Chevrolet Bolt & Bolt EUV

[GetOffYourGas]

Congrats, desiv. Welcome to the "other side"!

Your thoughts mirror a lot of mine. Once the reality of the 2018 Leaf sunk in, I started looking at the 2019 Leaf. That's a ways out yet, and frankly I don't know if the various incentives ($7500 fed / $2000 state) that I got will still be around in 12 months.

I too loved my Leaf. I bought it knowing it would always be a local car, so I didn't even bother with the QC option. The Bolt already is much more (my first weekend with mine, I went on a ~700 mile road trip in it!). Technology has come a long way in the ~7 years since the Leaf / Volt were first introduced.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

I'm seeing these pop up in the wild with increasing frequency here in the land of "who gives a crap about EVs". It looks more and more like this is basically a LEAF without the suckiness. Unlike Tesla with their bottleneck excuses it would also appear that GM actually knows how to run a production line. Chevy dealer I went to had one in the showroom, not buried in the back of the lot, meanwhile zero LEAFs stocked by local Nissan dealers. The form factor is still going to be off-puting for many, and I'm not sure I went to school with those seats, but if GM comes out with a couple alternative models in the next year or so and somehow gets some momentum on a DCFC network they could be trouble for the silicon valley guys, particularly if they can't get their act together on production post haste.
Grab some popcorn this could be interesting.

 

[desiv]

This is Oregon, so that helps, but there are multiple Chevy Dealers with Bolts in stock here... (Mostly the Premium models, but some LTs also)

Chevy dealer I went to had one in the showroom, not buried in the back of the lot, meanwhile zero LEAFs stocked by local Nissan dealers.

Yeah, I was chatting with someone about the Leafs and she said that the Nissan dealer around here had 0 current Leafs in stock (not as much of a surprise, as the new one is coming...), but then they told her that they weren't expecting any 18s for 6 months, which would put that around March...
That's a long time to sell 0 Leafs... That's kind of weird...

.... I'm not sure I went to school with those seats, but if GM comes out with a couple alternative models in the next year or so and somehow gets some momentum on a DCFC network...

Yeah, I was warned about the seats, so I pre-purchased some padded seat covers that wrap all the way around the seats.
Seems to make a big difference for my wife and I... That was a weird choice that I hope they address with the 18 model. I am hearing very few changes for the 18 Bolt, but I'm hoping seats will be one.. ;-)
The DCFC issue is there.. And not just quantity but also speed.
I was watching a TransportEvolved episode on youtube, and they were driving from Portland to Grants Pass in their new Bolt.
They found several CCS combo chargers along the way, but most were 25kW, not 50kw. And one of the 25kW ones was only doing 18kW.

Hopefully the VW money for charging infrastructure will help that type of thing a lot... But not sure when/if that will start happening.

The extra range is nice.. I can now go to work and return, and I still have more charge left than my Leaf would have full.. ;-)
I am falling behind on my reading tho..

desiv

 

[BrockWI]

I have to chime in on the seat, we went and looked at one, buried in the showroom so we couldn't drive it and didn't have time for them to move it outside, anyway the front seats were WAY better than the first one we sat in.

I have to add that I asked if they could get the keys out so I could turn it on, they said they are allowed to "start" them inside with customers around, then he said the funniest part, You know it wouldn't be good with all the exhaust inside. I had to quickly say, you do realize there is no exhaust from this the Bolt correct? He hesitated and then said oh... well it is our policy to not start them inside... And he said he personally was waiting for a Bolt with the bigger motor before he looks at them seriously... :roll:

 

[dgpcolorado]

I have to chime in on the seat, we went and looked at one, buried in the showroom so we couldn't drive it and didn't have time for them to move it outside, anyway the front seats were WAY better than the first one we sat in.

I have to add that I asked if they could get the keys out so I could turn it on, they said they are allowed to "start" them inside with customers around, then he said the funniest part, You know it wouldn't be good with all the exhaust inside. I had to quickly say, you do realize there is no exhaust from this the Bolt correct? He hesitated and then said oh... well it is our policy to not start them inside... And he said he personally was waiting for a Bolt with the bigger motor before he looks at them seriously... :roll:

That's hilarious! That salesman gives new meaning to the word "clueless." The legacy dealerships would appear to be a hurdle to overcome for Bolt sales...

At the new Tesla Denver Service Center one drives right into the building to line up for processing — no need to worry about exhaust. The entire service area has a polished white tile floor; doesn't look like any service garage I've ever been to before. (I'll post some pictures in an appropriate Tesla thread.)

 

[jim0266]

Drove a Bolt on Saturday. Happy to find a dealer that actively sells Volts and now the Bolt. The sales guy was very knowledgable. Pretty shocking actually. Went in expecting the worst from the staff. They had just installed an L2 charger and let me charge my Leaf while we took a test drive.

Some random impressions:

The seat: It's not a deal breaker, BUT... When I first sat in it I thought my wallet was in my back pocket. I actually reached back to check then realized I never carry my wallet there. If the seats were just a few inches wider. I'm almost 6'2" and under 200. It felt like sitting in an economy airline seat widthwise. I could live with it but the my Leaf seat is much better.

