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Chevy Bolt: the First Practical, Mass-Market Electric Vehicle

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Re: Chevy Bolt: the First Practical, Mass-Market Electric Vehicle

#201

Post by wedowhatwedo »

hedora wrote: post #104
dpweb wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Kill you"? Sorry but this is fud unless you can cite death rates. This site here lists the Volt as lowest death rate listed among small 4-dr cars. http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/driver-death-rates

All the cars I mentioned have internal combustion engines, FWIW. I wonder if the volt does so well because of limited range — I doubt typical owners clock many highway miles at speed, given that it is most useful in congested cities. Anyway, here are lists of recalls across their lines. Glancing at it reveals shocking things (the GMC canyon hood can unexpectedly open, and it has killed people, to pick one at random).…

I have driven my Volt on many 500+ mile trips using the battery at first then the gas engine to generate electricity for the wheels. I'm still alive and all my passengers are still alive.

My 2012 Volt has had no recalls. It's been in the shop 3 times since I bought it in 2012. Two were for oil changes and one was a regular check up. That's it. I haven't been to a gas station in around 6 months (because I haven't had any really long trips in this car during that time).

It's fun to say all cars are bad because a few are bad, but it sure isn't accurate.

Re: Chevy Bolt: the First Practical, Mass-Market Electric Vehicle

#202

Post by lostboys67 »

s0rce wrote: post #46
erik_seaberg wrote: post #23

Hours per week charging is better than hours per day, but still only practical for people who can run heavy wiring to a private garage. I keep wishing gas station battery swaps were happening.

I've seen people charging bolts and plug in hybrids on my street with the wire run across the sidewalk (ie. from their home to the car parked on the street out front). Its a low-traffic residential area (East Bay) and I think this should be legal as it allows many people who have homes but no driveways to own and charge EVs. Maybe there should be a special rubber wire cover to protect the cord and so people don't tri…

Hmm diy wiring just exposed to the elements and draped across the pavements that's just asking for some one to get an accidental electric shock

Re: Chevy Bolt: the First Practical, Mass-Market Electric Vehicle

#203

Post by lostboys67 »

bogomipz wrote: post #102

I am curious how does one go about disposing of an electronic vehicle like this when the time comes - whether from an accident or just EOL'd? Is that included in this price? Or does one need to factor that into the TCO of the vehicle? Given the batteries I'm guessing this requires special attention compared to a combustion engine car.

A related Q is how do first responders safely deal with crashes of electrical vehicles which may have a risk of electrocution at best and a full on metal fire.

Re: Chevy Bolt: the First Practical, Mass-Market Electric Vehicle

#204

Post by BoorishBears »

hedora wrote: post #30
hedora wrote: post #20

We just managed to sell another flagship GM vehicle, and the software was so bad, it was nearly a deal-breaker. (Most years of this model had software bugs that were so bad, they could literally kill you — for example, the exhaust system could overheat, and burn the car down). Also, basic electro-mechanical things, like seat belts and the FM radio started to die after 3-4 years. This is with light use in CA. Even whe…

Case in point. I thought I read bolts (volts?) sometimes put themselves into reverse and accelerate while off+charging. I wanted to paste a link, but found this article instead. It looks like this safety issue is by design. (Also, CR says the handling is “choppy” on uneven pavement, which matches my old lemon): http://www.chevybolt.org/forum/#/topics/7778?page=1 “On this rainy morning while turning to park in a stall…

I've noticed this plenty:

"Hitting a large bump may also disengage Regen, which will feel like the car is actually speeding up (since you are expecting it to decelerate)."

But that's not a design fault, you're essentially using a "weaker brake" to stop, then you go over a large bump which overpowers the brake for a second. Even real brakes have that issue, but they "catch" quicker than the regen-only.

I just don't drive with L, the regen pedal allows much finer tuning.

Re: Chevy Bolt: the First Practical, Mass-Market Electric Vehicle

#205

Post by lostboys67 »

TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #125
dayaz36 wrote: post #107

If you don't have a network of fast superchargers, then your EV is automatically useless for road trips. Tesla is the only company that has built out this network. No other EV should be taken seriously unless they've built out theirs.

But I want another solely for driving around town. The city I live in is barely 15 kilometres (about 10 miles) across. Any of the currently available EVs would suit my needs. If I want to go out of town I'll take my turbo diesel camper.

So you get to feel all virtuous but don't mind blasting out Nox particulates which is a major health hazard

Re: Chevy Bolt: the First Practical, Mass-Market Electric Vehicle

#206

Post by [deleted] »

lostboys67 wrote: post #202
s0rce wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen people charging bolts and plug in hybrids on my street with the wire run across the sidewalk (ie. from their home to the car parked on the street out front). Its a low-traffic residential area (East Bay) and I think this should be legal as it allows many people who have homes but no driveways to own and charge EVs. Maybe there should be a special rubber wire cover to protect the cord and so people don't tri…

Hmm diy wiring just exposed to the elements and draped across the pavements that's just asking for some one to get an accidental electric shock

[deleted]

Re: Chevy Bolt: the First Practical, Mass-Market Electric Vehicle

#208

Post by cmrdporcupine »

kalleboo wrote: post #193
whalesalad wrote: post #15

Note that this is the Bolt not the Volt. Even as a petrol head who owns a V8 and a Subaru STI, I really like what GM has done with this vehicle. Really really great review from Doug DeMuro here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2ogGZXmepY Doug has a great style - really digs deep into all the quirks and oddities of the cars he reviews.

I'm also a fan of RegularCarReviews, who tends to get a better sense of the whole car rather than the details https://youtu.be/m-gDhq8VKsQ?t=37

AlexOnAutos is also extremely thorough.

Not sure if he's done the Bolt, but his Volt review is great and the reason I got one.

Re: Chevy Bolt: the First Practical, Mass-Market Electric Vehicle

#209

Post by slackingoff2017 »

klipt wrote: post #68
arkades wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, because that’s how regenerative braking works. This was discussed at length in the linked article.

That sounds dangerous. By comparison the Prius uses regenerative braking when you hit the brake, but if that isn't enough it will switch to normal (friction) braking. Having something that switches from braking to no brake without warning seems like ... terrible design.

Uhhh, manual cars have worked like this forever. In first gear especially the braking when you let off the gas is enough to be jarring if you're not gentle

Re: Chevy Bolt: the First Practical, Mass-Market Electric Vehicle

#210

Post by cmrdporcupine »

strin wrote: post #177

I own a chevy volt and it never felt as good as it should be. Initially it has a burning smell on gas mode. I took it to the dealership for maintenance and they said GM's official solution is to install a "carbon filter" to the venting. It has an integration with Apple CarPlay that works most of the time but has some small glitches. It all felt like... Nokia - you know the times when you buy those smartphones expecti…

I dunno, my Gen 2 Volt is the best vehicle I've ever owned, and I've owned two Subarus, VW diesel Jetta, and driven a lot of other car in my 26 years of driving. I have almost no complaints about it, and it is the first domestic car I've owned.

I sat in a Bolt while a friend drove it. It's a good car, too. I just need more cargo area. Also they're really hard to get here in Ontario.

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