Chevy Bolt

 Chevy Bolt

My Battery Electric Vehicle

This is a terrific car! Not only does it have impeccable green credentials, it's Really Fun to drive. It's EPA estimated range is 238 miles (383 km) and those seems to be pretty much real world numbers. Electric acceleration will make you forget all about ICE acceletation - it has full on zoom from 0 to its top speed of 92mph (145kph). No need to shift, with electric you are always in the perfect gear at every rev even tho the Bolt has a one speed transmission. The 900 pounds (400kg) of batteries are in a layer under the floor - this gives the Bolt a nice low center of gravity and it corners like it's on rails. The Chevy Bolt is easily the best car I've ever driven!

When you coast or brake, some of the momentum of the car is captured to recharge the batteries. It has a normal Drive transmission setting plus a Low setting that really should be called Serious Regen. In Low you seldom need to take your foot off the accelerator in city driving - when you lift, the serious regen kicks in and can bring the car to a full stop. This "one pedal driving" is great in stop-&-go traffic as well as when crusing around town.

You can charge the Bolt on a normal 110 volt circuit (adding about 3 - 4 miles per hour), a 240 volt circuit (about 16 miles per hour), or fast DC charge it (if you opt for Fast Charge - $750 extra) and gain 90 mile in half an hour. And you never have to visit a gas station again. Maintence is rotate the tires every 7500 miles (12000 km) and refill the wiper fluid. That's it - no oil, lube, tune up, etc.

Leigh & Chevy Bolt - Click to enlarge   Leigh & Chevy Bolt - Click to enlarge

If you have $US30,000 (price after federal tax credit and (some) state rebates) to spend on a vehicle and access to plug in to recharge, you have no excuse to not buy this car unless you frequently drive more than 200 miles a day, habitually carry more than 4 adults, or really do need a truck. It's perfect for a 2 car family. It's a normal compact car, sizewise; it comfortably seats 4 adults and has plenty of trunk room. I'm 6' 2" and can sit in the back seat with the front seat all way the back and my knees do not touch the seat in front of me.

If you are waiting for a Tesla 3 reservation to arrive, you can lease a Bolt for 3 years and go green now. Then when your reservation arrives, just nominate the day your lease expires as the day you'll collect your Tesla (if you still want it then).

This is the future. If you have ever declared yourself to be concerned about the environment, this is the car for you. And no waiting for your reservation to come up - you can drive away today. Test drive one at your local Chevy dealer and you'll be hooked.

There's no hot high-pressure oil loop, no oil filter, no PCV valve, no air filter, no fuel injection system, no timing chain, no interference valve train, no camshaft, no piston rings, no pistons, no connecting rods, no crankshaft journals, no spark plugs, no head gasket, no rubber engine mounts, no clutch, no synchromesh, no shift linkage, no shifting, no torque converter, no exhaust manifold, and no muffler. So none of that stuff can break down. The brake pads wear even less than on a hybrid, because maybe 98% of your braking can be regenerative (instead of maybe 50% in a hybrid).

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Leigh Brasington / EmailAddr / Revised 08 Dec 24