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Media stop comparing Bolt to Model 3

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Actually, it's pretty comparable. This is why CUV cars are so popular. They look weird, but have lots of interior space.

Audi A4: (2016 Audi A4 2.0T Premium Sedan 2.0L 4-cyl. Turbo CVT Automatic Features and Specs )
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Chevy Bolt: ( Drive Unit and Battery at the Heart of Chevrolet Bolt EV )
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Yes, the A4 seems to have impressively more room up front.

For its engine.

Not that that translates in any way to passenger space or comfort.

The A4 just looks so much better, and I blame GM for this. They just didn't try in how the presented the bolt. This is the same GM that is what? 20% Italian owed? They can give us the Corvette, Camaro, and all the nice new Cadillacs but then they crap out the Bolt. The look of the thing betrays the the power-train beneath - the proof is here in this thread. People are comparing it to a Fiesta when it is much larger. It's a compliance car through and through and that upsets me.
 
Assume 4 kWh buffer on the 60 kWh pack, so 56 kW usable x 3.8 mi/kW x 5% improvement in EV drivetrain losses due to the lack of the planetary and clutches = 223.4 miles. Using the EPA city range, 235 miles.

Volt is a poor example it actually gets poor range/pack size. Give the Volt 60 KWh and same range/pack size, and you only get:

Volt 53 miles/18.4 KWh * 60KWh = 173 miles

Reserve capacity isn't a set size, it's a Percentage you want to maintain for battery life. The deeper you cycle, the more it kills your battery life.

If the Volt is reserving such a high Percentage, why do you think the Bolt would preserve a low percentage?

You are making the same kind of wildly optimistic assumptions as those who think the TM3 will get 215 mile range out of 50-55KWh pack.

Look at a bunch of current EVs. The most efficient is the ~2900 lbs, carbon fiber BMW i3. 81 miles/22 KWh.

BMW i3, 81 miles/22 KWh * 60KWh = 220 miles.

It's a stretch to think anyone is going to significantly better the efficiency of a 2900 lb EV that is the most efficient on the market, while weight ~700lbs more. That's just wishful thinking.
 
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Compliance cars are only sold in the in CARB States. The Spark is a compliance car. The Bolt is not, it will be sold in all the States same as the Model 3.

Agreed. But: when will the Bolt be in all states? I fear the Bolt will be available in ZEV states *first*. How long will it be until we non-ZEV customers have a shot? I suspect 6 months, but of course I am guessing. GM just says they have "not yet decided" how to do early allocations.
 
If the Volt is reserving such a high Percentage, why do you think the Bolt would preserve a low percentage?
The reserve part of the pack is dependent on battery size and lifetime cycling. Smaller batteries are cycled more and need more reserve. Also, a plugin hybrid reverting to a hybrid "charge sustaining" mode wants some reserve to help it assist the gas engine during hybrid operation. That's why the Prius Plugin used only about 63% (37% reserved). The original Volt was perhaps overly conservative at 65% usable. The new Volt is about 75% usable.

The LEAF at 24 or 30 kWh and Tesla's generally use about 90% (10% reserve).

GM has not stated a reserve percentage for the Bolt EV but has hinted that it will be comparable to other big battery BEVs and the Spark EV. So, figure about 10% reserve or 54 kWh usable until we know more.

You are making the same kind of wildly optimistic assumptions as those who think the TM3 will get 215 mile range out of 50-55KWh pack.
I'm guessing the Bolt will have combined city/highway estimate between 205 and 215 so I'm being a little more conservative.
 
The A4 just looks so much better, and I blame GM for this. They just didn't try in how the presented the bolt. This is the same GM that is what? 20% Italian owed? They can give us the Corvette, Camaro, and all the nice new Cadillacs but then they crap out the Bolt. The look of the thing betrays the the power-train beneath - the proof is here in this thread. People are comparing it to a Fiesta when it is much larger.
We are comparing a picture of a production A4 with a pre-production Bolt EV with unfinished headlights and external moldings and a goofy "race car" paint job. That Bolt was used for giving journalists a spin around a short test track across the street from the CES convention in Las Vegas in January. The car with the production parts and normal paint job was inside for the keynote speech.

I think maybe the short hood is off putting to some people who associate that with cheap cars. They would rather have a longer hood with a frunk space. The Bolt doesn't have a frunk and is shorter which is an advantage for urban parking while still having lots of interior space.

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...

If the Volt is reserving such a high Percentage, why do you think the Bolt would preserve a low percentage?

...

The Volts have a serious limitation. The gas generator is smaller than the electric motor. To keep the maximum rated power at all times, even when at "fully discharged", it must have a large buffer at the bottom.

Example, the 2016/2017 model has a 120kW electric motor. But the gas generator is only 75KW. So if you are driving down the freeway at 75 mph, and it runs out of charge, the gas generator comes on automagically, it's seamless. Now, you want to pass somebody uphill, and mash the accelerator like it was cockroach in the garage. It still develops the full 120 kW of power. It takes a significant reserve to allow for that.

BEVs do not need that bottom buffer. As long as you do not drop below the low voltage threshold, you can drain them much further.

The Spark EV uses a lot more of it's battery than the Volt. In fact, it's got the same 18.4 kWh battery capacity of the Volt, but it gets 81 miles of EPA range instead of 53 miles like the Volt does.


Sidebar - A 90 kWh Spark (har!) would go about 400 miles if it weren't for the weight of the bigger battery.
 
GM has not stated a reserve percentage for the Bolt EV but has hinted that it will be comparable to other big battery BEVs and the Spark EV. So, figure about 10% reserve or 54 kWh usable until we know more.

I'm guessing the Bolt will have combined city/highway estimate between 205 and 215 so I'm being a little more conservative.
The '15-16 Spark EV is able to use about 17.5 kWh of it's advertised 18.4 kWh battery; that's only a 5% knockdown.

The Bolt EV absolutely must exceed 200 mi combined EPA or GM won't get the same CARB credits they're no doubt basing their financial models on. So, if the Bolt EV only has 205-215 mi range, the engineering team has cut it really close. Leaving only 3-5% margin is very tight. I'm guessing 215-220 miles and would be genuinely surprised if it was more than 225 miles.
 
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