My Chevy Bolt EV – Day 3

Posted on January 11, 2017 by stevegoesgreen

I don’t think the sun has come out yet on me and my Bolt EV, but I’ve enjoyed motoring around in it anyway.

I’m used to adjusting to a new car every week, so this one is no different–except that it’s staying with me for three years. I got my phone hooked up at the dealership, so that was easy. Now, I’ve got my favorite FM and SiriusXM stations all set up on the audio screen. I’m using the little up/down paddles on the left side of the steering wheel to move between them. I’m a big fan of controls you can operate without looking. This is the best system I’ve had since Chrysler/Jeep/Fiat’s system on the back of the steering wheel.

That wheel in the Bolt, by the way, has controls all over it, as it should, and it’s nice and fat and the leather wrapping feels comfortable in my hands. Like some of the interior working areas, it’s dark gray, but the rest of the interior is light gray and white, so it’s airy and pleasant in there, even with rain outside.

I’ve charged the car up to full now. It read like this today, with the climate control turned off, getting about 10 more miles of range.

Of course, this is an approximation, but the range shows that with careful driving, achieving what the EPA got in its tests is a reasonable possibility. The Bolt EV shows the estimated range based on your driving (only 106 miles on my car so far, so not much to go on). The Max and Min are what’s possible. While driving home today, I had the Max up to 286 miles–thanks to some sloggy stop-and-go in the rain.

I’ve tried out all three of the versions of the instrument panel. This is the Enhanced one, with more information on the sides. There are two others, Classic and Modern. Classic has the least detail. The Modern one uses a little ball on the right side. Keeping it centered makes you drive more efficiently. The Enhanced panel shows if you’re using or regenerating power–a typical, and useful stat to have in an EV.

I’ve noticed that I’m comfortable in the tall, firm, seats, but they are a little firmer than most others I’ve experienced in my hundreds of test cars. Since the car has a firm suspension and the tires are highly inflated, it’s already a firm ride. But that makes the car feel responsive and sporty–up to a point. We’ll see how the chairs feel during longer trips–although I doubt if I’ll ever spend five hours straight in the car unless I know I can charge it up on the other end of that trip.

With all this rain, I’ve seen a lot of my wipers. They are the kind that are mounted on the outer ends of the windshield area and cross each other. This leaves a little “v” of uncleared window in the upper middle, but the mirror and the cameras take that up anyway. They clear almost to the windshield pillars, so that’s great. I’ve used them in the standard two settings and a variety of intermittent settings–and the occasional mist cycle. Totally standard.

I carried my upright bass in the car tonight. It worked perfectly, as I expected. I removed the feather-light cargo cover and flipped down the seats. With the hard panel in place in the back, I had a nice, flat surface for the bass. The scroll lay on the center armrest. Perfect. My fellow orchestra member has ordered her own Bolt EV–in the same color–so she was very excited to see mine tonight.

That’s all for now–but there’ll be much more. I’ve got more screens to view, for example (although I’ve already gotten to know about the Energy ones).

Bill Mattos, One of the First Three Bolt Owners

Posted on January 2, 2017 by stevegoesgreen

There’s a lot of excitement over Chevrolet’s award-winning new Bolt EV. Chevrolet promised to begin deliveries in December of 2016, and on December 13, in Fremont, California, three lucky customers drove their Bolts home. One of them was Bill Mattos, a retired law enforcement officer, who happens to live right there in town.

It turns out that Bill has been an EV enthusiast for a long time, since he got a rare opportunity to drive GM’s EV1 back in 1999.

“I was taking my Saturn to the dealership and saw this strange-looking car plugged in there,” said Bill. “It was the EV1. They let me drive it and we burned up a lot of electrons. I was blown away.”

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Bill couldn’t buy or lease one—the waiting list was long, and GM notoriously cancelled the EV1 program—but he decided then that as soon as GM offered another EV, he’d be one of the first people to get one.

