Chevy Bolt first drive

[speedmd]

Chevy Bolt first drives shows some promise. First production Self Healing tires, and close to a one pedal drive system.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/110 ... nt-vehicle

[Deafcat]

actually looks awesome!

[The fingers]

Still waiting for an electric Corvette.

[Warren]

Unless there is something very wrong with the specs to be released at the NA Auto Show, in Detroit next week, we will be trading our old Corolla in on this one in 12 months.

http://www.chevrolet.com/bolt-ev-electric-vehicle.html#

http://www.mychevybolt.com/forum/viewto ... ?f=2&t=108

[Warren]

OK. I was totally wrong about the pack size…60 kWh, not low fifties. Looks a lot like the Leaf pack layout.

http://insideevs.com/wp-content/uploads ... 60-kWH.jpg

A 96s3p with 15 Ah+ cells. The old Volt had 15.5 Ah cells, the new Volt has more Ah per cell, so I’d guess there is some in reserve. A liquid cooled pack 2.5 times bigger than the old Leaf pack, and only 50% heavier.

This car is only two hundred pounds heavier than the 24 kWh Leaf. Almost half a ton lighter than a 60 kWh Tesla S.

I wonder if Bob Lutz is smoking a cigar today? A real Motor City vs Silicon Valley SmackDown.

I’d love for this to be my first Motown car in fifty years. Where do we get the window stickers of the kid peeing on the Tesla?

[flathill]

Prismatic vs Cylindrical battle is on

Pretty neat how the cells are only 3.9" tall

Remember the Model 3 is going to cost $27,500 (using the same advertising as the bolt which includes the tax credit) for the same 60kwh base model and will go way farther (Cd under .2) with the same amount of storage (and larger packs will be available), will charge much faster (DC or AC), will drive itself (with no one in it, you can summon it), will be much safer, will handle better, will be way faster, dual motor available, can be rented out (Tesla's version of Uber), can sell energy (peak shaving), drivetrain designed and engineered and made in USA, battery pack designed and engineered and made in USA, cells designed and engineered and made in USA, and most importantly can use the Tesla charge network (next gen is faster with snake arms which is why Elon tweeted:

"In ~2 years, summon should work anywhere connected by land & not blocked by borders, eg you're in LA and the car is in NY"

I will never buy GM knowing what I know but I think it is great EVs are going mainstream. Pretty sad they had to outsource the heart of the vehicle to LG Chem. Not only was the whole battery (not just the cells) made by LG, the motor, inverter, charger, and much more. My respect level has gone from zero to below zero. The only way GM is going to compete when the Model 3 comes out is price. They will move production of the Bolt out of the USA (likely to Mexico). Did you see now GM is importing cars made in China to the USA for the first time ever? They have no soul. A true corporate grinch. Tesla is going to make cars in China to sell locally, not to undercut

https://web.archive.org/web/20100619204 ... nch-giants

[Warren]

I hope you are right about all that. He will need to tick every one of those boxes to sell any cars to average Americans.

[Hillhater]

.......I will never buy GM knowing what I know but ......

..and what is that knowledge preventing you dealing with GM ?.
I have reservations about many of the big orgs that I have to "deal" with daily... Apple, Microsoft, any Japanese product, food multinationals, fuel and energy suppliers, etc etc...
..but, practicality dictates that I must reluctantly deal with some of them occasionally !

[speedmd]

Went to the New England intl auto show today and was surprised that GM failed to show the bolt. Rep said it was in Detroit. Seriously, they could not manage to get one to Boston? Have to wonder how serious they are about this. Got to look at the new volt and a few other hybrid EV choices, but seriously disappointed with the image they are setting on the ev front. Poor show overall, and not worth attending for any car enthusiast hoping to see concept or high end cars trends. Mostly consumer stuff. E golf looked exactly like a standard golf until you opened the hood. Very few of the plug in's coming later this year shown or even talked about with any expertise by the staff folks. Audi I8 hybrid did look nice. Picture of the e-golf motor compartment. Seriously looks thrown together IMO.

http://icdn9.digitaltrends.com/image/20 ... 0x1000.jpg

[crossbreak]

this e-golf is a joke. It's just so that they can say they seriously "tried". In fact they seriously failed an let GM and Tesla overtake quickly.

Looks like those antiquated guys from germany are only really good at manipulating diesel emission measurements

hope we'll hear more about Bolt and Ampera-e. So said that the european version must have a odd look and an odd name. why not just call it bolt? or bold

[LockH]

"GM sets price for the Chevy Bolt"
http://seekingalpha.com/news/3209689-gm ... chevy-bolt

The least expensive Chevy Bolt (NYSE:GM) will start at $37,495 before a $7,500 federal tax credit, meaning it will sell for $29,995.

