Chevy Bolt? What do you think?

[EAGLE5]

Many thousands. Only a fool leases solar. Canadian solar panels and enphase microinverters. 41 panels total.

[vh_supra26]

Electric vehicles have it tough: typically, people think they’re slow, they take a long time to recharge, they’re limited in range and they’re expensive.

FAST FACTS

• Range: Over 200 miles
• Recharge Time: 9 hours on 240-volt charger
• Price: $37,500 before incentives

The popular Tesla Model S handles the former three elements, offering a blistering fast sedan, about 270 miles of range and a network of fast-charging stations that will give the car an additional 170 miles after just 30 minutes of charging. But with a price tag that can easily reach six digits, the Model S just isn’t feasible for many car owners.

That’s where Chevrolet is stepping in with the Bolt, an electric car for the masses. Not only is it promising 200 miles of range on a single charge, but it intends to do that while coming in at about $30,000 after government incentives, a price point that’s attractive for anyone.

We had a chance to drive a pre-production version of the Bolt, which was described as 80 percent of the finished vehicle. It was indeed missing final headlights and tail lights, and the interior was covered, but the key components were all there. Here’s what we can report on:

Interior



The moment you jump into the Bolt, it becomes clear that Chevy is going heavy on the high-tech vibe. Like the Volt, there’s an eight-inch digital gauge that shows your speed and remaining range. In the center of the dashboard is a 10.2-inch touchscreen that has very unique design language. Instead of the dark and drab look of Chevrolet’s MyLink, the Bolt’s screen has a white background, with bright images and large icons. It reminds me of an iPad and when the screen starts to display driving statistics, the graphics are easy to understand at a glance.

The gear selector reminds me of a BMW’s. It’s a toggle that re-centers after your nudge it up (for Neutral) or down (for Drive.) There’s also a Park button on the stalk. Glance upwards toward the rear-view mirror and you’ll see not just a mirror, but a display. Indeed, this is a live display of the Bolt’s rear-view camera, and it’s on all the time. The technology, previously announced for the prestigious Cadillac CT6, has huge safety benefits, as it features an 80-degree range of vision, instead of the 22 degrees that a typical rear-view mirror provides.



Other parts of the interior of the car were still covered in a black fabric, sending the message that it wasn’t quite ready for the prime time yet. But it’s clear the Bolt has a center stack that’s unlike any other Chevy in the lineup.

With loads of passenger space, the Bolt felt airy and comfortable to be in. The trunk capacity is listed as 16.9 cubic feet, which is more than the Honda Fit EV and BMW i3, but less than the Nissan Leaf and Kia Soul EV. The rear seats are split 60/40 and when folded flat, offer a total of 56.6 cubic feet of storage. The purpose-built platform allows Chevy to place the 60 kWh lithium-ion battery low and maintain a flat floor for passengers. This also makes entry and exit for passengers easy. The battery itself is quite interesting, featuring 288 lithium ion cells and weighing in at 960 lbs.

On the Go



As usual with any EV, the Bolt hardly makes a sound when put into Drive. Curiously, it creeps forward, mimicking a conventional gas powertrain. Step on the accelerator, and the car reacts quickly. There’s instant torque and the Bolt blasts off the line. Zero to 60 mph is expected in less than seven seconds, making it faster than other EVs like the Leaf and even hybrids like the Prius. The electric motor is good for 266 lb-ft of instant torque and 200 hp, making this Bolt feel like a quiet little hot hatch off the line.

Braking is smooth, though not a solely one-pedal ordeal like the BMW i3 and Tesla Model S. There’s also a paddle on the steering wheel you can pull on that activates a stronger regenerative braking function. Chevrolet also says the “Low” gear mode will limit coasting and engage the regenerative braking quickly. There was no strange switchover feeling between mechanical braking and regenerative braking, as the whole process was very smooth.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLlvMOJb3no[/ame]

According to the Chevrolet, the Bolt will fully recharge in 9 hours using an available 240-volt charger, and can charge up to 25 miles of range per hour of charge. The Bolt will also offer an optional DC Fast Charging system using the industry standard SAE Combo connector. Using DC Fast Charging, the Bolt EV battery can be charged for up to 90 miles of range in 30 minutes.

What surprised me about the Bolt was how alive the steering felt. There was an immediate response on turn-in from the steering, it was quick to return to center and the steering feel is nice and heavy. It makes the car feel serious, though heavy steering may be annoying in close-quarter situations like parking lots if that trait makes it to the production vehicle.



While not exactly agile, the Bolt was fairly flat on the test circuit, and was easy to drive overall. In addition to the responsive powertrain and steering, the car has great visibility with a steeply raked windshield and large windows with thin A and B pillars.

Features

The Bolt we tested had a number of features, although it’s not clear whether some of those will make it to the production vehicle and what kind of trim levels they will be offered in. There were buttons for automatic climate control, heated seats and even a heated steering wheel.