He got his chance when the diminutive Chevrolet Spark EV came out.

“I really liked the Spark’s acceleration, and it was easy to get in and out of,” Bill said. “But there was the 85-mile range, and while I enjoyed riding in the HOV lane, I sometimes felt a little intimidated by the big cars.”

Bill’s next EV was the larger Chevrolet Volt—a hybrid. He got the second-generation 2016 model. But not long after, he read about the upcoming all-electric Bolt and got excited.

“It sounded like a Spark on steroids,” he said. “I read everything I could find about it.”

And, Bill told the folks at Fremont Chevrolet to let him know immediately when they started taking orders so he could be the first one on the list. And that’s just what they did. On October 2, Bill drove down to Fremont Chevrolet and placed his order.

As it turns out, Fremont Chevrolet is the top EV seller in the Bay Area (and Fremont also happens to be where EV rival Tesla’s plant is located). So, when GM decided to deliver the first three Bolts there, Bill got a call to come on down and pick up his car. The dealership sent a car for him, since he would be driving his Bolt home.

“They had a whole lot of Bolts there, but most were going to other dealers for demo cars,” said Bill. “I originally ordered a silver one, but since I was getting to be first in line, I chose the red one, which included the fast charge port.”

The dignitaries presented Bill with his car, showed him how the features worked, and he was on his way. (Photo courtesy of Fremont Chevrolet. Bill Mattos, left, with Ron Meier, Chevrolet Western Regional Manager.)

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Bill really likes the car so far.

“It feels bigger inside than it looks on the outside, and it’s easy to get in and out of,” he says. “And the acceleration is great, although all EVs have that.”

Bill likes the ergonomics of the new Bolt, and how, with its 238-mile range, he doesn’t have to plug it in every night.

He’s had a few challenges using the new displays, but Bill knows it’s just an initial adjustment—and part of being an EV pioneer.

If you’re in the Fremont area and have a hankering for a new Bolt, contact Kurt Mietz, Fleet and Commercial Specialist, at Fremont Chevrolet. Call 650-766-7777 or email to: kurtm@cacargroup.com.

Chevy Bolt Anticipation

Posted on December 24, 2016 by stevegoesgreen

It’s two days before Christmas (and one before the first night of Chanukah). Anticipation is in the air. But I’ve been in a state of anticipation since October 11, when I ordered my Chevrolet Bolt.

As an auto writer, I’m always driving someone else’s car for an article, but I decided that this car is the one I want for me. I think it will be ideal for my needs–even if I’m only spending part of my time driving it.

What I’m trying to learn now is patience. It’s one thing to walk into a dealership, stroll around the lot, find a car you like, and then sit down and negotiate to drive it home. It’s another thing to order a car you’ve never actually seen or even driven and wait. You hope it’ll be as good as you’ve heard.

I did manage to get down to the San Francisco Auto Show in November and see a Bolt (see photo above). It was, amazingly, the same color I ordered, and I walked around it, talked with people about it, sat in it, got out, sat in it again, and hovered around it for a while.

I also visited a dealership and drove one. I was pleased that the experience behind the wheel (and in the back seat) was as good as I’d hoped. Having the car win awards right out of the chute was encouraging, too, making me feel like I was making the right choice.

The ordering process itself was simple. I went into the dealership and specified what I wanted–color, features, etc. Then, I waited to hear that the order was submitted. Then, I waited to be informed that the factory had received it. After that, it took a while to find out that the factory was preparing to build the car. Then, I learned that it was built but awaiting transport.

Today, I found out that my Bolt is on its way to California on a train. When it arrives here, it’ll go to a distribution center to be checked out before being trucked over the dealership. When it’ll arrive at Boardwalk Chevrolet in Redwood City is uncertain, but my great salesman emailed me today he may be able to track the progress of the train. That should be interesting.

