2017 Chevrolet Bolt
If I added my neighbors’ cars the title would be One Bolt, Two Bolt, Three Bolt, Four Bolt, Five Bolt – Red Bolt, Blue Bolt, Black Bolt, White Bolt, Gray Bolt. The first four are all 2017’s, the last one is a 2021.
My son whose birthday is October 8th has been attending the University of Texas in Austin since the fall of 2020. Over the course of his first year, we’d driven our first Chevrolet Bolt (Chapter 20) up to Austin for a weekend visit several times and had no problem finding a hotel that had a level 2 charger to stay at. In April 2021 we’d sold my 2013 Dart (Chapter 18) and my wife doesn’t like riding in the 2001 Cherokee (Chapter 19) so in the fall of 2021 the first Bolt was our only road trip car.
Late in September we decided that we wanted to go visit him for his birthday. However we encountered a couple of issues. One of the big events in Austin is the Austin City Limits Music Festival. This annual event is held during the first two weekends in October. Hotel rooms for those weekends sell out well in advance. The closest room we could find for that weekend was 90 miles away and there was nowhere to charge our car at or near that hotel. Our first Bolt is not equipped with DC fast charging capability and does not have the capability to drive to Austin and back home on the same day.
When we sold our Grand Caravan (Chapter 17) we’d decided that if we needed a larger vehicle we’d get a rental. We’ve actually done that a couple of times when all of the kids are home and we need to go somewhere as family. When we sold the Dart we figured that we’d do the same if we needed to day trip up to Austin. In the fall of 2021 rental car fleets were lean. With the drop in travel, many companies had sold off large portions of their fleets. When I looked for a car on Monday, Oct 4th there were no cars available for Friday, Oct 8th.
I decided at that point that I wanted a BEV that was equipped with DC fast charging (DCFC) capability. Due to COVID there was limited availability of both new and used cars. Additionally due to the Battery Fire recall Chevrolet issued a stop-sale order on the Bolt (both new & used). There were Bolts available from some private sellers and a few independent used car dealers. After I little research I decided that I wanted another 2017 Bolt Premier with the same packages plus the capability to utilize DC fast charging.
There was a private seller about 35 miles from my house that had a car that met my desire and was even the same Kinetic Blue. Over the phone we’d reached a deal in which he was going to take my 2011 Nissan Leaf and cash. In his research, he found out that my Leaf had received a replacement battery under warranty. He also introduced me to the LeafSpy app. I drove his car, he drove mine. His wife came home sat in the Leaf and decided that she didn’t like it.
That left a grand total of eight 2017 Chevrolet Bolt Premiers, that were an acceptable color (we didn’t want Black, White, or Orange), equipped with DC fast charging capability and had fewer than 50,000 miles on their odometer for sale in the US.
The best deal (accounting for getting it to Houston) was the Cajun Red Bolt pictured above. This Bolt had 32810 miles when I took delivery. It was offered by 1A Auto Sales in Walpole, MA. I don’t often mention dealerships by name, but these guys are the complete opposite of the type of used car dealer in Rich’s recent post. They’ve been specializing in EV’s (Hybrids, Plug-in Hybrids and BEVs) since 2007. When I was researching them I saw several reviews from people who’d bought cars from them remotely. The listing for the car I was interested in had over 30 detailed photo’s and they quickly provided me with photos of a couple of other details that I was interested in seeing.
I’d found my Intrepid (Chapter 14) that was in a different state over the internet back in 2001 but completed that transaction in person at the dealership. With this Bolt I completed the transaction (with the exception of taking delivery) remotely. I wired the funds, they sent the endorsed title and completed the application for title and registration via overnight delivery and I flew to Boston with the Texas plates in hand. I could have had it shipped to Houston for about what it cost me to go pick it up but after a year and a half of COVID I needed a road trip.
I flew into Boston and took a Lyft to Walpole. After I verified that there were no issues with the car they attached the plates and I embarked on my first BEV road trip.
My First DC Fast Charge
Just after the sunset I plugged into a DC fast charger (DCFC) in Stratford, CT. This was the first time I’d ever used a DCFC. It was on the Electrify America network and I couldn’t get the credit card reader to work. I called the support number on the charger. They talked me through installing and setting the app up on my iPhone and I was good to go. About an hour later when the car was up to the 80% that A Better Route Planner ABRP told me was my target charge to get to my hotel.
