Chevy Bolt makes successful 2,000 mile trip in 16 days. I can do it in 4 with a Model 3.

[rdlink]

Then the Bolt folks can rent an ICE with the 12k they saved over a Model 3.

Time. Is. Money.

 

[Joe F]

Time. Is. Money.

Not. All. The. Time.

Sometimes, it's about the journey, not the destination. Some people, like EV's, have to recharge. Some people get tired of the rat race, and periodically take what's called a vacation. Sometimes, spending time with friends and family is more rewarding than money. Money can be gotten in many ways. It's not always about time. That's a sad and outdated concept used by those who don't know better.

While I would have agreed with you in the past, as time marches on, some find that time is time, and no longer is it money.

My $.02 cents worth for your time should you bother to take the time to read this.

EDIT: I will agree with you though about time spent in a bolt trying to drive long distances. In that sense, time is wasted on far too many things to make the trip enjoyable, IMHO.

 

[MXWing]

To be fair if you read it there were very few times they were waiting on charging and they likely have not gone any faster with a Model 3. They were visiting friends, family and local sites. In my opinion just what a vacation should be.

"The free Level 2s at the UPMC hospital in Monroeville where we stopped overnight had an error and would not charge until I figured out how to reset them by holding down the buttons on the front. By morning we were fully charged again and ready to go."

Nope

Though it was very crowded in Philly due to tourist season and Wawa Hoagie day, found a Level 2 but it was ICE’d. With a non-electric car parked in the space, we couldn’t reach it. Dropped the car at the Ford dealer for a few hours while out for the evening.

Nope

Paramus Chevrolet was supposed to have a DC fast charger but it turned out to be a Level 2; spent an hour instead of 20 minutes. In Kingston, we got a free Level 2 charge but had to pay $1.45 for parking.

Nope

The parking garage at the casino in Niagara Falls had a free Level 2 charger, but it was in use. The FLO DC fast charger in at London, Ontario, was in use by a Tesla but came free within a few minutes. It took a few minutes getting it to work using the FLO network app then 47 minutes actually charging (26 kwh, about $10 U.S.)

A VW eGolf, a Kia Soul EV, and a Nissan Leaf showed up while we were there all needing a charge; they plugged into the Level 2 while they were waiting for us to finish. It was fun as usual talking to other electric-car owners.

Nope (no Tesla EV's there because they would be at a supercharger or randomly using opportunity charging for the hell of it)

Only way I survive this trip is if my wife was in a coma the whole time. Her BS tolerance is absolutely zero. Part of the justification of the Model 3 is easier Vegas trips as we go often. Just one stop each way an can easily find a mega charging center not populated by locals.

 

[rdlink]

Not. All. The. Time.

Sometimes, it's about the journey, not the destination. Some people, like EV's, have to recharge. Some people get tired of the rat race, and periodically take what's called a vacation. Sometimes, spending time with friends and family is more rewarding than money. Money can be gotten in many ways. It's not always about time. That's a sad and outdated concept used by those who don't know better.

While I would have agreed with you in the past, as time marches on, some find that time is time, and no longer is it money.

My $.02 cents worth for your time should you bother to take the time to read this.

I don't disagree. But spending time waiting at a chevy dealership for hours because your Bolt is charging is the kind of stuff that would kill me. With a Tesla you get much more flexibility in the way you spend that leisure time, instead of having the car completely dictate it to you.

 

[Joe F]

I don't disagree. But spending time waiting at a chevy dealership for hours because your Bolt is charging is the kind of stuff that would kill me. With a Tesla you get much more flexibility in the way you spend that leisure time, instead of having the car completely dictate it to you.

Totally agree, and the dealership stop was somethingI would have sold a kidney not to have to do. I was thinking you meat fly rather than drive, hence my reply.

I've added an edit, probably as you were replying.

Unless money is a valid concern, I can't see a Bolt. And, it's a Chevy. No thanks.

But the free hotdog? Priceless.