The car will come with standard features, such as a rear vision camera, a 10.2-inch color touchscreen, and a steering wheel paddle that lets the driver brake and regenerate the battery.

A premier version of the Bolt, which will include standard DC fast charging and other extras, starts at $40,905 before incentives.

Hm. No word yet on any easier to pedal. (For warmth and exercise, but also to shave off peak battery outputs at startups and up hills etc. So batterys last longer = lower costs per mile.) Still LOTS of (empty) seats though!

Heavy thing though... (see "large" battery needed.)

[spinningmagnets]

96s3p with 15 Ah+ cells

3P at 15-Ah per cell would be 45-Ah?...

96S would be 4.2V X 96 = 403.2V, when fully charged?

[345V nominal?]

[LockH]

Curb weight 1,624 kg (3,580 lb. And add some sort of range? AND filled up with empty seats? Plus (empty) cargo space? Seems Chevrolet desperate to come up with large-ish, heavy-ish, fast-ish.

[The fingers]

Got an all electric Ford Focus at work. Plugs in to 110 volt wall socket. Only around 80 mile range. Drive 20 miles, recharges in 7 hours. My ebike beats that hands down, except for the range.

[LockH]

^^ Oh oh. "Ford"? (anything?) Like the (im)famous Ford Stink ebike?

Determined to create another Pinto.

[LockH]

"Chevrolet Bolt named Green Car of the Year"
http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/m ... /93676806/

LOS ANGELES — General Motors' long-range 2017 Chevrolet Bolt electric car was named Green Car of the Year Thursday at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The Bolt's 238-mile range on a fully charged battery approaches that of a Tesla. Yet the Bolt, in many cases, is about half the price. It will be priced at $37,495 and is due to go on sale by the end of the year. After tax incentives, Bolt prices will start just under $30,000 out the door.

So. Still lots of (empty) seats... lots of (empty) storage space... but engineers are satisfied will do lots of property damages, and injure and kill millions of animals (daily... and some of those human) in a more "Eco-Friendly" way. "We're working on that" said engineers when questioned about ease of pedaling.

[LockH]

"GM delivers its first Bolt electric car in Tesla's backyard":
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/gm-delive ... daily_mail

(Reuters) - General Motors Co (GM.N) on Tuesday said it delivered its first Chevrolet Bolt electric cars to three customers in Fremont, California, home to rival electric automaker Tesla Motors Inc's (TSLA.O) assembly plant.

[tomjasz]

Except that many regions have none available. They're concentrating in states that have tougher guidelines. Near impossible to buy one in MN. Chevy claims losing $9k on each sale.

[Hillhater]

Yes, ^^^ the GM / Ford attitude to customers shines through clearly in the EV market.!
Its obvious they only want to sell EVs in those states that suits them financially and in order to meet environmental compliance.
Hopefully, they will have to change their business plan once VW, Hyundai, Mazda, etc get their EVs into the market worldwide .

[Warren]

They said today that they will be selling them, in Virginia, this winter. They also said they will be starting in major metro areas, so as I have been assuming, they will start in northern Virginia. Probably hit central Virginia by late next year, or early 2018.

GM is requiring participating dealers to have a DCFC station, and of course, trained technicians. Most small dealerships aren't going to bother for the couple they may sell, and then never have any return service. EVs are a hard sell to independent dealers.

[silviasol]

I just can't see any reason to get a electric car unless I build it myself. Too much money. Get the same with a nice used 8k gas car and save money.

[Warren]

Electric cars are, indeed, hard to justify. If you believe the science, we are toast, by the end of the century, if we continue our current consumption patterns. Given that timeline, trying to keep our happy motoring lifestyle a bit longer is counterproductive. If you don't believe it, modern cars do a great job of covering up the noise, stink, and vibration of ICE powerplants. Bicycles are a different story. For many of us, the idea of a gas motor on your bike is about as appealing as riding with a rabid skunk strapped to your crotch.

[craneplaneguy]

The liitle Chevy has a surprisingly high drag coifficient, .34 I think I read. Compared the 2013 Prius of .26.I found that interesting .

[Hillhater]

The liitle Chevy has a surprisingly high drag coifficient, .34 I think I read. Compared the 2013 Prius of .26.I found that interesting .

It wont make a huge difference at city type driving speeds which is where most EVs are likely to be used.

[Alan B]

Another case of style over efficiency.