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First Wild Bolt Spotted
- Thread starter N5329K
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- Electric Vehicles
It was a big gamble by Chevy. Affordable 'Save teh Whales' are SUPPOSED to look like carny freaks. Toyota taught us that 17 years ago with the Prius, the Leaf confirmed it, and BMW really drilled it home with the i3. Can you sell a Save the Whales car that doesn't look like a rejected candidate for production at the mean price for ICE automobiles? Guess we will see.
The Bolt is larger than the size of the subcompact Mercedes Benz GLA Class. So either that makes the Benz a microcar, or the your definition of subcompact is lacking. The Benz is 60" tall and 71" wide with 91 cu ft for passengers. The Chevy is 63" tall and 70" wide with 95 cu ft for passengers, just slightly larger passenger area than a Tesla Model S which is 94 cu ft of passenger area.
It is the most inexpensive microcar with over $20,000 worth of EV drive components in it.
Cliff Notes - Passenger room = Bolt EV > Model S > MB SUV. The Bolt is a Tardis. Looks small, is big.
Wow that is surprising. I can see the Bolt from my office windows. It only fills about half the parking space. The space from the rear door to the hatch looks like it is about 18". On the other hand I have to be really careful parking the model S since it fills the entire parking space.
We were surprised how big the back seats were on the Bolt, you could wear a cowboy hat (and really look odd).
And if you go for max front leg room, you can barely operate the car.
It's a freakin' Tardis. I think they designed it for taxi service or something except for the trunk space.
When you park the Bolt, it has Bird's Eye View which makes it very easy to park in tight spots.
MissAutobahn
Elon, please ramp up Berlin GF in plaid mode!
Taking off my Tesla-glasses: GM did a really great job! There is just one thing I wouldn't accept if buying one. The frontseats are made for tiny Asian people. Not for bigger americans or europeans....
Putting the driver's seat all the way back (I'm 6' even), I can't even reach the pedals. Yao Ming could probably drive a Bolt comfortably!
hill
high fiber member
...... but does the Bolt steering wheel extend equally in perportion to seat going back? That's what's great about our X - a good amount of steering wheel extension ... because no one has to drive with arms fully extended. btw - unless you're a double amputee - don't EVEN think about sitting in the Bolt's rear seat once Yao Ming has the seat jacked back into the rear compartment.
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...... but does the Bolt steering wheel extend equally in perportion to seat going back? That's what's great about our X - a good amount of steering wheel extension ... because no one has to drive with arms fully extended. btw - unless you're a double amputee - don't EVEN think about sitting in the Bolt's rear seat once Yao Ming has the seat jacked back into the rear compartment.
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Not sure exactly how far the steering wheel telescopes back...but it does to some degree.
Here is a photo with the driver's seat all the way back. Yao Ming could definitely not sit behind himself, seems there is room for an average-sized adult to squeeze in there. The seatback protector makes it look like less room than there really is.
...... but does the Bolt steering wheel extend equally in perportion to seat going back? That's what's great about our X - a good amount of steering wheel extension ... because no one has to drive with arms fully extended. btw - unless you're a double amputee - don't EVEN think about sitting in the Bolt's rear seat once Yao Ming has the seat jacked back into the rear compartment.
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Like all GM's I've driven or raced this century, adjustable steering wheels both tilt and extend. It does not however have adjustable pedals or powered seats.
At 6'1" my seating in Ghetto Master Mode (not sitting close enough to bend the brake pedal with your leg) allowed ample rear leg room for the salesman, I checked.
Can you put 5 NBA Centers in a Model X?
copyhacker
Member
And this, IMO, is why none of the legacy carmakers will succeed at EVs.
If they don't want to cannibalize all their existing lines (trucks excepted), they have two choices: Sub-brand their EVs (a la BMW) or make them unremarkable to the extent that no one will notice them among their other offerings. Either way, they can't build a compelling EV. They can build a weirdmobile, or they can build a potato. It's lose-lose.
I'm fine driving a "potato", if that's what you're calling the Bolt. I prefer blending in rather than sticking out like either a sore thumb (Leaf/Prius/i3) or an exotic dancer wearing a few pieces of string.
Why are trucks exempted? Fuel is so cheap a Crew Cab truck is a better car than most cars are.
I get so sick of the word compelling; not able to be resisted; overwhelming. What to know what Compelling is? F-150s and Camrys. Why? People are Compelled to buy them in huge numbers. They have mediocre styling, not particularly fast, not radically cheap, but people Dream Of Owning One or they would not buy them, eh?
I love sports cars. But they are not Compelling. Nobody must have one. "I have a compelling need for a restroom in my house." "I have a compelling need for a Subaru BRZ!" One of those simply does apply to many car buyers.
Surprised not more discussion of this report.
Questions: does GM profit on the Bolt or is it a loss-leader? CARB compliance car?
Will you actually buy any of these?
Would you buy any of these for someone else, e.g., offspring?
In your evaluation list, you didn't mention range. I understand the Volt (electric+gas) and Bolt (supposedly 238 miles?). What about the Caddy? Other than the Volt, are the Caddy and/or Bolt suitable for long-distance travel (and charging)?
Thanks,
Alan
hill
high fiber member
source? Link? searched around to see if I could corroborate that - but every Source seems to say the bolt is purpose-built, rather than slapped on to another frame.
EDIT:
never mind, I found it.
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It initially started on the Sonic's platform, but them morphed into a purpose-built one. That's why the Bolt's platform designator is so secret squirrel...GM still has not publicly announced what the exact platform designator is. Probably because they have other vehicles in the pipeline using the same platform, and if the designator was known, suppliers could figure out other future vehicles being built on the platform.
"That architecture, known as Gamma, has been through two generations. The Bolt EV is often said to ride on the newest derivative of that architecture, known as G2SC.
In fact, the Bolt EV was even said to have its own project code: G2KCZ. "G2" for Gamma second-generation, "K" for hatchback, "C" for Chevrolet, and "Z" for electric car.
But when we asked GM to confirm that, we got a surprise.
"There are no Bolt EV parts tied to the G2 architecture," said lead product engineer Josh Tavel, via e-mail through GM communications.
We replied by asking what the correct designation for the Bolt EV architecture would be, then.
"That's not something we're sharing right now," replied Liz Winter from the global advanced technology communications group.
Once more we replied, in a polite note that translated to, "Really? You won't even say what it's called? Why?"
Virtually within seconds came the response, this time from senior manager Kevin Kelly: "We routinely do not share internal program codes."
So there you have it: GM says the 2017 Bolt EV electric car doesn't use any elements of the latest Gamma small-car architecture—but won't say what it does use.
UPDATE: After this article published, GM's Kevin Kelly gave us the following statement that appears to explain the discrepancy: "The Bolt EV program originated on the Gamma architecture, but then grew into its own architecture—even as it maintained the G2 code."
Chevy Bolt EV not on shared architecture, but platform name secret, GM says
hill
high fiber member
bring 'em over! It'd be a fun experiment ....
Even at 6'-5" - (36"inseam) there's no need for our driver's seat to be hiked all the way back as far as it can go ... it's maybe 1½" from the back stop.
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NeverFollow
Active Member
The following video Chevy "Bolt EV battery and electronics" provides
some detail information about the inside Bolt body frame (see at 3:50)
some detail information about the inside Bolt body frame (see at 3:50)
EarlyAdopter
Active Member
It's great to see more EVs built for taller drivers and passengers that are easier to park and easier to get in and out of.
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