The company announced that the car will feature 10 airbags, and be offered with a number of advanced safety features including forward pedestrian alert, forward collision warning, blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert. The car will also be available with Chevrolet 4G LTE Internet connectivity.



Verdict: 2017 Chevrolet Bolt Prototype First Drive
Although we were limited with our time in the car, the Bolt left a strong first impression and felt very refined. It will be interesting to see if owners will be able to push the range over 200 miles, but as it stands, the Bolt will represent a huge move forward for affordable and practical electric vehicles.

LOVE IT
Steering feel
Cool infotainment display
Price and Range
High-tech

LEAVE IT
Haven't seen full interior
No packaging or trim levels revealed

http://www.autoguide.com/manufacture...lt-first-drive

[Mr.ac]

Originally Posted by jsimon7777

Many thousands. Only a fool leases solar. Canadian solar panels and enphase microinverters. 41 panels total.

Just how many thousands? It's ok if you don't want to answer.

[vh_supra26]

Opel has announced it will introduce a new electric vehicle next year when the company will basically rebadge the Chevy Bolt as “Ampera-e” for European markets.

The recently introduced Chevy Bolt for United States will make the journey to the old continent next year when General Motors will slap Opel’s badge on the pure electric five-door hatchback. Opel promises it will have a longer range than most EVs and it’s going to carry an affordable starting price.

Opel isn’t saying a word about the technical specifications, but we pretty much know these already from its American sibling. The 2017 Bolt comes with an electric motor rated at 200 horsepower (149 kilowatts) and 266 pound-feet (360 newton meters) of torque. It works together with a lithium-ion battery pack with a total capacity of 60 kilowatt-hour and mounted underneath the floor.

As for performance, expect the Ampera-e to run the sprint to 60 miles (96 kilometers) per hour in less than seven seconds before topping out at 91 mph (146 kph). With the 960-lbs battery pack fully charged, the electric hatchback will be able to cover more than 200 miles (322 km) before running out of juice.

When Chevy introduced the Bolt at the Detroit Auto Show, the company with the bowtie emblem said 50 miles (80 km) of range will be possible after less than two hours of charge at a 240 volt wall box. Chevy will sell the 2017 Bolt with an optional DC Fast Charger that will grant a 90-mile range after only 30 minutes of charging.

The Ampera-e will represent just the tip of the iceberg for Opel as the company is planning a whopping 29 new models until the end of the decade. One of these new cars will be the second-generation Ampera which as you can image will be a rebadged 2016 Chevy Volt. We will have spy images of a prototype later in the day.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/11602111...ged-chevy-bolt

[gravitylover]

Originally Posted by jsimon7777

Many thousands. Only a fool leases solar. Canadian solar panels and enphase microinverters. 41 panels total.

I've been picking up enphase stock recently, more as it gets cheaper, wondering what you think of the product? Apparently you like it enough to have purchased it once but, would you do it again? Reliability? Cost/value compared to their competitors?

[EAGLE5]

Originally Posted by gravitylover

I've been picking up enphase stock recently, more as it gets cheaper, wondering what you think of the product? Apparently you like it enough to have purchased it once but, would you do it again? Reliability? Cost/value compared to their competitors?

It works fine, but Solar Edge stuff is cheaper. The solar installer industry is full of bullshit, so most people are getting fucked over. It's also an immature industry, so who the winners will be is unclear. If net metering goes away, we'll be looking at more battery systems at home. DC will be more efficient, but AC will be easier to install. You also don't need solar to use an AC battery. There's a lot of risk and volatility. Money to be made, I guess. Money to be lost, too.

[TylerLieberman]

If it HAD to be a full electric vehicle, I'd go with the i3 personally. Even though I'm not a huge fan of the styling. The car just makes sense because of the way it's produced and the engineering behind the vehicle itself sets it apart from the rest in my opinion. Also, 0-40mph is actually about the same as the current M3. They're pretty punchy for such a little thing, you don't really expect it the first time you drive it.


As far as a hybrid is concerned, I'd be all over the Lexus CT200H. I just don't think electric cars are far enough along yet to really consider them. At least not for my lifestyle.

[vh_supra26]

According to reports, deliveries of the Chevrolet Bolt could be as much as three months behind schedule with dealerships yet to start accepting pre-orders.

A post from CleanTechnica asserts that Chevrolet was originally intending on opening up the order books for the all-electric Bolt in August. It is now reported that pre-orders won't be accepted until November meaning the first deliveries are very unlikely to take place before the end of 2016, later than the marque anticipated.

However, in a statement, a General Motors spokesperson revealed that the first examples will be given to customers before 2016 is out but it is thought that those numbers will be limited and could be restricted to fleet vehicles.

