Farewell to My Chevrolet Bolt EV

Posted on January 5, 2020 by stevegoesgreen

By Steve Schaefer

Today, I said goodbye to my Chevrolet Bolt EV, affectionately named, in the style of Pee Wee Herman, “Bolty.” My Kinetic Blue 2017 all-electric hatchback served me well for three years and 26,490 miles, but a lease is a lease and I had to return it by January 8^th.

Origins

I’ve driven and tested cars for nearly 28 years, mostly with weekly test vehicles. As I learned about and drove electric cars, I became very interested in them. I sampled a Nissan LEAF when it arrived in 2011 and a few other EVs, but the real turning point was when I convinced the generous folks at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to lend me a baby blue Fiat 500e for three months in early 2016. My happy time with that little car, whom I named Fidelio, convinced me that I wanted an EV of my own.

Fidelio I.

I began to focus on only electrified vehicles in my auto review column and blogs. I started www.stevegoesgreen.com to write about my adventures with Fidelio, and it’s since expanded to cover other climate-related topics.

The Bolt EV was a revelation—with its 238 miles of range it would be able to handle almost anything, including the 165-mile round trip to visit my granddaughters. I ordered my car in October of 2016 without ever driving or even seeing a real car. I was hoping I’d like it.

I impatiently waited for delivery, and finally, the very first week of 2017, I got the phone call that my Bolt was on the truck and being delivered. In a day or two, I was down at Boardwalk Chevrolet in Redwood City, CA to pick it up.

Exactly What I Needed

I took to my new car immediately, and it proved to be exactly what I needed and wanted. It may look compact, because it has almost no front or rear overhangs, but the Bolt is spacious for 4 or 5 passengers and the hatchback folds down easily to carry lots of gear, including an upright bass or two electric basses, amps, and the works. The high roof means abundant headroom, even for tall folks (I’m only 5-8).

One of the wonders of EVs is how quickly they accelerate, and the Bolt, while not Tesla fast, is as quick as a Volkswagen Golf GTI – about 6.3 seconds zero-to-sixty. The weight of the 960-pound battery means a low center of gravity, for taut responses and level handling.

And it does it all virtually silently. If you turn off the audio system, you’ll hear a very low hum from the motor, and wind and tire noise are muted. And, since there’s nothing reciprocating, like pistons in a gas engine, there’s no vibration. You get used to it, and gas cars then feel rough.

Visiting my old house where I lived as a teenager.

Electric cars don’t need transmissions, since maximum torque is delivered from the first moment the motor spins, but the Bolt has an “L” (Low) setting on the one-speed transmission’s lever. If you use D (Drive) it feels like a normal automatic transmission, but in L, when you lift off the accelerator pedal (not the “gas”) the car slows down quickly—even to a complete stop. When you get used to this “one-pedal driving,” it feels natural, and you can barely tap the brakes as you slide into a red light and stop on a dime. It feels like downshifting a manual transmission. The regenerative braking helps charge up the battery, too.

I ordered the light interior—white and light gray–which felt airy, but by the end of three years, the white leather on the driver’s seat was looking grayer. But other than that, and one little hook for the rear cargo cover that occasionally popped out, everything in the interior was solid and worked as it should.

Of course, the best thing of all is that my Bolty didn’t use one drop of gasoline for three years! At first, I plugged it in at work, but last April I finally installed a Level 2 (240-volt) charger in my garage when my solar panels went up (on Earth Day). So, for more than half of 2019, Bolty ran on sunshine.

Solar array went up on Earth Day 2019.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The Bolt embodies all the strengths and weaknesses of EVs. The obvious strengths are the low environmental impact, quick acceleration, and quiet operation. There’s essentially no service, either, except tire rotations—no oil changes, no radiator flush. There are a lot fewer moving parts to have problems. And when you use regenerative braking, the brake pads last practically forever.

