[phil0909]

Saw the Bolt at the Anaheim Auto Show last week (thanks to a poster here who mentioned the Bolt was there), and ordered from a local dealer. Premier, with most of the options, but no DCFC.
My thinking is that charging on the road will be a miserable inconvenience, and I just don't want to bother with it. Ever. Even if I had a Tesla, with faster charging and better public charger locations, it seems needlessly masochistic to have to jump through those kinds of hoops just to take a road trip. If there's any chance whatsoever that I'll need to drive more than about 100 miles from home, I'll just rent a car or trade cars with my wife for the day. I very rarely have the need to drive more than 238 miles in a day, so rental costs will be less than the cost of the DCFC option. GM suggests the Bolt is a commuter car, and that's what I'm looking for.
I understand some people drive long distances more often, and will want the DCFC - more power to you! Though in your situation, I personally would stick with gas cars for a few more years. It has surprised me that almost everyone on this forum and others seems to think the DCFC is a must have option. For me, it really isn't. Any others out there, or am I the only one?

 

[saghost]

DCFC adds options. Everything from the roadtrips you mentioned to a rescue charge by the side of the road or even powering a house. It also gives redundancy - you can manage for a while with a failed charger in the car if you have DCFC - without it you have to hope there's enough charge in the battery when the charger dies to make it to the dealer.

Also, a Tesla roadtrip isn't nearly as painful as you seem to think it would be - and a Bolt one might not be that much worse, if VW and others build enough CCS stations.

There's no way I'd buy a BEV without DCFC, now or in the foreseeable future.

 

[HniC45Jx5!]

I would think of Fast Charging Provisions like Adaptive Cruise.

Not needing it today. But 5 years later when it's time to sell, it can be a make or break feature to a private party.

In 5 years, the EV infrastructure will be wildly different. 5 years ago, 2011, it was virtually non-existant, and now everybody spazs out about the charging rate. There is nearly national coverage of L2 now.

And in 5 years, FCP, Lane Keep and ACC will be very common EV features.

I will admit $750 for FCP is a bit abusive from what I can tell. Jeez, how hard is it to make a signalling board, and provide a copper path to the battery directly? But, 5 years from now, a car without DCFC will be like a car without AC used to be.

EDIT - Today, if I had a Bolt and Volt sitting there, and I had to go 300 miles somewhere, I'd take the Volt even if there was 120kW charging on the way. Why? 300 miles for me is a hop, non-stop. Waiting around for 30 minutes or worrying about driving 85 mph would suck.

 

[Loboc]

@saghost
Powering a house is a desirable option. DCFC is not for me. At least now.

@HniC45Jx5!
Yes, if I buy a new car I usually option it out. However, any higher resale value doesn't actually cover the costs of the options. Right now, a LEAF sells for ~$10k whether it has DCFC or not. ACC wouldn't sell me a used car considering the additional risk that all that extra gear could fail at any time. If it ain't there, it can't break.

 

[dutch husky]

I'm not sure whether I would go for DCFC on a Bolt or not. I might consider it for the reasons that saghost and HniC suggest, but I know, with our driving habits and our plans to put a Bolt and Volt in our garage, we would probably never use it. And I don't generally pay for things I never intend to use (except life insurance!)

 

[saghost]

@saghost
Powering a house is a desirable option. DCFC is not for me. At least now.

Nissan released an adaptor to power the house by using the CHAdeMO DCFC contacts on a Leaf in Japan.

I haven't seen such a thing for CCS, or offered in the US - but I expect to in due course, and it won't be possible to put on a car that doesn't have direct access to the high voltage battery like DCFC.

 

[Fourdoor]

Saw the Bolt at the Anaheim Auto Show last week (thanks to a poster here who mentioned the Bolt was there), and ordered from a local dealer. Premier, with most of the options, but no DCFC.
My thinking is that charging on the road will be a miserable inconvenience, and I just don't want to bother with it. Ever. Even if I had a Tesla, with faster charging and better public charger locations, it seems needlessly masochistic to have to jump through those kinds of hoops just to take a road trip. If there's any chance whatsoever that I'll need to drive more than about 100 miles from home, I'll just rent a car or trade cars with my wife for the day. I very rarely have the need to drive more than 238 miles in a day, so rental costs will be less than the cost of the DCFC option. GM suggests the Bolt is a commuter car, and that's what I'm looking for.
I understand some people drive long distances more often, and will want the DCFC - more power to you! Though in your situation, I personally would stick with gas cars for a few more years. It has surprised me that almost everyone on this forum and others seems to think the DCFC is a must have option. For me, it really isn't. Any others out there, or am I the only one?

I hope you plan to keep your car for a very long time, because the resale value on it will be crap due to not having DCFC. Nobody here will buy it from you a few years from now without a steep discount, and we are bolt enthusiasts!

Keith

 

[BAZINGA]

Unless these first year options get refreshed over the years, the version/functionality/performance of these options will be surpassed by the newer versions, so I doubt they will add much to any future resale value.

But it would be nice if GM included the hardware and allow someone to enable it at a later date if a buyer changes their mind. Sound familar?

 

[Bacardi]

GM suggests the Bolt is a commuter car

GM originally said the car would be for the masses, not a compliance car, sold in all 50 states...Then as we get closer, GM starts not suggesting but officially calling the Bolt EV an "Urban" car, allows their first wave of Bolt deliveries to go to Lyft while the others only go to Cali and Oregon...