Charging in Hammond, LA
By the time I reached Hammond, LA on the last day of my trip I was an “Old Pro” and advising “Rookies” on how to use the DCFC. Gratuitous link to 1967 Alka Seltzer Pie Eating Contest commercial. My father was the “Old Pro” introducing the “Rookie” to Alka Seltzer in this commercial which won a CLIO award (advertising’s equivalent of the OSCAR).
One of the biggest fears that people have when considering a BEV is what happens if I run out of electricity. Along the East & West Coasts and on many Interstate highways in between this is not a rational fear. A Better Route Planner (ABRP) and PlugShare along with the integrated systems in the car can help you plan a trip and find a place to charge if you inadvertently run low on range. I generally only take one road trip a year. ABRP and many of the charging networks offer a basic tier for free. You can upgrade to a higher tier (better integration with CarPlay/Android Auto for ABRP, a reduced fee for charging with Electrify America, EvGO etc.) on a month-to-month basis (cancel after your trip). If you’re among the rare few that regularly drive extended distances ABRPs annual plan is a better deal. If you lack the ability to charge at home or frequently charge away from home a higher-tier plan for the charging network you use most is also worth the cost. Often you can find low-cost (even free) level 2 chargers, even in more rural communities. The electrical utility in Austin, TX has an extensive network of level 2 chargers. They offer an unlimited level 2 charging plan at a very low monthly cost.
How does road-tripping in a BEV compare to road-tripping in an ICE vehicle? You do need to do more advanced planning than most people do. When I was younger and touring on a motorcycle I didn’t do much advance planning. Now I’m mostly transiting as opposed to touring and plan in more detail. I have a general idea on how far I’m willing to drive in a day and generally plan where I’m going to stay and make advance reservations. For a BEV trip, I look for hotels along my route that either offer level 2 charging or have it available nearby (within a half mile). In an ICE vehicle, you don’t need to plan your fuel stops, but I do. I like to minimize my spending so with an ICE vehicle I use GasBuddy to plan my fuel stops. Several grocery chains offer gas discounts. The warehouse clubs (Costco, Sam’s, BJ’s) also frequently offer lower prices for gas. GasBuddy can help you find the chain of your choice.
It happens that I have a very good comparison for a long road trip. In 2019 after supporting the Boy Scout World Jamboree in Mt Hope, WV I attended the Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) convention in York, PA. Via the most direct route (which is basically what I followed) it’s 1470 miles from York, PA to Bellaire, TX. My route from Walpole, MA to Bellaire, TX was about 1865 miles.
On both trips I passed through Staunton, VA (in the Shenandoah Valley at the intersection of I-64 & I-81). Heading South/Southwest from Staunton the shortest route is I-81 South to I-40 West to I-75 South to I-24 West to I-59 South to I-12 West to I-10 West. I’ve traveled the portion of that route between Meridian, MS, and Staunton, VA multiple times over the last 35 years. From Meridian, I’ve mostly continued south on I-59 to (or through Houston) via I-12 & I-10. To the North/East of Staunton my route has varied with destinations / starting points including Charlottesville, VA; Washington, DC; Baltimore, MD; York, PA; Philadelphia, PA; New York City (and its suburbs); and, of course, Walpole, MA on the trip in 2021.
Northbound in 2019 I went through Shreveport, LA via US 59 & I-20 to avoid the remnants of a tropical storm. Southbound in 2019 I took the route through Meridian to I-12 West in Slidell Louisiana with my Dodge Dart. In 2021 heading to Houston in my Bolt that route was not a viable choice for a BEV. Interstate 59 between Birmingham, AL, and the junction with I-12 in Slidell, LA lacked DC fast chargers. Detouring through Montgomery & Mobile, AL added 56 miles to the distance between Chattanooga, TN & Bellaire, TX.
On both trips, my first overnight stop south of Staunton was the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Kodak, TN (just east of Knoxville). In 2019 I was fighting an oil leak on the Dart and was making frequent stops to replenish the oil which reduced my average speed considerably. I spent the second night just north of Gadsden, AL, and the third night in Lake Charles, LA. On a more typical trip that second night would have been in Meridian, MS and I would have made it home on the third day. The first time I stayed in Meridian (in the late 1980’s on my way back to Tucson, AZ from Washington, DC on my motorcycle) I was kept awake by the yard operations of Midsouth Rail. That sleepless night led to one of my first stock purchases. In 2021 I made it to Gulfport, MS on the second night and home on the third night. From Staunton, if you exclude the maintenance time on the Dart in 2019 and the lunch stop with my sister just south of Wytheville, VA in 2021 the travel time (including fueling/charging and meals) was virtually identical. A BEV with a faster-charging architecture than the Bolt would have less of an impact on total travel time.
