[Sly Bob]

Test driving the Bolt at the auto show in Toronto Tuesday I asked the PlugnDrive rep that was driving with me if the car will put it's self into PARK if you open the door and take your foot off the brake. He wasn't aware of it so I tried it.

Sure enough, open the door, take your foot off the brake and the car slams itself into park. I had read about it but had to try it.

 

[Steverino]

"Slams"? Head through the windshield?

 

[jeff_h]

"Slams"? Head through the windshield?

Not quite, but it will definitely stop suddenly...

 

[Joe67]

"Slams"? Head through the windshield?

Exactly LOL

 

[Sly Bob]

If you are at a stop, open the door and take your foot off the brake the car isn't moving. The car shifting to park is abrupt as it should be.

 

[Fourdoor]

I assume that the car was in Drive, not Low... so taking your foot off the brake allows the car to start creeping forward, and opening the door would abruptly stop the car... thus it "slams" into park. Most of the Bolt owners that post here seem to habitually drive in Low, so for them the car will remain stopped when they let off the brake, and they may not even notice that the car went into park when they open the door.

Keith

 

[Sly Bob]

I believe it WAS in drive yes. I had been driving in low but when I stopped the car I had put it into park. Remembered at that time that the car should go into park if you forget so I told the rep that was with me that I was going to try it. I believe I shifted to drive before opening the door and taking my foot off the brake and the car DID roll forward an inch or so before automatically engaging park.

Slammed is a good word as the transition to park was quite abrupt.

 

[telveer]

Interesting ... however, I am not sure if that is a good thing for the parking pawl/pin, or whatever the Bolt uses for Park.

 

[Sly Bob]

Interesting ... however, I am not sure if that is a good thing for the parking pawl/pin, or whatever the Bolt uses for Park.

True but as a safety feature and for something that should only get used once as the car says, "Hey dummy you forgot to shift me into park". the wear shouldn't be huge. 99.9% of the people that own a Bolt EV will likely never even know the car has the feature but will be glad it's there if they ever need it.

 

[Bacardi]

Yes, there was a press video about this; overall cool feature, come to stop, open the door and go without messing with the shifter...

 

[telveer]

True but as a safety feature and for something that should only get used once as the car says, "Hey dummy you forgot to shift me into park". the wear shouldn't be huge. 99.9% of the people that own a Bolt EV will likely never even know the car has the feature but will be glad it's there if they ever need it.

Assuming this is used only as a safety feature. Many modern cars with electronic parking brakes disengage them automatically when accelerator is pressed, and some people have started using that safety feature on a regular basis.

 

[khalfyard]

As someone who has done this once with my old Prius and once with my current Leaf (that is to say, forget to push the button to put it in park) and had the car start to get away from me, only to luckily get back in the vehicle and hit the brake and put it into park...

I for one, welcome this feature. No matter how rough it is, it won't equal the crazy adrenaline rush of almost 'losing' the car, and possibly killing someone.

 

[Steverino]

I for one, welcome this feature. No matter how rough it is, it won't equal the crazy adrenaline rush of almost 'losing' the car, and possibly killing someone.

Seems like the choices are:
1) Let'r roll!
2) Stop! Now.
3) Stop.....eventually.

Yes, it seems like #2 is the best course of action from a safety standpoint. Lawyers would have fun with #3.

 

[fotomoto1]

I guess the OP wasn't in L (no creep) or was stopped on a steep enough incline to allow the car to roll after letting off the brake. (?)

 

[RePo]

My Leaf has always done this. I just stop and turn off the power. It always puts itself in PARK.

 

[Bacardi]

My Leaf has always done this. I just stop and turn off the power. It always puts itself in PARK.

According to the preproduction video you don't even need to push the power off...Perhaps an owner can verify that? Come to a stop, open the door and it shifts to park for you...

 

[caskConditionedAle]

Would it still work if you drove up to a cliff, put your passed out wife in the drivers seat, put your foot on the brake, powered up, put the Bolt in gear, took your foot off the brake, and slammed the door?

I'm not asking for myself, I'm asking for a friend of mine...

 

[sqwalker]

I drive in low and notice that when I pull into my garage and stop, if I unbuckle my seat belt before pressing park, the parking brake automatically engages. I like this safety feature.

 

[31E20]

20+ years in the U.S. Army and 1970's drivers Ed has me always doing the start up and shut down In Sequence and that was before all the computers that the cars have now. The Tesla S guy in Florida Has proved Dumb Finds a Way .