 

[MXWing]

Unless money is a valid concern, I can't see a Bolt. And, it's a Chevy. No thanks.

Extend payments, eat ramen, uber for a bit, slash vacations, second job, or.. save up to get a proper BEV

One of the things I will never ever do is throw good money after bad. Impulse buying a Bolt because you can't wait or save up enough to get a Model 3 is madness, even the LRPUP.

I drove a M3 for a long, way too long time to conserve finances.

The Mazda 3.

 

[mtndrew1]

Not. All. The. Time.

Sometimes, it's about the journey, not the destination. Some people, like EV's, have to recharge. Some people get tired of the rat race, and periodically take what's called a vacation. Sometimes, spending time with friends and family is more rewarding than money. Money can be gotten in many ways. It's not always about time. That's a sad and outdated concept used by those who don't know better.

While I would have agreed with you in the past, as time marches on, some find that time is time, and no longer is it money.

My $.02 cents worth for your time should you bother to take the time to read this.

EDIT: I will agree with you though about time spent in a bolt trying to drive long distances. In that sense, time is wasted on far too many things to make the trip enjoyable, IMHO.

I can do either in my car, haul ass or stroll along. I have both options at my discretion.

Relying on J1772 and CCS means you only have one choice whether you like it or not. You’re gonna be taking the scenic route.

 

[ecarfan]

That is a very easy trip. Depending on the battery size in your Tesla, you could only need one charging stop for about 45 minutes or two stops of 20 minutes each. There are now so many Superchargers on I5 that there are no lines. Use Kettleman City.

Anyone have stories about a Bolt or Model 3 going from LA to SF for the weekend? I make about 4 trips to SF from LA once a year leaving on Sat morning and returning on Sun morning. I don't think any other EVs can make that trip right now.

I still haven't done it in my Model 3 yet. Not sure how much it'll take compared to a Prius. I can usually do 4.5 hours without stopping. Now, I might have to take a couple of 20-30mim breaks to charge and plan lunch around it. No biggie but my first trip might be scary without any Supercharger experience yet. Just reading stories that they are always full and have lines on the holidays is stopping be from taking my first EV road trip.

 

[Joe F]

Man, you people are tough! Maybe I need to sprinkle sarcasm on/off switches. Take note of my sig below. Geez.

Okay, for the humor impaired, I'll repeat: You have to be a nut to own a Bolt. I'd drive a used Hugo if I could find one while waiting for an affordable Model 3 if that's the only thing I could afford. Fortunately, I don't have to.

 

[ProphetM]

The article/driver is fully aware that Teslas can complete these trips easily and quickly. It's specifically talking about other EVs having difficulty with it, but can be done.

I have a friend who did Route 66 - which is around 2500 miles - in a Mitsubishi i-MIEV. EPA range on that is 62 miles I think. Where there's a will, there's a way!

Question is: who wants to drive 2000 miles? Tesla absolutely has a huge advantage with the supercharger network, but I would fly to a destination 2000 miles away instead of driving.

It's not about the destination, man. It's about the journey!

 

[rdlink]

I can do either in my car, haul ass or stroll along. I have both options at my discretion.

Relying on J1772 and CCS means you only have one choice whether you like it or not. You’re gonna be taking the scenic route.

Or the non scenic route...

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I took a road trip in an ICE earlier this summer from Denver to Tahoe and back. I took a scenic route home. I wouldn't likely have been able to take the exact route I did with any BEV, including a Tesla (One more SC would have done it). But I wouldn't even have attempted part of the route in a Bolt.

 

[Darren Donovan]

All EV other than Tesla are city commuters. Period. End of story. This article puts any other notion to bed.
Im in DC in 12 hours, eating, charging, etc. Try that in a Bolt.

As is usually the case, blanket statements are wrong. I go in the Bolt from central CA or Los Angeles & Orange counties easily, for business and family visits. One way is about 140-160 miles, depending on if it's Los Angeles or Irvine. Get to my destination with plenty of miles left to go around town, plug in at night, good to go in the morning.