I wish they could show you your car being built at the factory. I wish they put a little camera with a homing device on it, so you could follow its progress. We’re used to tracking our Amazon purchases from the moment it’s shipped to the minute it lands on your doorstep, so what do you say, Chevy?

Am I being obsessive? I still have a schedule of test cars into the middle of January, and am not giving up my column. But this is only the third time I’ve ordered a car–the second one for my own use–and it’s taking longer than I thought.

It’s definitely a team sport. The Chevy Bolt EV Owners Group on Facebook is approaching 1,000 members. I expect not every single person in that group will sign a purchase agreement or lease, but there’s a real groundswell of interest. As a journalist, I’m hoping to put a real public face on this car, and I plan to take it as far as it’ll go.

A few days ago, I ordered my home charger from ChargePoint. I’ll get it installed and ready for when I need it. I’m hoping to open up some space in my garage during the holiday break, but I’m getting a long enough cord that it’ll reach outside too, if necessary.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, my family will open gifts, and we’ll have a great time together. But my real gift is still on its way. The exquisite pain of waiting makes it all the more exciting.

Chevrolet Bolt Wins Another Award

Posted on November 24, 2016 by stevegoesgreen

While anxiously reading every possible piece of news about the Chevrolet Bolt as I await mine, I learned that another award happened–Time magazine named the Bolt one of the 25 Best Inventions of 2016!

It does seem to be in between the too-expensive but long-range Tesla and the limited-range other guys in the Bolt’s price range.

Thanks, Time magazine.

I’ve been reading posts on Facebook from my Chevrolet Bolt EV Owners Group, and folks have a variety of things on their minds–some of which hadn’t crossed mine. I don’t really care how the heater works, for example, although it’s a question for EVs, which don’t have the radiator fluid to use as a source of heat. Some are waxing positive on the styling–others less so. The seats fit some but not all. People in states other than California and Oregon are grousing about having to wait for their dealers to have any in stock.

I’m expecting my car before January 1st, and every day I wait to hear if it’s built yet. But soon, this space will be where you can get the skinny on what it’s like to live with one of these groundbreaking cars.

Chevrolet Bolt in the Flesh!

Posted on November 19, 2016 by stevegoesgreen

Finally, I’ve seen and touched a real Chevrolet Bolt! I got my chance at the San Francisco Auto Show, where they had a single car. And–it was the same Kinetic Blue that I’ve ordered mine in! And, as a Premier level model, it was essentially identical to my long anticipated new ride.

I approached it from the front, and it looked, well, like it was supposed to look. It’s not large, but it’s not small either, and stands tall–nearly as high as a crossover, but not as chunky. The smiling face had the fill panel with energetic lines on it and a big gold Chevy logo and gleamed in the show lights.

The paint looked lustrous and I ran my hands over the car, “petting” it, to get a true feel of the body. The chrome trim is not skimpy, and the roof rails are a gleaming silver.

The taillamps are bold, with a sharp edge along their tops and the “electronic” theme pattern in them. The new logo is different from the Volt’s.

I popped the hood, which proved to be very lightweight, and used a prop rod. The flat, silvery motor is tucked in there, minus the usual radiator, water pump, and other internal-combustion-engine accouterments. There is still a container up front, but it looks like folks are being warned NOT to put radiator fluid in there.

I stepped inside. It looked like the photos, but I also got the sense of height and the gray/white contrasts. I think this is the lighter interior scheme–the one I ordered–with partial white on the seats and a white lower half of the dash. The doors are dark, with just a little white extending into the top.

Plastics are good GM grade, but not Audi level luxury. We all understand that the premium pricing of the Bolt, for its size, is for the 900-pound battery, but the fittings seemed well done and similar to the all-new 2016 Volt, its plug-in hybrid sibling.

The instrument panel was totally blank, as today’s screens are, so I couldn’t evaluate it, or see anything on the center display either. The thick, leather-wrapped wheel feels good in your hands, and has the requisite redundant buttons for audio, info, phone, cruise control, and even a heated steering wheel. The rearview mirror is thick, as it also functions as a backup camera (when the car’s on).

