So, how does the Model 3 drive vs the Bolt?

[bradley90014]

well..if you make that argument then I can claim I can take my Leaf cross country too. Just have to stay longer and frequently but theoretically I can make that trip. I know some folks have done the Sand Diego to Vancouver trips on Leaf.

The same argument could be made that if I wanted to drive to Mexico City I could do it in the same time that a Tesla can do it. Super chargers are great but they aren’t everywhere yet. Infrastructure for all EVs is being built quickly.

And I don’t know many sane people that would drive 20 hours straight through without staying the night somewhere. If I had a vehicle with a 600 mile range and a 10 minute charging time to full I still would never do it. That’s just ridiculous logic. Yes. Of course a Tesla can get across country faster. No doubt about it. I’m just arguing that it’s possible. I’d guarantee a Leaf could not drive from LA to NYC. But a Bolt could. But that’s not the point anyways.

I’m gonna get out of here before all the other Bolt badgers get here. I’ll continue to enjoy driving my Bolt and hopefully when my number comes up the Model 3 is half as good as this car. If it is I know I’ll love it.

 

[Stoneymonster]

I’m gonna get out of here before all the other Bolt badgers get here. I’ll continue to enjoy driving my Bolt and hopefully when my number comes up the Model 3 is half as good as this car. If it is I know I’ll love it.

Can’t believe you went with this instead of Bolt Cutters. Shaking my head.

 

[bradley90014]

Can’t believe you went with this instead of Bolt Cutters. Shaking my head.

Was totally supposed to say Bolt Bashers, but auto correct got me on that one.

 

[McRat]

...Not everyone lives in California, ...

None of my neighbors have a snowmobile.
$200,000 sand toys, but no snowmobiles.

Does that mean snowmobiles should be engineered to be used in sand?

EVs are mostly a California thingy. You will just have to grit your teeth and live with it.

EV design should be focused mainly for the environment in which they are used in.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

None of my neighbors have a snowmobile.
$200,000 sand toys, but no snowmobiles.

Does that mean snowmobiles should be engineered to be used in sand?

EVs are mostly a California thingy. You will just have to grit your teeth and live with it.

Sorry, but an EV touted as sold nationwide needs to work...nationwide.

 

[SageBrush]

As far as I can tell, GM earns 3.3 ZEV credits for each Bolt they sell, which is worth more than $16k in fines avoided.

What does a ZEV credit cost on the secondary market ?
This article estimates that Tesla sells them at ~ $1600 a credit.

Elon has said 50 cents on the dollar.

 

[McRat]

Sorry, but an EV touted as sold nationwide needs to work...nationwide.

Sorry, I edited it.

To paraphrase, if I'm going to design a deer rifle, it won't have a bull barrel, bipod, fire .50 BMG, and weigh 40lb.

You design for the application. Hate to say it, but pickups are more a Minnesota thingy.

 

[McRat]

Sorry, but an EV touted as sold nationwide needs to work...nationwide.

This might explain why US EVs are the way they are:

US Electric Car Sales By State — Who's #1, Ohio Or California? | CleanTechnica

 

[xav-]

The bolt is in reality much more expensive than the model 3 once you factor resale value, which is going to be disastrous.

 

[Mattzilla]

Guess I'm in the minority here but I own both a Model S and a Bolt and I really like the Bolt.

Got it for $4k under MSRP from a dealer, sales tax free, the full $7500 tax credit, and also a $700 Costco cash card! After all that, the car was well under $30k in price.

The true one pedal driving on the Bolt is my favorite feature. Tesla's regenerative braking is OK but I'd love a third option to allow the car to regen more aggressively, bringing the car to a complete stop. I haven't had to touch the friction brakes on my Bolt at all and it's really, really nice.

Also love Android Auto. The always up to date maps and navigation from Android Auto put the horribly out of date and option-limited navigation on my Tesla to shame.

The car is very easy to get into and out of, which is also a plus. I love it for short trips.

Overall, it's not a bad little car at all. I'll probably trade it toward a Model Y one day.

 

[Mr X]

Nuff said.

 

[alevek]

 

[bro1999]

Nuff said.

37k car versus 100k car. The 100k car better look $63k better!
At least the $37k car has Android Auto/Carplay.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

This might explain why US EVs are the way they are:

US Electric Car Sales By State — Who's #1, Ohio Or California? | CleanTechnica

Have you considered that EVs have slower adoption in the Mid-west because they aren't as practical to use?

 

[McRat]

Have you considered that EVs have slower adoption in the Mid-west because they aren't as practical to use?

Sure, they could put lift kits, gun racks and winches on EVs for midwest use, but that won't have much effect on sales. It's not just engineering, it's also acceptance levels. In California, it is not consider flaky to drive a hybrid or EV. In the midwest they have a different public perception, and a 'California Car' reputation.

 

[Electroman]

37k car versus 100k car. The 100k car better look $63k better!
At least the $37k car has Android Auto/Carplay.

That is not an S, but a Model 3. The one on the picture is probably $50K but then it has much more range and Autopilot. The cheaper $35K version will look exactly the same from outside.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

Sure, they could put lift kits, gun racks and winches on EVs for midwest use, but that won't have much effect on sales. It's not just engineering, it's also acceptance levels. In California, it is not consider flaky to drive a hybrid or EV. In the midwest they have a different public perception, and a 'California Car' reputation.

I think you have a colored view of the Midwest... I won't argue that rural areas do have your stereotypical pick-up driving, gun toting Muricans. However, we do have urban population centers, and I'm afraid your stereotypes do not work. You think the Twin-Cities, or Chicago, or St. Louis, etc...wouldn't be amenable to EVs if they could replace their ICE vehicles?

We had to wait until the Des Moines SC came online to completely replace our ICE vehicles. I would argue that an extensive charging network is even more important in the Midwest than on the coasts to enable BEV adoption. And brushing it off as simply a "redneck thing" is a bit insulting.

 

[McHoffa]

37k car versus 100k car. The 100k car better look $63k better!
At least the $37k car has Android Auto/Carplay.

$37k-44k car vs $35k-56k car

Yeah, base isn't available quite yet, but as soon as it is, you're looking at two cars in the same price range in those pictures. As I've said before, the Bolt is a $20k car that sells for $40k, while the Model 3 is a $60k car that sells for $40k.

 

[McHoffa]

Hate to say it, but pickups are more a Minnesota thingy.

I would bet you money that you see more pickups here in North Carolina than Minnesota. You'd probably see more trucks in Florida than Minnesota. Oh, and they're often lifted diesel, with confederate flags.

But you know what? You'll also see a TON of Teslas and other EVs here, and Florida is probably the top 5 places that Tesla sells cars. Definitely not a California thing. California provides more incentive to buy EV though. We have zero rebates in NC and have to pay an additional $130 per year for our license plate on an EV.

 

[McRat]

$37k-44k car vs $35k-56k car

Yeah, base isn't available quite yet, but as soon as it is, you're looking at two cars in the same price range in those pictures. As I've said before, the Bolt is a $20k car that sells for $40k, while the Model 3 is a $60k car that sells for $40k.

You are fixated on $20k cars. Go drive some. Then drive a Bolt and report back.

I rented a Mazda 6 at an airport recently, which is about a $20k car. What a POS, and quite slow. Big step down from either a Bolt or Volt in handling and performance and amenities.
More comparable to the Bolt is the FWD CX-3 (8.1s 0-60) which is just over $20k stripped and smaller. The CX-5 is closer to the interior size, but stripped it's over $25k with dest. (8.1s 0-60).