Really? Is no one talking about the Chevy Bolt?

[Empiro]

I wonder if there's some deep technical reason they can't improve the charging on the Bolt. I feel like that's the only reason it's not a much more compelling EV.

Your average car buyer doesn't care about things like OTA updates and many folks want physical buttons for things rather than touchscreen.

If they could improve the 0-80 charging down to 30 minutes or so, it would be an incredibly good deal.

Still, at the new price, it makes a super good second car for any 2-car households (whether your first car is an EV or not).

 

[gtae07]

Pretty much that

Most of the EVs out there are just too expensive for me, but I really don't want to buy another ICE vehicle. I'm taking a second look at the Bolt with the recent price drop, but what's holding me back is the slow fast charging and the older battery tech with a troubled past.

Just trying to weigh whether it's worth paying new-car money for a local commuter...

 

[stopcrazypp]

I wonder if there's some deep technical reason they can't improve the charging on the Bolt. I feel like that's the only reason it's not a much more compelling EV.

Your average car buyer doesn't care about things like OTA updates and many folks want physical buttons for things rather than touchscreen.

If they could improve the 0-80 charging down to 30 minutes or so, it would be an incredibly good deal.

Still, at the new price, it makes a super good second car for any 2-car households (whether your first car is an EV or not).

According to this analysis, there is a thermal bottleneck in the way the cooling system is designed. It equates to 0.7C charging, and GM is being slightly conservative and using 0.65C. In the MachE, there is a similar limitation of 0.8C, but Ford is pushing it a bit to 0.9C charging, although given it has a larger 98.6 kWh pack, it translates to more absolute power in kW.

So until they do a new pack design, they don't really have room to increase the charging power by much. Probably will have to wait for a next gen where there is a complete redesign (assuming there is a next gen and the Bolt name has not been permanently tainted by the battery issues).

Mustang Mach-E Battery Charges Slowly, Overheats Quickly: Why?

Through extensive research and modeling, we dive into the Mach-E's battery issues. We also compare it to the Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID.4.

www.google.com

 

[3sr+buyer]

I wonder if there's some deep technical reason they can't improve the charging on the Bolt. I feel like that's the only reason it's not a much more compelling EV.

In 2017, non-Tesla "fast" charging only went up to about 50kW, and even that was not too common, since many "fast" chargers then were only 24kW.

So the Bolt's (originally optional!) fast charging was capable of the fastest available "fast" charging at the time.

Of course, now that Electrify America stations with much faster charging are available, that looks behind the times. But since the battery, cooling, charging, etc. was designed around 50kW, it would be expensive to increase it significantly (along the lines of redesigning the entire power train), so that is presumably left to the successor model.

 

[cwerdna]

Bolt tops out at ~55 kW for DC FCing (I had one for 3 years). But yes, when it came out in Dec 2016 (Chevrolet Delivers First Bolt EVs to Customers), it was probably amongst the fastest if not the fastest non-Tesla consumer BEV for DC FCing.

Too bad, they haven't improved that part of along the way.

 

[DblOSmith]

Whoa wait... the president told me that GM was leading the way in electrification. "I am serious. You led, and it matters."

Hmm...

 

[cwerdna]

Long thread at Chevrolet Ends Battery Replacements. Basically, '20 to '22 Bolts (EV and later including EUV) that were originally recalled for their batteries (produced before Aug 2021 except for the special Nov 2021 batch) that haven't received new packs probably won't.

They want people to have a patch installed that limits charging to 80% and then if no probs are detected after 6200 miles, the limit will automatically be raised to 100%.

2022 CHEVROLET BOLT EUV SUV FWD | NHTSA under 21V650000 has 141 associated docs. Here are a couple relevant ones:

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2021/RCMN-21V650-1537.pdf

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2021/RCRIT-21V650-7747.pdf

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2021/RMISC-21V650-3237.pdf

You can look up more for these by going to Recalls | NHTSA and putting in 2020 thru 2022 Bolt EV or EUV. You should find basically the same docs. I believe newer docs are added to the bottom.