The seats are narrow but nice and firm–perfect for 167-pound me. A large person might not take to them as well. The back bench sits higher than the front buckets, for good visibility but also leaving plenty of battery space below.

I tried sitting behind the driver’s seat that was set for me and had a couple of inches of legroom, so a Bolt should accommodate full sized folks back there.

The rear hatch wasn’t operational (they turn off all EV functions for these cars at shows, apparently), but we were able to drop the rear seats and see the space in back, including the sturdy “false floor” that provides a smooth surface and also hidden storage.

The car was just sitting there, without signage or hoopla, but two nice young women were there to answer questions, and we had a pleasant conversation. One of them took a few really nice photos of me with my beloved car. I also spoke with numerous other show goers who were interested, and that provided a sense of camaraderie. I expect I’ll be having more of these when I get mine, and I welcome that as a chance to sound the rallying cry of Go Green!

I should have some help in that, since the Bolt, this week, won three important awards. First, it’s the 2017 Motor Trend Car of the Year. It’s also named to the Car and Driver 10Best list, and is the Green Car of the Year, from Green Car Journal, announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show. An auspicious start.

Now, I’ll await word from Don Mays, my salesman at Boardwalk Chevrolet in Redwood City, California, that my car is built and on its way. He told me that delivery is expected before Christmas, so that’s about a month away. I’m eager to put it on the road to see what it can do.

Chevrolet Bolts are In Production!

Posted on November 6, 2016 by stevegoesgreen

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Finally, the assembly line is running at the General Motors Orion Assembly Plant in Orion, Michigan, and Bolts are moving slowly down the line.

The news story I found mentions the sad news that only California and Oregon will get cars before the end of the year, but luckily for me, I’m in California, and my order is in, so I am hoping to see my car something before the end of the year.

It’s an interesting experience in 2016, when instant gratification is the norm, to have to wait for anything. I knew that I wanted an EV, and I knew that the Bolt was the only realistic choice, since it’s (relatively) affordable and has a great range, with its big 60 kWh battery. So, I dashed down to place my order.

But nearly a month in, waiting feels as interminable as the conclusion of the 2016 election. While the latter event is literally right around the corner, I’m not sure when I’ll see my Bolt. And, I’m not sure exactly how much it’s going to cost me on a monthly basis.

Figuring that my car would be with me at least 30 months, I went for the nicer Premier model, with a few upgrades, like leather seats, and upgraded the stereo and safety features, so it’s $43,000 or so before they take the $7,500 off for the Federal tax credit. Then, there’s California money coming to me too, $2,500 worth, as I understand it. But I’ll have to decide how much to put down to keep those payments reasonable.

I’m also turning in my ancient 1993 Plymouth Voyager minivan, my occasional car that will now go to gas car heaven. I plan to put it out to pasture when I’m assured of my Bolt delivery date.

I haven’t bought myself a new car since November of 1990, when I got my Saturn. It was exciting to sell my Honda and buy a new car that was a brand new brand, too. I was the first guy on my block to have one, and I got some attention. I even got noticed by Hal Riney and Partners, who had the Saturn account, so I ended up on the cover of the 1994 Saturn brochures!

Look at all that nice dark hair. And I’m posing with my first son, who’s now a grownup father of two. 🙂

My Chevy salesman says he’ll keep me posted on the progress, so I will, at some point, know the status of the build and when it gets put onto a transporter truck for its western trip. Watch this space for updates.

And, visit my new venue, Clean Fleet Report, for my EV and hybrid writings.

Chevy Bolt – Clean Car from a Green Factory

Posted on October 27, 2016 by stevegoesgreen

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I’m waiting for my Chevrolet Bolt to be built. As of October 24, the order is submitted to the factory and accepted by production control, according to my salesman, Don Mays.