The trip from Walpole was almost 400 miles longer than the trip from York. My total cost for charging the Bolt during the 2021 trip was about 1/3 of the cost of fueling the Dart on the 2019 trip. I only ended up charging overnight at the hotels I stayed at on two of the four nights. The charger at the first night’s hotel was not free and not fast enough to justify the per-minute rate they charged. The charger at the third night’s hotel (in Kodak, TN) was already occupied. Fortuitously there was a DCFC at the Harley Davidson dealership that shared the parking lot.
So, after all of the stories you’ve heard and read about the charging time of a BEV vs the fueling time of an ICE vehicle how did it become a wash for me? The answer is that I stay at hotels where I can charge overnight and start every morning with a full battery and I preplan my stops. Midmorning and Midafternoon I plan bio breaks where there’s a place to charge and only stay on the charger as long as the bio break requires. For lunch, I sit down to eat. I’m typically done eating, etc. about ten minutes before the car has reached my target charge.
In addition to numerous day trips to Austin to pick up or drop off my son I’ve made two long cross-country trips since buying this Bolt. Last summer (2022) my younger daughter had an archeology internship in Gloucester, VA. At the beginning of the summer we drove there and I left the car with her to use. At the end of the summer, we drove back home. This year I went to the MVPA convention which was held in Des Moines, IA.
For everyday driving the Bolt is a versatile vehicle. Last weekend we took it to the airport with two of our adult children. Each of us had a maximum size carry-on (rolling bag) and a personal item. We also had four medical items (CPAPs etc.). Those twelve bags all fit in the cargo space behind the rear seat. The Bolt has 16.6 cu ft of cargo space behind the rear seat. The Bolt EUV, which is just over 6 inches longer, has 16.3 cu ft of cargo space behind the rear seat. On my 2017 the seating is adequate. The problem with the original seat design is that the car was designed in Korea. The average Korean is shorter and lighter than the average American. I’m on the shorter side, but heavy for my height and I find the seats in my 2017 fine as long as I stop and get out of the car every couple of hours. Funny thing is that’s about how long the charge on the battery lasts. My wife who is sized like a more typical American doesn’t particularly like them. GM has improved the seat design twice. The current Bolt & Bolt EUV now also offer an adjustable power driver’s seat and I have considered retrofitting the newer seats into this Bolt.
From a performance perspective, I’ve seen comparisons of the Bolt to small block Chevy’s from the mid 80’s. The mid-trim of the 1985 Camaro IROC-Z trim had a 305-cubic inch V8 with 190 horsepower and 240 lb.-ft. of torque. The Bolt is better by 10 HP, 26 lb-ft of torque, and beats the 0-60 time by a full second. It’s a little heavy for a hot hatch and is poised on low contact, low rolling resistance tires so even though it has a low center of gravity it lacks the handling of a performance car but it is more than capable of keeping up with all the crazies running around at 75 – 80 mph on the Interstate. Of course, if you drive that fast you’ll see a significant reduction in range. ICE cars see similar reductions in range but for them the impact is purely financial. On a BEV you also pay in time. I find on the Bolt that every minute I save on the road by driving faster than 65 mph on a road trip costs me at least two minutes on a DCFC. If I’m charging overnight on my level 2 EVSE at home that difference is inconsequential.
An aspect of BEVs that I really enjoy and is the reason that I don’t expect to ever buy another new ICE vehicle is the concept of having a full “tank” every morning without ever having to pump gas.
With the new batteries that my Bolt’s received in the recall, I expect that there will be several choices when I’m ready to replace them. This Bolt had 38301 miles when it received its new battery. As I write this it has just over 57,000 miles. I’ve got a reservation in for the Aptera. I’m also hoping that there will be a viable battery electric class C recreational vehicle on the market when I retire.
Aptera
I’m going to close with photos from this year’s National Drive Electric Week / Earth Day Celebration at Houston’s Discovery Green. The Houston Electric Vehicle Association supported two events that day. One was at our local Ikea which had lots of space and the City of Houston event where we were allocated five spots. In the end we had four BEVs. Two Teslas, a Polestar, and my Bolt. The F-150 Lightning that was scheduled to join us got stuck in traffic and didn’t arrive in time. We were joined by NASA’s Lunar Rover Concept vehicle. Metro Houston brought their first BEV bus and the Port of Houston brought one of their terminal trucks.