Prior to this news, Q1 2023 Recall Summary Report the latest publicly available status we had on US Bolt battery recalls. Given this, '20 to '22 Bolt battery replacements should almost completely come to a halt. I haven't followed the mechanics of the GM's recall numbers (e.g. N212343880 and N212345940) in a long time.

 

[MP3Mike]

They want people to have a patch installed that limits charging to 80% and then if no probs are detected after 6200 miles, the limit will automatically be raised to 100%.

That seems ridiculous. (I thought someone also mentioned that it limited the bottom to 10%.) For most people that would be around a year of driving, so they are saying you can only use 70% of the range you purchased for a year? (Which might make it impossible to do some legs of a given trip.)

I suspect a number of people will be lemon lawing their car over this.

 

[Darmie]

GM killed off their best EV lineup. Might as well chop up the bolt.

Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006) - IMDb

Who Killed the Electric Car?: Directed by Chris Paine. With Martin Sheen, Reverend Gadget, Dave Barthmuss, Ed Begley Jr.. A documentary that investigates the birth and death of the electric car, as well as the role of renewable energy and sustainable living in the future.

www.imdb.com

 

[cwerdna]

That seems ridiculous. (I thought someone also mentioned that it limited the bottom to 10%.) For most people that would be around a year of driving, so they are saying you can only use 70% of the range you purchased for a year? (Which might make it impossible to do some legs of a given trip.)

I suspect a number of people will be lemon lawing their car over this.

I've not heard the above claim before. But again, the 80% max charge limit is in place per the bulletins (I already pointed to them) and Experience GM: Chevy Bolt EV & EUV Recall for 6,200 miles and will be automatically raised to 100% if no anomalies are detected.

US vehicles are only typically driven 6,200 miles per year?

 

[Konicom04]

GM asks Chevy Bolt EV owners not to charge overnight or park inside? JUST IMAGINE IF THIS WERE TESLA. Holy Cats, it would be the end of the world.

GM asks Chevy Bolt EV owners not to charge overnight or park inside after 2 more fires

With two more fires since the final recall was announced, GM has asked affected Bolt owners to park outside and no longer charge overnight.

electrek.co

Consumer Alert: Important Chevrolet Bolt Recall for Fire Risk

Owners of select Chevy Bolt vehicles should park their cars outside and away from homes, including vehicles that had a recall remedy completed.

www.nhtsa.gov

While i absolutely agree on the media bias against Tesla, clearly BOLT got plenty of bad publicity. One can still see " NO BOLT PARKING " signs in public garages.

Bad enough - GM ended up killing it.

 

[Konicom04]

I wonder if there's some deep technical reason they can't improve the charging on the Bolt. I feel like that's the only reason it's not a much more compelling EV.

GM developed a completely new EV architecture ( ULTIUM) that all their new EV's will be based on.
BOLT was theirs fist attempt at EV's, with legacy tech and battery technology knowledge gained from the Volt.

 

[Earl]

GM developed a completely new EV architecture ( ULTIUM) that all their new EV's will be based on.
BOLT was theirs fist attempt at EV's, with legacy tech and battery technology knowledge gained from the Volt.

hmm. Gen1 EV1, Gen2 EV1, S10 EV, Spark EV, 2012 Volt, 2015 Volt, Bolt.
I'd say it was about their 7th attempt, at least for ones that went into production.

 

[Konicom04]

hmm. Gen1 EV1, Gen2 EV1, S10 EV, Spark EV, 2012 Volt, 2015 Volt, Bolt.
I'd say it was about their 7th attempt, at least for ones that went into production.

Im a big fan of the VOLT. Always say - the best ( and most misunderstood) commuter car ever produced.
With the exception of EV1 and 2 - all used that same battery tech. GM was also the only one interested in electrification at the time.