So, what about weaknesses? The most significant is the range issue. Although today’s EVs easily top 200 miles between charges, and some can go more than 300 miles, it still takes time to charge, and you may not be able to find a public charger when you need it. Even fast chargers take longer than a stop at the gas station. It may not matter in most situations, but on a long trip it requires some careful planning and willingness to be flexible. I avoided it, because the couple of times when I knew it would be an issue, I took a gas-burning vehicle. Yes, I feel a little guilty, but that’s a good way to drive an EV 51 weeks a year.

Charging at work.

I expect the charging problem to be solved as charging stations proliferate and fast charging gets really quick. And actually, most charging can and should be done slowly at home or at work while the car sits parked. I know this won’t work for everyone, which is why I test and recommend hybrids and plug-in hybrids for those situations. Someday, the subscription model may become popular, where you no longer own a car, but simply reserve the kind you want as you need it, from a fleet. Then, you could select a long-distance vehicle for a trip and use a less expensive, smaller low-range vehicle when you stayed local.

Another issue with EVs is that initial costs of purchase or lease are higher, mainly because batteries are still expensive, even though prices have come down. My upper-level Bolt Premier with options had a sticker price of nearly $44,000. With $5,500 in rebates and financing assistance, I put down $10K and paid $332/month for three years. This price disparity will go down over time, but it can be intimidating. However, if you look at the total cost of ownership over several years, EVs come out ahead, with much cheaper fuel (electrons) and virtually no service required.

A third concern is choice. The Bolt has company now, as more and more EVs and plug-in hybrids are appearing in showrooms. But there still is no all-electric pickup truck, for example (but there will be soon). In the next few years, manufacturers will fill in their lineup with many more EV and hybrid models, from hatchbacks to sedans to SUVs.

Enough range to travel–we drove to Bodega Bay and back.

Only One Significant Issue

The only notable problem with my Bolt happened last year, when, after what the dealer told me was a routine software update, my car’s battery suddenly charged only to about 100 miles and not the 200+ it should. I tried running it way down and charging, but it wouldn’t move past 100. That made my car like one of the older EVs, such as a LEAF, Kia Soul EV or VW e-Golf. I complained to my dealer, but they were unresponsive. I tried another Chevy dealer closer to my house and they checked with GM headquarters and got the OK to do a battery swap for me, at no charge. It restored my range and happiness.

Sharing the EV Love and Information

National Drive Electric Week at Marketo.

As an EV driver and auto writer, I valued the Bolt for giving me a way to experience the EV life firsthand, so I could share my car and my knowledge in my columns and blogs. I could participate in events, such as National Drive Electric Week (each September) and Earth Day events in April. I hosted National Drive Electric Week events for two years at my workplace, where EV driving employees parked their cars in rows in the parking lot and talked with other employees. I am an EV Ambassador for Acterra, a Palo Alto-based environmental organization. And I now work at Ridecell, where we develop and sell software for carsharing and ridesharing fleets, including the 260-Bolt Gig Car Share fleet in Sacramento.

You can rent a Bolt by the minute or the hour in Sacramento.

As an EV person, I began phasing out gasoline-only test cars in 2018, and in 2019, I tested only one—the short-term Chevy Cruze rental I had when my Bolt got its battery swapped.

What Next?

I considered buying Bolty at the end of the lease, but even though the bring back value was barely more than half the initial price, it would still cost more per month to finance than my lease. I looked at other EVs, including the worthy Hyundai Kona Electric (258-miles of range), but I was hoping to lower my monthly costs.

I researched used EVs, and It turns out there are some screaming deals. Second-hand early Nissan LEAFs can run as little as $6,000. I ended up buying a little Fiat 500e, just like Fidelio, my 2016 test car. I got it at Rose Motorcars, in Castro Valley, CA. They specialize in the secondhand EV market, and I like the way they do business.

My new Fiat is the same color as the first one, too, so I’ve named it Fidelio II. A 2017 with 23,000 miles on it, it feels like new, and cost just $10,000 (under $200 a month). It’s smaller, and most significantly, has a third of the Bolt’s electric range, but I plan to use it for my local errands. There will likely be another EV in my future, but for now, Fidelio II should work fine.