So–what kind of factory does GM have in Orion, Michigan? Well, the General Motors Orion Assembly Plant gets more than half its energy from methane from decomposing trash, and has a 350-watt solar array. That’s pretty impressive!

One of the arguments is, why not just use your old car–it’s already built? Why spend all the energy to make new ones? If the factory runs efficiently, there’s less cost to driving a new electric car. It’s a complicated story, and we’ll keep following it.

Meanwhile, I’ll be waiting for the next installment from Chevy.

My Chevy Bolt – The Story Begins

Posted on October 13, 2016 by stevegoesgreen

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On Tuesday, October 11, 2016, I stepped into Boardwalk Chevrolet and sat down with Don Mays to order my own Chevrolet Bolt. This very specific step is the beginning of my second electric car adventure, one that I expect to change the way I write about cars.

Ever since I heard about the Bolt–GM’s 200+ mile all-electric car–I’ve been fascinated with it, and followed all the news reports on it closely. Also, over time, I’ve become convinced that electric cars are a major part of our future transportation solution for working to limit the effects of climate change.

From January to April of this year, I spent a delightful three months with a darling baby blue Fiat 500e, which I named Fidelio. He and I commuted and dashed about town together without using a drop of gas, and it was a very happy experience. However, Fidelio’s 90-mile range was the one down side. So, when I learned that the Bolt would offer more than 200 miles, I was sold.

Don tells me that the order will be placed, and that, as production moves along, he’ll be able to tell me when my car is made and track its progress from the Orion, Michigan plant to Milpitas, CA. Then, it will go onto a truck and be sent to the dealership in Redwood City, CA. Expected arrival? Around Christmas time, if I’m lucky. But it sounds like the West Coast gets the first allocations, and that’s where I live.

I’ve ordered cars before, but never without test driving one. I was one of the first Saturn owners, back in November of 1990. My family also bought one of the first Corvairs, in 1960. So I guess it’s a family tradition to try out new GM experiments.

By the way, I ordered my car as the upper level Premier, in extra-cost Kinetic Blue, with the lighter of two interior colors (gray/white), with the premium audio package (I’ll spend a lot of time commuting in it), and the safety feature package as well. I got the quick charge plug, too. May as well have it the way I want it, and I expect to be showing it off a lot–especially when it’s the first one in town.

Stay tuned!

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Chevy Bolt Gets a 238-mile Range!

Posted on September 14, 2016 by stevegoesgreen

Today, Chevrolet released the official EPA range for the new Chevrolet Bolt all-electric vehicle. It’s 238 miles–more than what was advertised earlier, and enough to put all the other EVs in the dust! Yeah, you can spend three times that amount for a Tesla, but in the world of regular earth-loving folks, the Bolt is set to change the story. And, with the newly updated website, you can now see the models and colors available and a lot more information.

Price is still not official, but they’re talking about $37,500 before the Federal and California rebates, so it could be a $30K car.

I personally can’t wait to order mine in brilliant blue!

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Now, we also know that the Bolt, like the Volt, will come in two levels–LT and Premier. Want leather seats and shinier wheels? The Premier it is. You also get roof rails, heated front and rear seats, various life-saving alerts, and more. The website lists the differences.

Based on my experience with the Volt, the upper level car will look and feel better, but will cost several thousand dollars more. I just hope that I like the LT and that I can get it with DC fast charging. That method of charging lets you add about 90 miles to the battery in the time it takes to have a relaxing cup of coffee and a snack on the way somewhere.

In a related piece of good news, Volkswagen, BMW, and ChargePoint (the largest car charger company) have teamed up to build 95 Level 2 and DC charging stations as part of the Express Charging Corridors Initiative along the East and West Coasts. For me in California, that means Highway 5 and 1 between Portland and San Diego. Back east, it’s between Boston and Washington, DC. That’ll go a long way to helping folks with EVs with 90 mile ranges get out and see the country. Of course, the Bolt, Teslas, and upcoming 200-mile cars like the next Leaf, will become even more worth owning.