Earth Day 2023
NASA Lunar Rover Concept Vehicle
Metro BEV Bus
Port of Houston Truck
An interesting take on the BEV experience. I wonder what the impact on the local electrical grid is in areas with a high concentration of BEV ownership? I foresee two possibilities. Since most BEV charging occurs at night, when demand for electricity is at a minimum, this could serve to smooth out demand and allow the utilities to operate closer to maximum efficiency more of the time. On the other hand, the large increase in electric vehicles could add so much demand that the grid will collapse without new sources of energy to support the increased demand. Possibly even both events occurring at the same time, maximizing nighttime demand while stressing the grid during peak daytime demand periods, resulting in brownouts and/or blackouts as the grid fails to support demand. Adding in the push to replace Natural Gas appliances with electric heat pumps, electric stoves and hot water heaters, further increasing the demand for electrical energy is just another stressor of our already stressed electrical distribution system.
I’m guessing not, at least not in the near future, as the conversion to EV’s is obviously not happening overnight (as I’m constantly reminded by the anti-EV crowd on the various car blogs I’m on – guess that proves that EV’s are a complete and total failure). While the car are selling, they’re selling at a more controlled rate than the manufacturers would like, which certainly helps in the grid adjusting to the load.
Boy, talking about living somewhat parallel lives: Motorcycle tourer to public EV advocate. The big difference is you’ve done serious EV long distance travel which I’ve barely started with, mainly because I pretty much only do one kind of long distance trip, historical reenactments, which means hauling lots of gear starting with heavy canvas tents and multiple 4-7′ wood poles. My Kia Sedona minivan is going to be hanging around for a long time now, until it dies.
Another Aptera believer, I’ll have to admit I’m in the “I’ll believe it when I see the first 100 production models, oh, have they gotten out of the two-men-in-a-shed” stage yet?” although there’s a couple of hard core believers in my car club (Drive Electric RVA). I’ve been watching too many EV startups fall by the wayside to take any of them seriously. If I’ve got my hopes up for anyone, it’s Canoo, and I’m hardly taking them seriously yet, either.
Something I’ve yet to figure out: Why hasn’t every motel along the Interstate system (at least) set up their parking lots with at least 2-4 Level 2 charges for guests? It can’t be that expensive, there’s certainly got to be enough EV’s traveling nowadays to make it a desirable perk, and if there’s a better local for free Level 2 charging, I’ll be darned if I can think of it. You’d think that every motel chain would be retrofitting their facilities.
The Aptera has been in the works for, what, a decade now? Definitely a ‘believe it when I see it’ situation’ which is coming dangerously close to a slick website but ‘vaporware’ type situation.
@Syke: I’ve often wondered the same thing about motels and charging stations also. I went home to Northeast Ohio not too long ago and stayed at a large chain motel. Not one charger to be found within two miles of the motel we were in (and other similar motels, nearby businesses, etc.). This was on I-80 in Youngstown Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border, not like it was a smaller state or US route.
When I was investigating getting a BEV, I did a quick Google search for any (charging) level public charging stations near my home during my research and found there were a few scattered several miles from my home.
However, I went to a local camera store just two miles from my house and found it was outfitted with car chargers. I was surprised by this as: #1 why does a mom and pop camera shop have two charging stations in their parking lot… #2 why didn’t these show up on the search somehow? I figured Google would give me ALL of the charging stations nearby no matter which organization sponsors them.
I’m still awaiting delivery on our new ICE car, now slated for the first week of September. This may be my last ICE car, as I tend to hang on to my new car purchases for about 10 years or so.
A BEV may be in my future, though. I’ve been rather interested in the technology as it has progressed and think it would make sense for an around-town kind of vehicle. I love my van, but it sometimes seems like overkill to drive a Town and Country to the grocery store. I think a Bolt EUV may be a rational replacement for the T&C when the time comes.
Also, I see an announcement that GM will continue the Bolt series, even upgrading it to the Ultium battery technology. The Bolt may get a second life after all. Although there’s been no announcement of such a thing, it would be great to see a conversion from the current (ha!) LG Chem batteries to the Ultium batteries for earlier Bolts.
Google maps has started to show charging options, but like a lot of things google it’s still Beta and you may not see them on the mainstream release. Chargepoint’s website (and app) does a decent job of showing available chargers, but I’ve found plugshare.com (and their app) to have the most comprehensive list.