Front leg room: Awesome. When I had the seat all the way back it was actually TOO far back.

The drive: What wasn't to like? Even more power and acceleration than the Leaf, not that I feel the Leaf is lacking in power. Let a buddy drive my Leaf on Sunday and the power we've all come to love with our EV's gave him a rush. He was surprised.

Regen: I drove the car about 30 minutes and it wasn't until I got back to the dealership did I realize I had not used the brakes once. L mode and the paddle were great. The actual brakes on the Bolt took much more travel to engage than my Leaf.

Video rear view mirror: Disconcerting at first. Needing bifocals now, I had to tip my head up to see clearly since I'm actually focusing on a screen a foot way versus the real scene out the back.

Going from 24-60 kWh pack is a quantum leap. If I were to buy a long-range EV today the Bolt is the only real option. Still have another 5 or so years left to run out the Prius before we go all EV. Both my wife and I live close to our work so the Leaf will serve one of us well potentially "forever." But we need an EV to get us Bolt distances for an ICE-less car life. A 40 kWh pack doesn't cut it.

 

[cwerdna]

Video rear view mirror: Disconcerting at first. Needing bifocals now, I had to tip my head up to see clearly since I'm actually focusing on a screen a foot way versus the real scene out the back.

The above was really cool since it used the camera and meant you didn't see your rear passengers' heads, but yeah, I felt I had focus issues between that being so close and needing to look ahead of me.

Fortunately, you can toggle its modes and it can be just a regular mirror, as well.

I haven't had chance to post my test drive impressions from over a month ago.

 

[hyperionmark]

Drove a Bolt on Saturday. Happy to find a dealer that actively sells Volts and now the Bolt. The sales guy was very knowledgable. Pretty shocking actually. Went in expecting the worst from the staff. They had just installed an L2 charger and let me charge my Leaf while we took a test drive.

Some random impressions:

The seat: It's not a deal breaker, BUT... When I first sat in it I thought my waller was in my back pocket. I actually reached back to check then realized I never carry my wallet there. If the seats were just a few inches wider. I'm almost 6'2" and under 200. It felt like sitting in an economy airline seat widthwise. I could live with it but the my Leaf seat is much better.

Front leg room: Awesome. When I had the seat all the way back it was actually TOO far back.

The drive: What wasn't to like? Even more power and acceleration than the Leaf, not that I feel the Leaf is lacking in power. Let a buddy drive my Leaf on Sunday and the power we've all come to love with our EV's gave him a rush. He was surprised.

Regen: I drove the car about 30 minutes and it wasn't until I got back to the dealership did I realize I had not used the brakes once. L mode and the paddle were great. The actual brakes on the Bolt took much more travel to engage than my Leaf.

Video rear view mirror: Disconcerting at first. Needing bifocals now, I had to tip my head up to see clearly since I'm actually focusing on a screen a foot way versus the real scene out the back.

Going from 24-60 kWh pack is a quantum leap. If I were to buy a long-range EV today the Bolt is the only real option. Still have another 5 or so years left to run out the Prius before we go all EV. Both my wife and I live close to our work so the Leaf will serve one of us well potentially "forever." But we need an EV to get us Bolt distances for an ICE-less car life. A 40 kWh pack doesn't cut it.

Great post! How is the charging infrastructure in your area for longer road trips?

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

I'm wondering if I'd even need to buy or lease; if the dealer will let me take a 30 minute test drive every day that would pretty much cover my needs :lol:

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Video rear view mirror: Disconcerting at first. Needing bifocals now, I had to tip my head up to see clearly since I'm actually focusing on a screen a foot way versus the real scene out the back.

At first, this was a little disorienting, but having lived with the car for a few weeks, I now use it almost exclusively. The only exception is during a heavy rain - the droplets on the camera lens distort the picture to nearly useless.

Besides being able to see "through" rear passengers (and the C pillars), a surprise benefit - the camera has a fisheye lens. The visibility is incredible - no more blind spot! By the time a vehicle is far enough forward to be out of view of the camera, it is next to me and visible out the driver's window.

 

[BrockWI]

You have to try a bit or rain-x on the lens, it works well on the Nissan

 

[jim0266]

Great post! How is the charging infrastructure in your area for longer road trips?

Thanks. Being a fairly dense urban area I'd say we're comparable to the rest of the county.

 

[DaveInAvl]

After turning in our '14 LEAF SL in March at end-of-lease and watching and waiting several months, we got a Bolt Premier last week. The final nudge we needed was my husband's son-in-law pointing out that, as a GM employee, he could get us the employee discount. We priced the car on the GM site for that purpose, brought the paperwork to the dealer and got the car for that price, period. Well, and a reduced "document fee" of $75.

We liked our LEAF very much, but decided after the '18 specs were out that we wanted more range and power.

 

[LeftieBiker]

I finally managed to test drive a Bolt yesterday, in anticipation of having to lease a new car before 1/1/2018. I drove a Premiere with Driver Confidence II. Not a long drive, as the range estimator showed 27 miles and the interstate was too busy to make me want to attempt it. I was worried about the driver's seat, and the news was mixed, for me: I immediately felt that intruding bolt on the left side, and the seat was a bit hard, but I believe that with more padding and the bolt replaced with a short one, or at least cut short, I could stand the seat. I'm not impressed with the interior, but could live with it.