Chevy now has a new EV-themed site, Chevyevlife.com, that explains about living with an electric car. After all, they are going to have three models to sell soon, including the Bolt, the fine new 2016/2017 Volt plug-in hybrid,and the Malibu Hybrid. The tiny Spark, having blazed the modern EV trail for the brand, has quietly exited the building.

Should I Get My EV Now or Wait?

Posted on August 21, 2016 by stevegoesgreen

Recently, with lease deals on EVs running at around $79/month (with a few thousand dollars down), I’ve been thinking about picking up one to use when I’m not testing other cars. After my three-month loan of a sweet little Fiat 500e earlier this year, I want to drive electric today, both because it’s the right thing to do for the environment, but also to practice what I preach. Advocating for a move to carbon-free transportation is fine, but sometimes you have to walk the walk, too.

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I believe that the upcoming Chevrolet Bolt, with its 200-mile range, vast dealer network, and attractive purpose-built EV design, will be a game changer for the non-wealthy like me. But I suspect that there will be no deals on Bolts, at least a first. There’s plenty of pent-up demand and they’ll have the only game in town–for a while, at least.

So, I’m focusing on the Volkswagen e-Golf again, as well as the Fiat 500e and maybe the Kia Soul EV.

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The process of elimination removed Tesla from consideration right off the top. It’s way out of my price range, and there are no cheap deals to be had anyway. Others cut from the list include the Ford Focus. It’s a regular car that’s been electrified, and has only a 76-mile range. There’s the worthy and pioneering Nissan Leaf, which was built as an EV from scratch, but is looking long in the tooth with minimal changes since its 2011 debut. The availability of a bigger battery with 107 miles of range in the 2016 model is a small consolation. The Chevrolet Spark EV is cute and has great torque, but it’s kind of tiny. The Mercedes-Benz B250e and BMW i3 are appealing, in different ways, but are not as affordable as the three vehicles I mentioned at the top of this paragraph, if low price of admission is the goal.

In any case, is it time to grab something now or to wait? I’m struggling with impatience but also with the knowledge that as with all things technological, the next improvement is right around the corner. You know that when you take home that new laptop, next week there’ll be one with a better screen or more memory or some amazing new feature.

Here’s what you get if you wait. The new Focus is going to jump to 107 miles of range with the ’17s. The all-new Hyundai Ioniq is arriving this fall with 110 miles of range. The Bolt looms ahead appealingly. The Kia Niro will offer a hybrid in a crossover shape–and perhaps a pure EV someday. What will the next Leaf be able to do? We’re on the edge of a whole new generation of attractive options.

To top it off, as I entertain a deal on the ’16 e-Golf with its 83-mile range, I just read that the ’17 is supposed to get about 125 miles of range with a new, larger battery. So, suddenly waiting a few months seems like a great idea, as long as I don’t need the car right now.

The only down side is that the cheap lease deals may dry up once the next gen cars are out. Who really believes that a $79/month lease is realistic in 2016, anyway? It’s just a way to sweeten the deal on a car that retails in the $30,000-plus vicinity and has limited range. The companies are willing to move them out at a loss or minimal profit just to comply with regulations and maybe pick up some green cred for doing so.

Perhaps, if you’re really eager, you could take advantage of a deal now on the shortest lease term you can get (24 months?), and save up for the big transition two years from now, when you may be able to snag a Tesla Model 3 that someone ordered on spec or that fell through the cracks. Or, grab a second- or third-year Bolt with the all the bugs fixed. And the new Leaf will be out by then.

As an EV cheerleader, and soon-to-be participant, that may be the best way to get in now at minimal outlay and plan for a long, enjoyable electric car future.

But I remain perplexed. It does feel like sooner is better for the earth, but I want to have the best car for me, too.

stevegoesgreen

Time to move to a more environmentally conscious life

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