I’m not much of A Better Route Planner (ABRP) fan but, then, I’ve never had much need for it, either.
For station locator apps, while it’s good to have an array of them downloaded ‘just in case’, the primary and most useful are simply Plugshare and ChargePoint, the latter mainly due to the added features when charging at a ChargePoint station.
Plugshare is typically the go-to station finder since its main benefit over other apps is the ability to read (and add) user comments on stations, which can be very helpful to determine the current status.
Unfortunately, there’s a bit of abuse, too. In my local area, some dingbat added two dozen ‘coming soon’ stations which do not exist (and almost zero chance that there ever will be). It seems this lunatic got it into his fool head that these locations would all soon have stations and was able to add them with the only basis the state’s DCFC infrastructure plan.
But when more research is done, the locations either don’t exist, at all, or the location proprietors don’t have a clue as to what’s going on.
Emails and calls to Plugshare to have them removed are fruitless. So, the Plugshare map for this area is littered with two dozen stations that are complete fiction.
Once you get out of Pittsburgh, western PA/eastern OH is an absolute EV desert. My old home town of Johnstown, PA (population of the area is about 50,000) has exactly two available public Level 2 charger setups, at the two Holiday Inns in town. Period. The Nissan and Chevrolet dealers aren’t even listed on PlugShare.
If you want to go there for the weekend, you stop in Bedford at the Electrify America at the Turnpike exit first. That’s the only fast charging until you get to, I think, Greensburg.
The area is very politically conservative, still expects coal to come back, and pickup trucks are over 50% of the driving.
Regarding the camera shop: It’s not on PlugShare because nobody (preferably the owners) have ever notified PlugShare that it’s in operation.
The Bolt is yet another wonderful example of GM putting its foot in its mouth and having the backpedal. The Bolt has probably become the EV equivalent of the first generation Scion xB ‘Toaster’. It’s got a real grass-roots love that GM completely underestimated. Yes they’re losing money on each car, so it definitely has to go to the Ultium platform. But at a point when every media article about the slow adoption of EV’s pretty much starts out with “the first problem is they’re too expensive” and then GM cancels the least expensive EV in the country with the stated intent of replacing it with a slightly more expensive crossover . . . . . . .
Another parallel is historical reenactments 🙂 I’m sure I’ll be in the Richmond area again. When I do head that way I’ll have to figure out how to get in touch with you.
Aptera is beyond the “two-men-in-a-shed” stage. They’re trying to raise the funds to get into production. I invested some risk capital years ago, but haven’t convinced my self to invest an additional $10,000 in their accelerator program to get one of the first 2000. If I did make that investment today I’d be #535 on the list.
As far as the major hotel chains go Marriott across their various brands appear to have the most level 2 chargers. Many smaller hotels (Econolodge & the various Choice brands and independents) have 120 volt outlets in their parking lots. I’ve stayed at a few and try to encourage them to list on PlugShare.
I do Seventeenth century, the best chance of catching me is any of Jamestown Settlement’s major events.
Aptera’s current fund raising problem is why I’m not getting my hopes up. When you’re down to asking for $10,000 investments from potential car owners, you’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel. What I’ve seen of the car potentially makes it look good . . . . . . well, there is this little problem that it’s a bit radical in design for the average American customer. Americans tend to like their cars to look like, well, cars.
You’d think some venture capitalist would find them at a good enough stage to seriously invest. The realization that it isn’t happening doesn’t bode well.
Interesting and informative article .
-Nate
My main takeaway from these real-world BEV experiences is that going EV is not worse than ICE, just different. So long as the research is done (like articles such as the OP’s), it’s just not that big of a deal.
For instance, on long road trips where multiple overnight stops are anticipated, charging can be done at those times. Likewise, it can also be done on the road during the occasional rest-stops for ~30 minutes which would have been done driving ICE, anyway.
The current, soon-to-stop-production Bolt is rather lame in this department. I recently did a DCFC stop where I only got ~50 miles in an hour. Not too terrific, but doable. Certainly better than Level 2 where 32A means <20 miles/hour. That's more of a local, urban driving scenario.
And it's something of an outlier in the modern BEV world. Almost all newer BEVs have much more powerful (150/350kW) onboard chargers and get many more miles in 30 minutes than an old Bolt with its slow 55kW unit.
The point is, improvements in BEV charging speeds (and the DCFC infrastructure) are making rapid advances by the day. Still probably not good enough for the majority of ICE drivers to make the switch, but it's getting there.