Fidelio II is taking over for Bolty.

What I’ll Miss

I’ll miss some of Bolty’s features. Fidelio II doesn’t have the high regenerative braking (L) transmission setting, so no one-pedal driving. My Bolt’s inside rearview mirror was a video camera—much better than a regular mirror.

And, the backup system, with multiple cameras, provided a birds-eye view of my car in the big 10.2-inch center screen—so parking squarely in a spot and avoiding curbs was a snap.

My Bolt had the upgraded Bose stereo, for premium sound, with Apple CarPlay, so I could hook up my phone and play my music. It also used the phone for navigation, which meant I could set up a destination before I got in the car and it was projected onto the dash screen. I’ll miss the ability to send verbal texts (through Siri) as I drive.

For safety, I had blind spot monitoring, a very worthwhile feature, and cross traffic alert told me if there were cars on the road behind me when I was backing out of my driveway.

Last Thoughts

I like the styling of the Bolt—inside and out—but I’m an old hatchback guy. I had a 1986 Honda Civic Si back in the day. Apparently the gently sweeping interior was designed by a woman—unusual in the industry. The use of white accents gives it a certain sparkle.

I loved the rich blue exterior paint—and enjoyed seeing my car across the parking lot. I took photos of it in various scenic locations, just for fun.

The Bolt is a product of GM Korea, the former Daewoo, but it’s built in Michigan. That’s the way the auto industry works these days. The LG battery is Korean, as well. In any case, quality is high.

My personal goal, as a Climate Reality Leader and car enthusiast, is to spread the word on the joys and benefits of electric motoring. We need clean cars and clean energy! I will continue testing and reviewing every new EV I can get, but I’m going to miss my Bolty.

Turning in Bolty after a great three-year run.

Fidelio II – My New/Old EV for 2020

Posted on November 19, 2019 by stevegoesgreen

I’ve enjoyed my time with my Chevy Bolt EV–in fact, I love the car. However, my lease ends on January 8th, 2020, and I’ve been considering my options for months.

One possibility would be to go into another expensive lease on something like the fine new Hyundai Kona Electric. Or, I could buy my Bolt at the end of the lease. But with a residual value of about $25,000 (the original list price was nearly $44K), that would mean my loan payments would be higher than my lease payments had been.

The third option was to grab a used EV. I recently researched the used EV market, and found there are some great deals out there. I wrote about six great used EVs under $15,000. Believe it or not, you can drive home an early Nissan Leaf for $6,000! So, I decided that I would go cheap and try to keep my monthly payments under $200.

Over a year ago, I wrote about Rose Motorcars, a small dealership in Castro Valley that specializes in used EVs. I decided that I would patronize them for my next car.

I intended to start looking in mid-November, and it was November 16th. Fresh off of reading an online story about the wonders of the Chevrolet Spark EV, I decided to visit Rose and check out the Spark, along with my old favorite, the Fiat 500e.

I had the unique experience of securing a three-month journalist loan on a cute blue 500e back in January-April of 2016, and wrote extensively about my test car, which I named Fidelio. I even did a video review of the car. The Spark and 500e are both available for under $10,000, which was the amount I figured I’d need to keep the payments under $200/month.

So, I drove the Bolt down to Rose Motorcars and chatted with Miles, a friendly salesperson there. Rose appears to hire only friendly salespeople. Part of that may be that they are not paid on commission, so there is an incentive to deliver great customer service and to work together to help close the deal.

We looked at the online listings (which I’d studied earlier at home), and picked out a light blue Spark to test. I also mentioned my affection for the Fiat to Miles, and he said he had one in the same color as my Fidelio.

The Spark (above) looked like new and drove like a smaller version of my Bolt. It had the “L” setting in the transmission, which enables one-pedal driving. I love that feature in the Bolt, and the Fiat doesn’t have it!