The Good:

* Very good visibility. The seat was cranked up and the position was even higher than my LEAF's. The windows generally provide better visibility, although the driver's door pillar seems even thicker than mine.

* Power. I didn't get to floor it to 60, but the car is Peppy.

* Crisp handling.

* One pedal driving, at least at low speed.

The Bad:

* Cheap, hard interior materials.

* Much more road noise.

* Less intuitive and user-friendly controls for things like the cameras and ventilation Recirculate.

* I don't WANT a "leather appointed" interior! I wish the damned LT had the Surround View.

The Just OK:

* The Surround View or whatever it's called isn't quite as nice as Nissan's but it's adequate. The video mirror is ok, but the view is very narrow.

* The ride is more harsh than my LEAF's, but not a lot more. The short wheelbase is at best a mixed bag.

* The styling is even homelier "in person" than in pictures, but not as bad as, say, the Camaro's.

Conclusion:

I wasn't scared away from the car, but it will likely come down to relative cost. I'm getting a lease quote on this car, a 2017 LEAF SV with Premium, and...hoping Nissan has a 'delayed start lease' in the works for the 2018 Leaf.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

I finally managed to test drive a Bolt yesterday, in anticipation of having to lease a new car before 1/1/2018. I drove a Premiere with Driver Confidence II. Not a long drive, as the range estimator showed 27 miles and the interstate was too busy to make me want to attempt it. I was worried about the driver's seat, and the news was mixed, for me: I immediately felt that intruding bolt on the left side, and the seat was a bit hard, but I believe that with more padding and the bolt replaced with a short one, or at least cut short, I could stand the seat. I'm not impressed with the interior, but could live with it.

The Good:

* Very good visibility. The seat was cranked up and the position was even higher than my LEAF's. The windows generally provide better visibility, although the driver's door pillar seems even thicker than mine.

* Power. I didn't get to floor it to 60, but the car is Peppy.

* Crisp handling.

* One pedal driving, at least at low speed.

The Bad:

* Cheap, hard interior materials.

* Much more road noise.

* Less intuitive and user-friendly controls for things like the cameras and ventilation Recirculate.

* I don't WANT a "leather appointed" interior! I wish the damned LT had the Surround View.

The Just OK:

* The Surround View or whatever it's called isn't quite as nice as Nissan's but it's adequate. The video mirror is ok, but the view is very narrow.

* The ride is more harsh than my LEAF's, but not a lot more. The short wheelbase is at best a mixed bag.

* The styling is even homelier "in person" than in pictures, but not as bad as, say, the Camaro's.

Conclusion:

I wasn't scared away from the car, but it will likely come down to relative cost. I'm getting a lease quote on this car, a 2017 LEAF SV with Premium, and...hoping Nissan has a 'delayed start lease' in the works for the 2018 Leaf.

Nice review. Interested in what deals the 2017's are going for. its seems the super big discounts are somewhat disappearing.

What kind of price were they offering on the Bolt?
I held out for the 2018 model thinking the seats would be fixed but Chevy didn't mention them so guessing they didn't think it was important.

disappointing.

With all this tax crap going on, waiting a few months could be disastrous financially. I am in a lease now which won't be cheap to get out of so the 2018 LEAF which is a very nice driving car is something I would do but at the same time waiting what? X months (single digit very possible) for the 2019 LEAF which will be here sometime next year (hoping late Summer would be awesome) for that extra range...

but then again, not sure that extra range is something I want to pay for especially when the 40 kwh pack would be enough most days even if charged to 90%. Just because Nissan won't offer that charge level doesn't mean I won't be able to figure out a way to do it.

 

[OrientExpress]

If you are interested in EV deals then here is a good place to start your Research.

At least in Northern California, sales of the Bolt continue to be sluggish, and GM is pouring in the incentives:

Until January 2018, Affordable new EVs are limited in selection. Essentially the selection is the Bolt, e-Golf, and the rest of the compliance cars. If you want the market leader or its contender, you will need to wait until 2018.

As far as relying on incentives, free charging and other handouts, those days are coming to a close as EVs become more mainstream, so get used to it. It's doubtful that the congress will pass a tax overhaul this year, and even if one is passed that sunsets the $7500 tax credit on EVs it will be a while before it becomes law. But the writing is on the wall, the end of the free ride is on the horizon, so I would recommend that your forward budget planing take that into consideration for any future EV acquisition.

 

[hyperionmark]

Are 3 year leases pretty standard or are 2 year leases a thing?

 

[OrientExpress]

Are 3 year leases pretty standard or are 2 year leases a thing?

Three year leases allow the Lessor to apply the $7500 tax credit to the capital reduction part of the lease.

 

[DanCar]

Are 3 year leases pretty standard or are 2 year leases a thing?

2 year leases are more expensive. Even one year leases are available.

 

[OrientExpress]

The cheapest lease is called a 1-pay. Essentially you pay for the entire lease time upfront as one payment.