 

[MXWing]

As is usually the case, blanket statements are wrong. I go in the Bolt from central CA or Los Angeles & Orange counties easily, for business and family visits. One way is about 140-160 miles, depending on if it's Los Angeles or Irvine. Get to my destination with plenty of miles left to go around town, plug in at night, good to go in the morning.

How dependable is your source of charging? If it's at your friends/family/business, a traveler taking your same route does not have access to those resources.

You picked the ultimate sweet spot range for the Bolt with the assumption you were assured charging at the end. What if you pushed that travel another 50 miles and it was hot, you wanted to run the AC and traffic was backed up?

Tesla's don't depend on charging at hospitality locations.

Someone had a perfect example - they went on a long road trip with no planning. Just took a diet coke with them.

One can make any Bolt based trip "work", It's a matter of how much friction you want to experience in the process.

 

[Darren Donovan]

How dependable is your source of charging? If it's at your friends/family/business, a traveler taking your same route does not have access to those resources.

You picked the ultimate sweet spot range for the Bolt with the assumption you were assured charging at the end. What if you pushed that travel another 50 miles and it was hot, you wanted to run the AC and traffic was backed up?

Tesla's don't depend on charging at hospitality locations.

Someone had a perfect example - they went on a long road trip with no planning. Just took a diet coke with them.

One can make any Bolt based trip "work", It's a matter of how much friction you want to experience in the process.

You make a very valid point, and I agree. However, I didn't go out of the way to select this scenario, just recounting how it works for me. That's why I said blanket statements are usually wrong. I charge with L2 at my family's house, and also L2 at hotels. In the Los Angeles and Orange counties metro area, there are several (not a lot by any stretch) DCFC locations, that I have personally used. Certainly not as convenient as at my relative's house or the hotel, but very doable, with shops and restaurants nearby to kill the time.

 

[ai4px]

I have a little Bolt EV and 2014 MS 60. In that green car reports road trip story many of his days ended with "charging at 110v in friends house". Sure is a shame more garages don't have 220v that is easy to get to. If I'm stuck at someone's house charging on 110v, I'm certainly going to take the Bolt... more miles per hour of charge at 120v than the Model S. Super charging is very valuable though... but it does get old (it would in either car). We just drove to the Keys from the middle of South Carolina in the model s. At the first charger, teen daughter had been awake long enough to be hungry. At teh 2nd charger, it was time for a potty break. At the 3rd... we were like "we don't need anything, so just sit here". As pumped as I am about these two cars, I'm going to tell ya.... stopping for 50 minutes every 2h15m on a 12 hour trip really gets old... and becomes a 17 hour trip.

After the trial run to Key West, we decided that anything over 2 super charger stops would be done in the ICE car we still have.

 

[MXWing]

I have a little Bolt EV and 2014 MS 60. In that green car reports road trip story many of his days ended with "charging at 110v in friends house". Sure is a shame more garages don't have 220v that is easy to get to. If I'm stuck at someone's house charging on 110v, I'm certainly going to take the Bolt... more miles per hour of charge at 120v than the Model S. Super charging is very valuable though... but it does get old (it would in either car). We just drove to the Keys from the middle of South Carolina in the model s. At the first charger, teen daughter had been awake long enough to be hungry. At teh 2nd charger, it was time for a potty break. At the 3rd... we were like "we don't need anything, so just sit here". As pumped as I am about these two cars, I'm going to tell ya.... stopping for 50 minutes every 2h15m on a 12 hour trip really gets old... and becomes a 17 hour trip.

After the trial run to Key West, we decided that anything over 2 super charger stops would be done in the ICE car we still have.

Selling the 2014 Model S 60 and not buying the Bolt would have allowed you to get either get a long range Model 3 or you can add some funds for a Model S100D.

By getting the Bolt, you now have TWO subpar EV's by 2018 standards for long distance travel.

This is what I mean by throwing good money after bad. Toss the Bolt asap and get a RWD LR Model 3.