In either case, a delay in Bolt deliveries reduces Chevrolet's advantage over the Tesla Model 3, the only other electric sedan promising a range of over 200 miles and a starting price of around $30,000. Initial Model 3 deliveries are pinned to kick off towards the end of 2017.

When keys are given to Bolt customers, they'll be welcomed by an electric motor delivering 200 hp and 266 lb-ft (360 Nm) of torque mated to the brand's Electronic Precision Shift System. Helping to achieve a range in excess of 200 miles will be the model's floor-mounted 60kWh battery pack developed by LG.

http://www.carscoops.com/2016/08/che...yed-by-as.html

Opel’s New Electric Ampera-e Spied ; Does It Stand A Chance In Europe If Priced Same

The new Opel Ampera-e doesn’t hold many secrets, as we already know that it’s based on the Chevrolet Bolt and the German brand teased it with two official shots in February, but GM’s subsidiary isn’t quite done tweaking it for the Euro market.

Hence the mild, but realistically speaking, unnecessary camouflage on this prototype that our spy shooters nabbed testing in Germany. The only exterior differences you’ll find between the North American Chevy Bolt and the Opel Ampera-e beyond from the badges are the European-style darker turning signals (not used on this tester).

Elsewhere, with the possible exceptions of the market specific chassis tune and equipment levels, the two models will be identical.

After deciding to skip on the second-gen Chevrolet Volt, as the original model that was sold in Europe as the Opel and Vauxhall Ampera proved to be a commercial flop selling a little over 3,000 units in 2013 dropping to under 500 in the first half of 2014, the new Ampera-e will be the German brand’s sole electric car offering (though technically, the Ampera was a range-extended EV).

The new supermini-sized Ampera-e should retain the Bolt’s electric powertrain setup producing 200hp (203PS) and 360Nm (266lb-ft) of torque, good enough for a 0-100km/h (62mph) in around 7 seconds and a top speed of 145km/h (91mph), while returning a driving range of more than 322km (200miles) on a single 9-hour charge.

While the pure-electric Ampera-e is a different car than the old Ampera, they do have one thing in common and that’s their uncomfortably high price, as in the US, the Bolt starts from $37,500 (€33,700) before taking into account a $7,500 government tax break. Leaving aside the fact that it’s priced a bit too close to the less capable (182km / 114 mile range), but let’s face it, more ‘prestigious’ (2017) BMW i3 that starts from $44,595, the real issue here is that it will be a very tough sale against similarly sized or even larger regular and hybrid cars costing much less – if, of course, Opel follows a similar pricing strategy.

You may have noticed that we didn’t mention Vauxhall, and that’s because we still don’t know if GM plans to sell a right-hand drive version of the Ampera-e, nor if it will be produced alongside the Bolt in Michigan, USA, or in Europe.

Opel has said that the new Ampera-e will launch next year.

http://www.carscoops.com/2016/07/ope...pied-does.html

[EAGLE5]

Well, that stinks. I'm still not sure if I'm getting one. We WILL be getting another EV, but we're not 100% sure which. The Fiat is 300 miles short of 20k, the lease limit, and is due back in a month and a half. I could see getting another spark, or the 120-mile i3. I'd like a P100D w/ludicrous, but the money is ludicrous and I really don't want a 5000lbs boat. Lots of cool EVs coming over the next 12 months.

[wbradley]

Why don't they just call it a Chevy Derp?

Anything that reduces carbon emissions is OK until the world depletes its lithium.

[Twinz]

Full EV doesn't fit either of our lifestyles (wife and I) ATM but if, but if it ever does, I want to know how many cycles the batteries last before replacement is needed and how much it costs when that happens.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Twinz

Full EV doesn't fit either of our lifestyles (wife and I) ATM but if, but if it ever does, I want to know how many cycles the batteries last before replacement is needed and how much it costs when that happens.

[Twinz]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Lol.

Full EV is basically a car with a disposable, yet expensive, fuel tank.

Just how expensive the fuel tank is and how often it needs replacement, are very important in the value equation.

Even if batteries last longer than you intend to own the car, you could still take a major hit on resale.

[EAGLE5]

I don't know what the batteries are rated for, but we have not seen a difference in range over 20k miles of the Fiat. Actually, when my wife drives it, it often advertises a range of 105 miles, despite being rated for 87. When I drive it with anger and the AC on, I get more like 50-60 miles. The car has been used almost daily for 2 years, so figure about 700 charges. The Leaf has air-cooled batteries, which supposedly leads to their shortened life. The Prius's batteries tend to last an incredibly long time, like easily over 100k miles and usually over 200k. Quite a few Teslas out there with over 100k miles. Even the first gen Roadsters only have battery degradation in the 10-20% range. The Insight and other Honda hybrids, however, have nothing but problems.

So it's like any other car. Some are made like shit and some are great.

As for battery pack costs, who cares when you're leasing for 3 years?