We drove to my house and checked to see if my bass would fit in back–and it did, passing that test.

I liked the car fine, and drove it on curving roads, neighborhood streets, and a piece of freeway before returning to the store.

Then, Miles said he already had the keys to the blue 500e in his pocket (smart). So we took that one out, driving most of the same route. We didn’t stop at my house because I knew that the bass would (barely) fit, so we just headed out over the hills, onto the freeway, and back.

Well, if I liked the Chevy, I loved the Fiat. It is simply more fun to drive, and the retro design looks more upscale. It felt just like it did when I drove the first quarter of 2016 in one. We pulled back into the parking lot and walked into the showroom.

“Do you mind if we fill out a little paperwork?” asked Miles. I said, “sure.” What I realize now is that he was doing what any good salesperson does–start processing the order. There was no pressure, but it made it seem more and more possible to just do it.

“Run a credit check?” he asked. I said “OK,” since it was just information. David, the General Manager, was able to work up a deal that brought my monthly payments down to $195 a month on a five-year loan. Check!

It seemed like things were moving awfully quickly, but I already knew the car, had done all of my model and price research, and was sitting in the exact place where I planned to buy the car. And–it was a ringer for my beloved Fidelio–only a model year newer. So why wait, and take a chance it would be sold?

I texted my wife. She said that if it was a fair price and everything was good then it would be OK to go ahead. After all, I did have to buy something in the next few weeks. We got the financing to allow making the first payment 45 days out, so it’ll be December 31. I had hoped for the first week in January, as my last payment on the Bolt is December 8, but that’s really close.

Now, I have my new car, and have named it Fidelio II, of course. It sits, along with the Bolt, at my house as part of my small EV fleet. I’ll be saving a lot of money next year, and the Fiat has a sunroof that the Bolt doesn’t, but I’m aware of the things I’ll be losing, too.

For one thing, my EPA range will drop from 238 miles to 84. I figured out, between my three-month test and my Bolt usage, that 84 miles will likely be sufficient for most things. I have Level 2 (240-volt) charging in my garage now, too, if I need to charge up quickly. It doesn’t leave any margin for error, though, or permit any 50-mile side trips.

I will miss having Apple CarPlay, which lets me project my iPhone onto the screen on the dash. I’ll miss my video rear-view mirror and my bird’s eye camera. I’ll perhaps long for two rear doors and the extra space. But Fidelio II’s job is to take me to my BART train and around town, so I should be fine. We have other cars for longer trips.

If I had been willing to pay $250 or $300 a month, my choices would have been wider, but I’m happy, and plan to enjoy my Bolt for the rest of the year. But in January, there’ll be a new little car in its spot on the driveway.

More to follow.

Bolt EV Mysteriously Loses Half its Range

Posted on May 21, 2019 by stevegoesgreen

Still looks like new.

By Steve Schaefer

Since I got my Chevrolet Bolt EV on January 8, 2017, I’ve been a big fan. It’s been totally reliable, delivering 200+ miles of range and handling all kinds of loads, all while being fun to drive. And, I love the way it looks, including the Kinetic Blue paint on the outside and the white-and-gray interior. I appreciate the regeneration setting that enables one-pedal driving. I enjoy not visiting gas stations. I’ve spent time and energy promoting the car on my business cards and in many posts to this blog.

But over the last few months, my Bolt let me down. Nothing broke and it drove fine, but when I charged it, it said it was full at about 100 miles.

It all started after I took my car in for its first service. Unlike gasoline-powered cars, EVs, need very little attention, so my car had never been back to the dealership in more than two years. The only required service was a tire rotation. However, I accepted a new job that would move me away from the Chevy dealer in Redwood City, CA where I leased the car, so I decided to take it in for a checkup while I had the chance.

There was nothing to fix, of course, and they performed the tire rotation for free. I let them replace the cabin air filter (they did charge me for that), They also ran a couple of hybrid battery system updates. Notably, they fixed one tiny annoyance—my bird’s eye camera had always shown the left side at an angle—and I appreciated the effort they made, including ordering a new part.