 

[DblOSmith]

Im a big fan of the VOLT. Always say - the best ( and most misunderstood) commuter car ever produced.
With the exception of EV1 and 2 - all used that same battery tech. GM was also the only one interested in electrification at the time.

I liked the Volt too. I remember that was the first semi-electrified vehicle I was excited about and wanted to own.

 

[Konicom04]

I liked the Volt too. I remember that was the first semi-electrified vehicle I was excited about and wanted to own.

I've owned a total of 5 of them over the course of the last 9 years
Still own two ( daughter's daily drivers)
Fantastic cars.

 

[Earl]

Im a big fan of the VOLT. Always say - the best ( and most misunderstood) commuter car ever produced.
With the exception of EV1 and 2 - all used that same battery tech. GM was also the only one interested in electrification at the time.

Other than the fact I can't see out of it (I'm 6'4" tall), The Volt is a fine vehicle. Its fatal flaws, however are:
1) trying to put 2 power trains into a car makes the cost of a good PHEV like the Volt high and folks aren't willing to pay the necessary price for a manufacturers to make a profit.
2) GM made the Volt's transmission system way too complex, making 1) even worse.

Given that the system block diagram of a PHEV nicely matches the org chart of an ICE company, it is popular in the board room; it doesn't leave any division out. That's why Tesla has been successful; they didn't have to satisfy an existing (but obsolete) corporate power structure.

 

[Konicom04]

Other than the fact I can't see out of it (I'm 6'4" tall), The Volt is a fine vehicle. Its fatal flaws, however are:
1) trying to put 2 power trains into a car makes the cost of a good PHEV like the Volt high and folks aren't willing to pay the necessary price for a manufacturers to make a profit.
2) GM made the Volt's transmission system way too complex, making 1) even worse.

Given that the system block diagram of a PHEV nicely matches the org chart of an ICE company, it is popular in the board room; it doesn't leave any division out. That's why Tesla has been successful; they didn't have to satisfy an existing (but obsolete) corporate power structure.

Can't argue with any of your points here
Totally agree

 

[Darmie]

BOLT was theirs fist attempt at EV's, with legacy tech and battery technology knowledge gained from the Volt.

I think it was a good start but they could have looked at the startup company (Tesla) that already had a few years under their belt for some ideas and knowledge.

Im a big fan of the VOLT. Always say - the best ( and most misunderstood) commuter car ever produced.

Short story. Purchased our 2020 MY used from a person that loved everything about tesla. He purchased everything and anything at the time you could get aftermarket for the car. Even had it wrapped in this beautiful Stealth pearl white. I could tell this was his baby so we ask, why the sale. He gave us this little story about it wasn't a good fit for the family ect ect. We seen a Volt in the drive and found out that was his daughter had one as well. The problem was they didn't like the fact that you have to plug it in to charge it. Weird I know and he even had a Tesla HPWC already in his garage. I'm not sure what Kool-Aid the wife and daughter drinks but he sure didn't have the family's buy-in on a tesla. And to think, they never charged their Volts.

 

[Konicom04]

I think it was a good start but they could have looked at the startup company (Tesla) that already had a few years under their belt for some ideas and knowledge.


Short story. Purchased our 2020 MY used from a person that loved everything about tesla. He purchased everything and anything at the time you could get aftermarket for the car. Even had it wrapped in this beautiful Stealth pearl white. I could tell this was his baby so we ask, why the sale. He gave us this little story about it wasn't a good fit for the family ect ect. We seen a Volt in the drive and found out that was his daughter had one as well. The problem was they didn't like the fact that you have to plug it in to charge it. Weird I know and he even had a Tesla HPWC already in his garage. I'm not sure what Kool-Aid the wife and daughter drinks but he sure didn't have the family's buy-in on a tesla. And to think, they never charged their Volts.

haha - VOLTS were not designed to be driven on ICE. Prius does much better job doing that