It has surprised me that almost everyone on this forum and others seems to think the DCFC is a must have option. For me, it really isn't. Any others out there, or am I the only one?

The issue is future proof...It's $750 MSRP, really a drop in the bucket for a $40K car...You simply do not know what your future holds and life events happens, you may need to move...What if you are forced, due to a life event, to live somewhere like in a complex where you cannot charge? Every year that passes, more and more DCFCs will be built, less L2s and many L2s are expected to be converted to DCFCs...

I would agree that at the very least, if GM refuses to make DCFC standard, it should allow a future upgrade...

 

[Zoomit]

I hope you plan to keep your car for a very long time, because the resale value on it will be crap due to not having DCFC. Nobody here will buy it from you a few years from now without a steep discount, and we are bolt enthusiasts!

Keith

I wonder if those saying "DCFC is a must" have ever owned a BEV. We've put 16k miles on our Spark EV in a year and we've only had to use a Level 2 charger away from home just a handful of times, 2 maybe 3. There's no question that DCFC adds flexibility and capability, but there is definitely a market for a new or used BEV without DCFC. They make great commuter cars or urban runabouts.

 

[Raymondjram]

And I don't generally pay for things I never intend to use (except life insurance!)

I don't have even THAT because it doesn't insure my life. It insures my DEATH so my "widow" can survive a bit without me.

 

[voldar]

I am one of those who'd like to fast charge a Volt before having a 6.6 kWh charging capability. Imagine to have your Volt charged in less than 15 minutes, while you take a pee break while on the road. So having a Bolt without fast charging capability is making the Bolt an appliance, not a car. Because a car who can go only 200 miles per day is an appliance too expensive to buy.

 

[Whatstreet]

I do not foresee charge locations that function like gas stations. DCFC while fast, still takes more than 10 minutes to reach 80% charge. Charge stations need to be at most parking spaces at popular parking lots, such as grocery stores, malls, restaurants and any urban sprawl business parking lot for that matter. Then BEVs would become convenient for almost everyone. DCFC is necessary to reach that goal.

 

[Ladogaboy]

Honestly, I don't see why DCFC is even an option on the Bolt. It should be standard. The only way I can see getting a Bolt without DCFC is if you are leasing. In every other case, even if you never intend on using it, DCFC is worth getting. By getting a Bolt without DCFC, you might as well also paint it hot pink... In essence, you are decreasing its resale value.

 

[Zoomit]

I do not foresee charge locations that function like gas stations. DCFC while fast, still takes 30 minutes to reach 80% charge. Charge stations need to be at most parking spaces at popular parking lots, such as grocery stores, malls, restaurants and any urban sprawl business parking lot for that matter. Then BEVs would become convenient for almost everyone. DCFC is necessary to reach that goal.

The Bolt EV can charge "90 miles in 30 minutes", which is 38%.

But the irony is that as battery capacity and range increases, the need for frequent and fast charging DECREASES, as long as the trip is not cross-country travel. My family, with active teens, only drives over 250 miles in one day about 2-3 times a month. Those are the ONLY trips where any charging capability away from our house would matter with the Bolt EV. For the 150 other drives we make a month, a 200-mi BEV would be more than adequate. In fact for about 140 of those trips, our 80-mi Spark EV is adequate.

For those that can't charge at home, it's a completely different story.

 

[emv]

My Spark doesn't have it. In 2014 the chargers were non-existent, now they're just rare, in a couple of years ??? It's about flexibility. It's why I put in the 30 amp EVSE rather than the 16, I'm glad I did as I won't have to change it when I get a Bolt.

 

[Ladogaboy]

The Bolt EV can charge "90 miles in 30 minutes", which is 38%.

But the irony is that as battery capacity and range increases, the need for frequent and fast charging DECREASES, as long as the trip is not cross-country travel. My family, with active teens, only drives over 250 miles in one day about 2-3 times a month. Those are the ONLY trips where any charging capability away from our house would matter with the Bolt EV. For the 150 other drives we make a month, a 200-mi BEV would be more than adequate. In fact for about 140 of those trips, our 80-mi Spark EV is adequate.

For those that can't charge at home, it's a completely different story.

According to the fleet manual, the Bolt will charge to 80% in one hour on DCFC.

 

[phil0909]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. It's good to know I'm far from alone in going without DCFC, though perhaps still in the minority.

I tend to agree with those who expect the impact on resale value will be minimal. 50kW DC is not superfast by today's standards, and may be considered excruciatingly slow in a few years when I'd re-sell. I have owned my current car for over 18 years, but will consider leasing the Bolt - it seems like big improvements can be expected in the next few years for electric cars, in charging technology and lots of other areas.

 

[DonC]

I don't think DC charging would work for the vast majority of people, but those willing to put up with the inconvenience and who are intellectually opposed to gas usage might (though they probably take airplanes, go figure). That said, I'd probably pay the $750 on the theory that I might want to use it. Doesn't seem like a "must have" but doesn't seem like a ton of money either.

 

[Chris TX]

50kW DCFC on the Bolt, no.

120kW DCFC on my Tesla? Yes!

If you've never taken long trips with a Tesla on the Supercharger highways, you really don't have experience with a real DCFC routine.

Ideally on the Bolt, you would have a similarly spaced DCFC charging infrastructure that has nice amenities around while you wait for it to charge up. The real crux of the problem isn't the Bolt's battery size, but the rated DCFC rate, which is the SLOWEST in the industry. For shame, GM!