I then started my new job in late February, which cut my daily driving from 36 miles to about 4. I also tested some new EVs from the fleet, so the Bolt sat a bit. When I started driving it regularly again, I discovered that when I charged up the battery, it topped out at around 100 miles, instead of the normal 200+ it had been doing since I brought it home the first time. After a couple of instances of this, I decided to take it back to the dealer to get it looked at.

They reported there was nothing wrong, and said they had reset something and told me that if I didn’t use my heater it would improve the range. This struck me, frankly, as silly. I had ALWAYS used the climate system, summer and winter, for more than two years, and had never seen 100 miles of total range. Running the climate system reduces the range by only about 8 miles. I drove the car some more, gamely trying to go without the climate system just to test it, but the battery still topped out at 100 miles.

I contacted the media people at GM/Chevrolet with my plight and decided to try the dealership nearest to my home–F.H. Dailey in San Leandro, CA–to see if they could up with something. The short answer—nope. Same recommendation—and don’t use the heat. The suggested that I run it through a couple of charging cycles to reset the range.

But the story doesn’t end there. The next day—about 24 hours after I picked up my car—I got a call from the dealership. After consulting with GM’s tech experts, they decided that it was probably a bad cell in the battery, and asked me to bring my car in again to do more tests.

So, the following Monday, I drove my car to F.H Dailey, arriving around 7:35 a.m. I checked it in with the same person, Service Advisor Fatima Rios, and then waited around a half hour for a shuttle ride home. This time, with GM’s tech people in the loop, they came up with a different diagnosis: Replace the battery! So, they ordered it—and I felt vindicated.

The dealers’ service departments were missing something, and the first one telling me to put a band aid on it felt disrespectful. The second dealer’s conclusion, when I knew there was a real problem, meant I had to push back, and they listened.

Through this experience, I was reminded that a 100-mile range is actually enough for most people. I learned this from my three-month test of my cute little blue Fiat 500e, which had only 80 to 90 miles. The few times I’ve actually needed the range to visit my granddaughters has been handy, but mainly it means you don’t have to charge as often, and you don’t have to worry about range. There were only two times last year when I knew that the Bolt wouldn’t be able to handle a long trip, so I used another vehicle in one case and flew in the other.

So, last Thursday morning, I drove my Bolt EV down to the dealership to receive its new battery. It turned out it had to spend an extra few days away from home—the battery was delayed and didn’t arrive until Friday. On Friday they did most of the work, and today, I got a call from Fatima in mid afternoon saying that the surgery was a success, it was all charged up, and that I could pick it up.

I drove the white Chevrolet Cruze they rented me (at no charge) down to the dealership. I was greeted by Fatima, who by now was my friend. She, and F. H. Dailey in general, took good care of me, and I now recommend visiting them if you’re shopping for a new Chevy. They have dozens of Bolt EVs in a rainbow of colors there lined up and waiting for your test drive.

Battery replacement isn’t cheap, but as a warranty repair, it didn’t cost me a dime. Neither did the rental car.

I got into my Bolt, adjusted the seat that they had moved, and pushed the start button. And there it was—260 miles of range. My car was restored.

National Drive Electric Week 2018

Posted on September 18, 2018 by stevegoesgreen

2018-NDEW-group-4000

Since 2011, a national electric car event has been held every year. Originally called National Plug In Day, it later expanded to become National Drive Electric Week. It’s actually nine days long, as it includes weekends on both ends.

This year, I participated in two events. First, I hosted one at work for fellow employees, and later, I attended another, larger event, where I let people drive my 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV to experience electric motoring firsthand.

Marketo Event, San Mateo, CA

Marketo hosted its second annual National Drive Electric Week event on Thursday, September 13^th. The weather cooperated, and the event went off without a hitch, although attendance was lower than anticipated. It’s understandable, though—people are working!

Me with my Chevrolet Bolt EV–now an NDEW show veteran.