Not to mention that many can live with the Bolt's slower DCFC speed that also comes with one of the higher ranges (259 miles on the Bolt EV), all for a price of admission that is the lowest of any BEV.
Charging speed is the Bolt’s Achilles Heel. It’s also one of the reasons they can sell the car so inexpensively. I’ve yet to take mine on any trip longer than one midway charge stop on the day’s travel, so it hasn’t been an insurmountable barrier, but I’m already figuring that when the time comes to trade one of my two Bolts, it’s going to be a Tesla or something that has Tesla’s system for on the long haul charging.
By the point I’ll probably have quit the long distance reenactment weekends and the van can go. My stuff at Jamestown is well handled by the Bolts.
My Son bought a new Tesla model 3 last year. Teslas are thick on the ground in my neighborhood, looks like half the cars are Teslas or other EVs. For my Son and his Wife, they are completely at ease with using computers and cell phone apps so they can take advantage of the opportunities that the car offers. The car also has all the info available on it’s screen.
They took my Wife and I along on a 250 mile trip this Summer and I was impressed. We made one 15 stop for charging/bathroom/ coffee needs. It just seems to call for a bit of planning but the car provides all the info that you need.
Granted that the grid will need to be upgraded over time, but the adoption of EVs is going to take longer too. I don’t dislike EVs, but the main hurdle is price, the longer range models are expensive, and I wonder about the long term reliability and “repairability” of complex cars like the Teslas. And they have complex systems to cool the battery packs, gearbox, and the AC/DC inverter.
Around here, the Tesla is the status “image” car, like the BMW used to be. It doesn’t hurt that it’s the best, in my opinion, EV. Besides the Cadillac Lyric, I haven’t seen an EV that really appeals to me. I’m hoping for an electric Lincoln Aviator or a real EV Mustang.
Yeah, the FUD adherents all keep harping on the ‘stressing the grid’ situation. Frankly, I’m not seeing it, mainly because overall EV adoption is coming along incrementally, coupled with the fact that most residential charging will take place during off-peak, overnight hours.
My explanation is it’s akin to the adoption of residential central A/C back in the fifties. Supposedly, the same ‘stressing the grid’ thing was said about the grid back then, that it would, likewise, collapse under the weight of all the electricity these new A/C units would be consuming.
Guess what? It didn’t happen. While there was an increase in the demand of electricity due to home A/C, it was met by the utility companies. I anticipate a similar situation as more and more EVs become prevalent. Simply put, the utilities will rise to the demand, just like they did in the fifties.
With that said, I recently read somewhere about the exorbitant cost of electricity and charging EVs out in California. While that’s not a good future to look towards in the rest of the lower 48, it should be noted that charging an EV on the West Coast is ‘still’ a whole lot more cost-effective than buying gas out there.
Not to mention that the temperate environment means that home heating and A/C is not exactly as necessary as it in in the rest of the country. IOW, yeah, electricity is expensive in California, but much less of it is needed for home heating and cooling.
When more EV’s are capable of Vehicle to Grid rather then stressing the grid EV’s (that charge overnight like mine) will be able to help carry the load during the late afternoon early evening peak when Solar production drops off and air conditioning demand rises.
Nice article and of special interest to me as a fellow (2023 Bolt EV 1LT) owner. Of course, I live in southern California, so we have a lot more chargers than most states, but I charge at work and have a level 2 at my home. So I’m set. But when I purchased my Bolt, it came with a free home charger installed (already had one) or the $500 debit card for EvG0 chargers. I’ve had my car since this past January, and since then there are two brand new stations just went up within 1.5 miles of my house. In fact, one is at the Arco gas station about 2 blocks away and they have 2 DCFC stations there. Once my credit runs out sometime early next year, I will mostly just charge at home and work for free. I do like that the EvGo says that they only use renewable energy.
My point is that it’s getting easier and easier to charge and soon we will be seeing many gas stations with chargers just like the Arco near me. With the advancements in BEV tech, soon we will be able to buy a 400 mile (true mile) range vehicle that will be able to charge from about 10% to 90% in about 15 minutes. How soon I don’t know, but it’s coming. Personally, I see EV ownership growing a huge amount in the next 5 years. I love mine and can’t see myself ever going back.
Informative article. We fully expect out next (and last) vehicle to be a Toyota EV when they make the kind of mid-size SUV we need. I’d hate to meet the front end of a Suburban or semi in that Aptera, that can’t possibly be a safe design in the real world.