer of EVs/hybrids/PHEVs in the US. Our gasoline is much more expensive than most states, and there is about $2950 cash available plus the Federal credit.

But we are losing our HOV stickers, they delayed our DCFC State-funded rollout, they switched many businesses to Demand Metering, are going to add an EV-Specific tax (uh, give us 2 different state rebates, then add a tax?), and we have some of the highest electricity costs.

We have lots of EV for sale, but I'm not always sure if the State is going to punish us for buying them at some point in the future.

EVs are a political thing here, not to be confused with environmentalism. Two separate things. We spend more on H2 support for cars and trucks than EVs, and there are only a handful of H2 cars or trucks. 29% of the 'transportation emissions cleanup' funding goes to EVs. About the same amount goes to bureaucracy and 'studies'. The rest for H2 and diesel, yet California HATES diesels. Bizarre.
 

SCAQMD planning doc for 2018 includes no L2/DCFC for consumer level vehicle funding except for government employees.
H2 and research EV/Diesel vehicles for heavy hauler or commercial use is where the funding went now.

No money, no DCFC from the state. I think once VW settled, they decided to halt and delay consumer level DCFC.

You read that letter I received from the State concerning the Mojave corridor nearly 2 years ago, here's the highlights:

For the I-15 corridor, ChargePoint under this award will be installing at least (2) DC fast charging stations with both CHAdeMO and SAE connectors with a minimum charging rate of 50-kW, (1) dual-port 7.7-kW level 2 charging station, (2) stub outs for future installations, security cameras and lighting at every site along the corridor.


ChargePoint also stated that they plan to install their newest DC fast charging station, once it completes its UL certification, in place of their 50-kW stations. These new DC fast chargers are capable of dispensing up to 125-kw per charging port.


Regarding the cost of charging at each station, we at the Energy Commission do not have any authority to regulate the cost of charging. Charging costs are determined by either the site host, the owner of the equipment, or the equipment provider that is managing the equipment.


I hope this information has eased your concern, and if you have any additional questions or concerns please feel free to contact me.


Thank you,


Brian Fauble, Associate Energy Specialist

Zero-Emission Vehicle and Infrastructure Office

California Energy Commission

Have you seen any ChargePoint progress on the Mojave Corridor? Do you think it takes more than 6 months to install a state approved charger in the desert? They build entire fast food restaurants in 3 months. Many housing tracts take under 6 months. How about >21 months?

 
Caltrans is putting in 30 DCFC locations throughout the state. They were supposed to be on the ground by the end of this year and some of them will. The 2 in our District will be done next year but the plans are pretty much done and the projects are definitely going forward. We are doing 1 L3 and 1 L2 to begin with at each place. The whole process does take close to 2 years for the state with archaeological survey/ environmental/ haz waste issues/ waiting on utilities. R/W stuff. it is a PITA once you need to dig at all or add HMA somewhere.
 
Caltrans is putting in 30 DCFC locations throughout the state. They were supposed to be on the ground by the end of this year and some of them will. The 2 in our District will be done next year but the plans are pretty much done and the projects are definitely going forward. We are doing 1 L3 and 1 L2 to begin with at each place. The whole process does take close to 2 years for the state with archaeological survey/ environmental/ haz waste issues/ waiting on utilities. R/W stuff. it is a PITA once you need to dig at all or add HMA somewhere.


IIRC, the actual approvals were given 2 years ago. When they put in a housing tract, it does not take as long and all the same issues must be dealt with except on a far larger scale with several times the bureaucracy and paperwork. Schools, parks, roads, traffic studies, massive power, internet, buried everything, sewer permits, fire system, model homes, sales, drainage, flood and environmental studies, water consumption, hundreds of inspector visits, etc, etc.

Putting in zero DCFCs (small 50kW CCS/CHAdeMO/L2 two outlet) in 2 years and not breaking ground isn't a lot of progress. It's supposedly funded. I don't buy it.

Government bureaus always have excellent excuses for bad behavior. Actions though can be measured.

NOTE: Caltrans was not awarded any of the Corridor contracts IIRC. That must be some other program.
 
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Caltrans is putting in 30 DCFC locations throughout the state. They were supposed to be on the ground by the end of this year and some of them will. The 2 in our District will be done next year but the plans are pretty much done and the projects are definitely going forward. We are doing 1 L3 and 1 L2 to begin with at each place. The whole process does take close to 2 years for the state with archaeological survey/ environmental/ haz waste issues/ waiting on utilities. R/W stuff. it is a PITA once you need to dig at all or add HMA somewhere.
Others do it, tho.
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The Edmunds May long term update is out for the Bolt. Didn’t leave anyone stranded this month.

Monthly Update for May 2018 - 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Long-Term Road Test

It's pretty funny that 2 people have polar opposite takes about the Bolt's front seats. One loves them, the other hates them.

Editor 1: While others have complained about the seats in the car, I find them comfortable enough for long periods of sitting in traffic.

Editor 2: It's stupidly uncomfortable for me and I hate it.
 
It's pretty funny that 2 people have polar opposite takes about the Bolt's front seats. One loves them, the other hates them.

Editor 1: While others have complained about the seats in the car, I find them comfortable enough for long periods of sitting in traffic.

Editor 2: It's stupidly uncomfortable for me and I hate it.

That sort of eliminates the theory of factory defects in the seats. It's the same car. I've driven 3 Bolts had did not find the seats a problem.
 
That's not a lot of help for CCS users, thanks though.
I was responding to him arguing how hard it is to do and why it takes so long. Clearly Tesla can do DCFC construction without that much trouble and has increased it over the years/months.
He said: "The whole process does take close to 2 years for the state with archaeological survey/ environmental/ haz waste issues/ waiting on utilities. R/W stuff. it is a PITA once you need to dig at all or add HMA somewhere."
 
Yes, California is #1 buyer of EVs/hybrids/PHEVs in the US. Our gasoline is much more expensive than most states, and there is about $2950 cash available plus the Federal credit.

But we are losing our HOV stickers, they delayed our DCFC State-funded rollout, they switched many businesses to Demand Metering, are going to add an EV-Specific tax (uh, give us 2 different state rebates, then add a tax?), and we have some of the highest electricity costs.

We have lots of EV for sale, but I'm not always sure if the State is going to punish us for buying them at some point in the future.

EVs are a political thing here, not to be confused with environmentalism. Two separate things. We spend more on H2 support for cars and trucks than EVs, and there are only a handful of H2 cars or trucks. 29% of the 'transportation emissions cleanup' funding goes to EVs. About the same amount goes to bureaucracy and 'studies'. The rest for H2 and diesel, yet California HATES diesels. Bizarre.
Having been born and raised for my first 30 years in CA, I understand to a significant degree,

My prior point, however, was to provide a little context in the "you can't get a Model 3 whereas you can pick a Bolt up this afternoon" sentiment expressed earlier. It's not really quite that cut and dry.

In Tesla's case they can't (yet) make enough of them, and for the Bolt they appear to not want to make enough of them for it to be possible yet to go home with one without a wait in many scenarios...
 
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