Display cars included three Tesla Model 3s, a Tesla Model X, my freshly washed Chevrolet Bolt EV, a Nissan LEAF, a Volkswagen e-Golf, a BMW i3, and a Chevrolet Volt. One of the Model 3s was available for rides.

Allyson Gaarder from the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project showed attendees how they could receive California rebates for buying a variety of electric cars.

Vehicle owners gave attendees a tour of their cars and enjoyed talking with each other about the pleasures of electric motoring.

Nissan supplied some swag, including water bottles, mini backbacks, pens, and tiny fans that attach to your phone. Attendees received a red token good for a $5 discount at the adjacent food trucks.

Acterra Event, Palo Alto, CA

On the last Sunday of Summer, Acterra, the Palo Alto environmental nonprofit, hosted its third annual National Drive Electric Week event. Acterra’s mission is to bring people together to create local solutions for a healthy planet, and they always put on a great show.

Nissan brought a fleet of LEAFs for show and driving.

EV enthusiasts shared their favorite electric rides with eager attendees. Booths provided information about rebates, vehicle charging, and a solar energy vendor presented solar options. Allyson was there with her booth and California rebate information. Event sponsor Nissan brought a small fleet of new LEAFs for show and drives.

I watched the parking lot fill with Chevrolet Bolt EVs, BMW i3s, Nissan LEAFs, Tesla Model 3s, and even a low, sleek Fisker Karma. One guy brought his now rare Honda Fit Electric, and there was at least one tiny Chevy Spark EV and a cute little Fiat 500e.

This was a popular event. Altogether there were 70 vehicles, representing 15 makes and models. More than 260 people registered and vehicle owners and fleets conducted more than 520 rides or drives!

The beauty of these events, which Acterra hosts year-round, is the chance to learn about and sample multiple EVs in the same location, away from aggressive salespeople. With EVs, the owners are often more knowledgeable about the cars than a typical dealership employee, and they can certainly talk about day-to-day life with a plug-in vehicle.

This event is both a car show and a ride-and-drive. Although it’s a little annoying to have to to readjust my seat and mirror settings when the day’s over, and having strangers drive your car can be a little nerve wracking, I like to let attendees get a personal feel for what driving an electric car is like.

Luckily, all the people who took the wheel of my car were competent, responsible motorists, so I didn’t have any worry the entire afternoon. With high demand, I was busy non-stop.

In most cases, I took the people for a ride around the short test loop, and then had them drive it. I felt it would make them more comfortable, and it let me explain the features first. Luckily, the Bolt itself is pretty straightforward and controls are where you expect them.

People were surprised at the Bolt’s spacious interior, especially the generous headroom. One 6-4 gentleman pulled the seat all the way back and then forward a little! My drivers were also impressed with the video camera rear-view mirror, which gives a wider, clearer view than a regular mirror.

When driving, my guests were fascinated by the low or high brake regeneration. If the transmission lever is in “D,” when you lift your foot off the accelerator, you keep rolling along, like with a normal automatic. In “L” mode, as you lift up your foot, the electricity flow is reduced, slowing the car. This lets you do “one-pedal driving.” It’s a wonderful way to maintain extra control of your car while generating extra battery power and saving your brake pads.

At 4 p.m., we assembled inside the Acterra offices for the official launch of the newly renamed Karl Knapp Go EV program. Knapp, a beloved Stanford science professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, promoted electrified cars and motorcycles for many years, and has been an inspiration to many. We had some food and drinks and watched a short video about Karl. Sadly, Professor Knapp is ill and was unable to attend.

After the reception, I gave three more people rides, so I was one of the last to leave. It’s fun to share your EV, and I hope all of my drivers will go out and get their own! Electric cars are the future, and soon there will be many more choices.

National Drive Electric Week is presented by Plug In America, the Sierra Club, and the Electric Auto Association. Sponsors include the Nissan LEAF (Platinum), Clipper Creek (Silver), and eMotorWerks (California Regional).

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