Two Years With The Bolt EUV – CleanTechnica – Uplaza

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I just lately acquired an e-mail from OnStar telling me that I had a diagnostic report back to learn. However, seeing the date, I remembered that I had picked the Bolt EUV up in September of 2022 and it has now been two years since selecting the automobile up. I figured I’d take this opportunity to evaluate what the final two years with the car has been like, and what this implies not just for folks used Bolts, however for folks contemplating newer Ultium-based GMs.

I Didn’t Take It Simple On The EUV

Most individuals shopping for a Bolt EUV (or the non-EUV) most likely don’t have quite a lot of journey in thoughts. The marginally greater Bolt EUV is somewhat front-drive crossover, whereas the common Bolt is somewhat hatchback. All-wheel-drive wasn’t out there for any yr or trim degree of Bolt. Even the charging, based mostly on older GM know-how, is a paltry 55 kW, that means that the majority charging stops are no less than 35 minutes lengthy on highway journeys, however solely when EV charging stations are ideally spaced. When you must go too lengthy between prices, you find yourself spending an hour or maybe extra!

However, for those who’re driving round on first rate paved or gravel roads and largely staying inside vary of house charger, none of those disadvantages ever actually come into play. For commuting, there’s not a damned factor mistaken with a Bolt. It’s acquired extra torque and extra horsepower than many turbocharged four-cylinder commuter vehicles, and the low-end torque from the electrical motors makes it really feel extra like an previous V8 in metropolis driving. It’s comfy, it has loads of vary for practically all native driving, and relying on the mannequin, it has room for a couple of passengers, too.

So far as sensible commuters and every day pushed automobiles go, it’s laborious to beat the worth of a Bolt, particularly with the cheaper used costs for low-mileage examples.

However, I didn’t do the sensible factor with my EUV. Positive, I did quite a lot of native driving and even regional driving and by no means had an issue. However, I needed to share a few of my extra excessive adventures after which clarify how they apply to individuals who aren’t going to push the car so far as I did.

Rural Responsibility Is High quality With The Proper Tires

It didn’t take me lengthy to seek out the boundaries of the Bolt EUV carrying its inventory footwear. Even with the inventory Michelin power saver tires, I had no drawback happening gravel roads, even some pretty crappy ones. However, sand was one other matter. Even sandy areas that I had taken my previous two-wheel-drive Chevy TrailBlazer two years earlier have been sufficient to shortly refill the tread and sink the automobile. On high of that, there have been some rocky shale-ridden roads that I used to be hesitant to go down for concern of puncturing the street-oriented tires.

As a result of I really like exploring forest roads and going to considerably distant campsites with the aforementioned sharp rocks, I upgraded to Michelin Defender LTX M/S tires. This made issues quite a bit nicer, because the knobbier tires had higher grip in practically all circumstances and had been made to deal with nasty rocks. However, it got here at the price of going from a 3.5 miles/kWh to about 3.0 utilizing A Higher Route Planner’s OBD knowledge assortment. That meant shedding about 15% of my vary on the freeway (one thing I examined on a number of drives throughout Texas).

So, for those who stay out away from the town on a not-so-great grime highway, I wouldn’t hesitate to think about the Bolt, particularly the EUV mannequin with the cushier suspension. With the fitting tires, it’s car for folks dwelling in most rural areas so long as you might have the facility to cost it and also you’re in attain of locations inside its vary.

Freeway Isn’t As Unhealthy As Folks Say

As I discussed above, I took the Bolt on a number of drives throughout Texas, and I’ve taken it throughout New Mexico and elements of Arizona. On these unloaded drives, the expertise wasn’t as unhealthy as folks declare. Whereas it actually takes extra time than taking a gas-powered automobile to cowl all that floor, I discovered that it’s affordable to tackle 500-600 miles per day going 80 MPH. Charging stops have been about each 1.5-2 hours, and I’d cost for about 45 minutes to have greater than sufficient vary to make the following station.

Bolts are purported to get Tesla Supercharger entry quickly (we aren’t certain how a lot Elon’s rage-firing has set that again), however even with out entry to Tesla’s charging stations, I had virtually no issues. I used to be all the time in a position to get a cost and all the time managed to get the place I used to be going with minimal trouble. The one tip I’d advocate earlier than contemplating a Bolt for non-local drives is to make use of journey planning software program like ABRP to plan the place you’re going and see if it’s going to take too lengthy.

Once more, although, if the Bolt may deal with lengthy highways drives at excessive speeds, there’s no motive it might’t deal with native freeway commuting.

Pulling A Cargo Trailer 4200 Miles

The hardest factor I’ve accomplished with the Bolt EUV was to drag a customized cargo trailer from New Mexico to North Carolina and again. I initially constructed it to hold tenting gear, together with Shiftpod tents, a photo voltaic generator, photo voltaic panels, and somewhat slide-out kitchen—all powered from the Bolt’s battery! However, on this journey I used to be selecting up some furnishings, and ended up loading it to the roof, bringing the entire weight to 1700 kilos.

I personally wouldn’t advocate doing this, although. The Bolt did simply wonderful, however pulling this trailer reduce the vary all the way down to about 2 miles/kWh, virtually chopping the vary in half. When there have been loads of charging stations spaced out evenly, I may drive for an hour and cost for half-hour. However, when the stations required charging up virtually full and arriving with 10% cost, this meant driving for an hour and a half and charging for over an hour. In each instances, this implies doing quite a lot of charging in comparison with driving.

It some methods, this wasn’t horrible, as I used to be in a position to do enjoyable issues like arrange little picnics. Having a full kitchen, together with a microwave and a freezer made that fairly fulfilling and even saved some cash alongside the highway journey. It was additionally good for powering issues like air-con, warmth, and all the different comforts of house at campsites!

The one hiccup of any type I skilled alongside the way in which, regardless of doing every little thing from the Blue Ridge Parkway to driving throughout the Nice Plains, was one minor charging slowdown. It took driving in 103-degree (F) warmth on rolling terrain with the battery beneath 25% earlier than the car’s battery heated up in any respect. There was no driving energy loss like I had skilled with Nissan LEAFs, however it did cost at 20 kW for a bit earlier than the cooling system kicked again in and issues went again completely to regular.

Once more, that is what it took (1700 lbs of trailer and a few small furnishings within the automobile on a 1o3-degree day on rolling hills) to get the car to do something out of the peculiar, and it wasn’t that unhealthy. For those who use the Bolt for issues like commuting and even mild towing round city, you shouldn’t have any issues in any respect.

Ultium and “Boltium” Ought to Be Fairly Good

For those who’re on the lookout for one thing that prices quicker and makes use of newer know-how than the Bolt, you’re most likely going to be in fine condition with automobiles just like the Equinox EV, Blazer EV, Silverado EV in addition to the upcoming refresh of the Bolt EUV. GM has quite a lot of expertise constructing drivetrains, they usually’ve accomplished fairly good with the Bolt’s setup. Sufficient further capability was inbuilt to do issues like tow, drive throughout the nation, and so on.

That having been stated, we want to get our arms on a few of these newer automobiles for testing, and will certainly put them via some harder checks like this if we handle to try this!

Featured picture (and all different photos) by Jennifer Sensiba.