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I cannot believe Detroit (Chevy Bolt)

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I test drove a Bolt prior to a Tesla. I told my spouse it drove like a golf cart on steroids. The 2 Teslas I tested (an S and an X) were not in the same universe as the Chevy.

I was considering Bolt as well as Niro and Kona but for the same price (in Canada) and range - Model3 it's just far beyond.

My wife hated Bolts we test drove. Buy anything you want but Bolt she said ))

Although I think that Bolt has good potential as an EV, just make it a real crossover and you golden )

P.S. I still love my Volt.
 
I know the little pug is useful, but it's still very unclear why GM couldn't put a little more looks into the Bolt.

Elon Musk needed massive amounts of real world data for autopilot neural network development. While everybody else was playing with limited test beds, Musk's genius was in starting with "sexy" cars that people wanted to own and drive, and getting the data from these cars.

On the other hand, the Bolt seems like a deliberately inelegant machine, as if to make an eco-statement. And it seems to me that if they have enough margin to deeply discount them, they had enough margin to put a little more beauty into the car.
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Right now my options for a used car are

~$39,000 new 2020 SR+ Model 3 (because the used model 3s are within 15% of that price and aren't worth the trouble/damage, If I have to pay over $30K I might as well go new)

or

~17,000 used 2017 Bolt with a heated steering wheel

It's literally less than half the cost up front. So the next question is how do the insurance costs compare?

Tesla-Model-3-depreciation-change-in-value-after-3-years-vs-competitors-iSeeCars-CleanTechnica.png
 
How about a BMW i3? My friend's wife on Maui wanted a Model 3, but all she could find there was a used S, so she's happy with the i3 she got, cheap.

I would consider a Volt. Pretty normal looking car, and what's wrong with a hybrid?
 
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The EV parts of the Chevy Bolt are actually pretty good. Smooth, quick, efficient, reliable, and good range. The regular car parts of the Chevy Bolt are mediocre at best. Cheap seats, blah styling, so-so interior, handling that's ok but not amazing.

Unfortunately for American manufacturing, the EV parts of the Chevy Bolt are built by LG in Korea, and the regular car parts are what's built in the USA.
 
Right now my options for a used car are

~$39,000 new 2020 SR+ Model 3 (because the used model 3s are within 15% of that price and aren't worth the trouble/damage, If I have to pay over $30K I might as well go new)

or

~17,000 used 2017 Bolt with a heated steering wheel

It's literally less than half the cost up front. So the next question is how do the insurance costs compare?

Tesla-Model-3-depreciation-change-in-value-after-3-years-vs-competitors-iSeeCars-CleanTechnica.png
I had both a Bolt and a M3 Performance and the Bolt seemed to be 15% cheaper than the 3.

I slowly went from my first new car which was a Ford Fusion Hybrid in 2010 to Focus Electric in 2014 to Chevy Spark in 2016 to Bolt in 2017 to Volt in 2018 to finally a M3 Performance in 2020.

That being said I noticed there was a huge insurance price jump from hybrid to electric but as I moved in between EVs to my Model 3 the price jumps in insurance were not too drastic.
 
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I test drove a Bolt when they came out. Nothing else at the time (at least affordable to me) had that kind of range at 238 miles. I tried to get a Bolt but my credit was still very early in my rebuilding stages and I got denied. In hindsight, I'm glad for it. I love hatchbacks and I love small cars, so if someone can make a 'hot hatch' EV with around 300 miles range, I think it would do really well in the States, provided it doesn't cost as much as a Tesla Model 3 SR+. As others have said, not everyone can afford a Tesla. I couldn't for a while.

Having some choices with decent range but priced well below the SR+ makes sense. So much so that Tesla will be doing this themselves. I just hope they don't exclude the States or North America at large with their new $25,000 coming in a few years like Honda did with the neo-retro Honda e, a redux of the brilliant little Honda Z600. The Z600 was the very first car I fell in love with, and was formative in my lasting preference for small cars.

I also had a 2018 LEAF S, and I enjoyed the car despite some misgivings with its styling and the nerve-wracking 151 mile range (at maximum). I was constantly charging that thing and always had range anxiety. 322 miles range is amazing in comparison with my Tesla P3D- and I have no range anxiety. I'm also a much more seasoned EV owner. :) In the LEAF, I actually got caught out on a trip back from L.A. and had to limp it to an L2 charger in some remote parking lot, in the rain. It was an interesting night. :D

The Bolt fills a niche, though I do agree that GM and others often seem to design by committee, fear, tradition....afraid to fully commit to the future. This is what I like so much about Tesla and Elon specifically. EV is all Tesla does with respect to vehicles. Do I think there's a huge market for a lower cost hot hatch EV with about 300 miles? Absolutely.

In any case, the Bolt does fill a niche, and I suspect that future generations will do this even better.
 
I like the Bolt. I drove one for work and I appreciate its range and comfort and that it's a pure electric. The interior is sparse but it doesn't feel cheap, and I like that the UI is clear and intuitive. It's not a Tesla but that's not a cut. And to be fair, for the moment at least, the Bolt has better build quality than the Tesla. I looked hard at the Bolt before choosing the MY. Autopilot and the Supercharging network were the clinchers for me.
 
I test drove a Bolt. Wasn't for me. My heart was set on a Model S. But I've got to say I was impressed by it. It's no tesla but it moves pretty well and it has great range. Some people might hate its style but I kind of liked it.

I tell you though, if it weren't for the supercharger factor and if I were deciding between a 3 and a Bolt, it would be a tough choice.
 
In defense of the bolt, it's solid car. It offers: good range (250+ miles) PLENTY of space, a huge amount of head room, and a lift gate. 0-60 in ~6.5 seconds. Thats just as fast as an i3. The bolt is still one of the longest ranged vehicles that's not a Tesla. The Polestar 2 fell short of 250, the ipace is barely 230 miles. The only car that competes with it in range are the Model 3 and the Hyundai Kona EV.

The Hyundai Kona has a much more cramped interior.

To prosecute the bolt, it's as ugly as sin and the seats are bad. not just from a materials stand point, but from a build stand point. they are extremely firm and small width wise. I'm 5'10, 170lbs and I felt it was tight in the hips. The infotainment is better than most major auto makers at the time. The interior materials did feel a bit cheap.

2 years ago when I bought my Model 3, it came down between that and the Bolt. the Bolt was over 40k at the time (when optioned out). The decision to pick a model 3 came down to (for me):

1) Range (300+miles vs 250+ miles)
2) Charging Network: Electrify America had not started building in earnest. The third party (fast)charging infrastructure was subpar even 2 years ago.
3)DC charging speed
4)Software Updates/driver assistance aids

If the Bolt had bested the Model 3 in those 4 things , I would have bought it. The Bolt is a fine EV.
 
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