 

[SageBrush]

GM made the EV-1, then crushed them all. Why you ask? Well they came to the conclusion that the masses were in love with the EV-1. People were telling the world how nice of a car this was and oh how clean it was. The problem with the last statement was GM realized quickly all other cars they manufactured was dirty. Best way to clean up their act was to destroy the clean car.

Hardly.

GM built the car as a PR exercise and under regulatory/political pressure and government 'support.'
Even so, each car produced cost them a pretty penny. It was NEVER going to be profitable.
The PR fiasco that was the mandated returns and crushed cars was just GM being GM: short-sighted bottom line thinking that they did not want to support the car after they stopped production.

 

[Saghost]

Hardly.

GM built the car as a PR exercise and under regulatory/political pressure and government 'support.'
Even so, each car produced cost them a pretty penny. It was NEVER going to be profitable.
The PR fiasco that was the mandated returns and crushed cars was just GM being GM: short-sighted bottom line thinking that they did not want to support the car after they stopped production.

The funny thing about that is GM created all of that government pressure and support. It all started with Sunraycer...

Sunraycer - Wikipedia

GM decided they wanted to participate in the 1987 Australian solar powered car race, and contracted AeroVironment to build the car for them - which brought Al Cocconi to design the first modern lightweight AC drive motor inverter to match the new PM motor - a whopping 35 kW driving only one rear wheel.

From that victory, GM went on to build the Impact concept car in 1988, with two of an upgraded 50 kW motor driving the front wheels separately. The 8.8 second 0-60 time and promised range performance of the Impact convinced CARB that EVs were now practical, so they created the ZEV mandate for MY1996 and on....

After EV1 died, Cocconi was a founder of AC Propulsion, marketing his drive technology to private converters and corporations. They built the T-Zero that got Tesla started, and Tesla licensed his technology for the Roadster (though they ended up developing their own inverters with digital control technology instead.)

The Lotus Platform the Roadster was based on was also largely developed/funded by GM (for the Opel Speedster and Lotus.) And, of course, they partnered with Toyota to build the NUMMI plant in Fremont a couple decades before Tesla bought it in the bankruptcy.

GM has done a lot of things I haven't liked in the EV world, including pushing the dealer centric exclusionary language, but they are also largely responsible for the existence of the modern EV in general and Tesla in particular.

 

[dgpcolorado]

I have a little Bolt EV and 2014 MS 60. In that green car reports road trip story many of his days ended with "charging at 110v in friends house". Sure is a shame more garages don't have 220v that is easy to get to. If I'm stuck at someone's house charging on 110v, I'm certainly going to take the Bolt... more miles per hour of charge at 120v than the Model S. Super charging is very valuable though... but it does get old (it would in either car). We just drove to the Keys from the middle of South Carolina in the model s. At the first charger, teen daughter had been awake long enough to be hungry. At teh 2nd charger, it was time for a potty break. At the 3rd... we were like "we don't need anything, so just sit here". As pumped as I am about these two cars, I'm going to tell ya.... stopping for 50 minutes every 2h15m on a 12 hour trip really gets old... and becomes a 17 hour trip.

After the trial run to Key West, we decided that anything over 2 super charger stops would be done in the ICE car we still have.

I routinely use my S60 for 1100-1200 mile (one way) trips and enjoy the charging breaks for a chance to walk around. I limit myself to 600 miles per day since I drive alone and don't have a relief driver. While it would be nice to have a Model 3LR for the much faster charging (or even an S85) the S60 works well enough and the charging is free. Upgrading to a larger battery S or Model 3LR would be very expensive and I can't justify the cost. (I also greatly prefer the S over the 3 for a wide variety of reasons.)

However, I don't have to deal with impatient or cranky family members, so I just chill and enjoy my audio books on those long road trips — six 2500+ mile trips in less than 2½ years. Coping with "are we there yet?" is not something I have to hassle with. I find it more enjoyable than when I made those trips in an ICE car even though the time enroute was shorter.

 

[ohmman]

mod note: 3 posts moved away.