[Bob_Livonia]

I took delivery of my Bolt EV Premier on August 9. I had ordered the vehicle to my specs, and as a sold order, it was the first one received at Serra Chevrolet - we even made their Facebook page. I learned they received 4 more Bolt EVs (stock orders) the following day.

So I am continuing my electrifying experience. I bought my 2011 Volt in April 2011. I gave it to my grandson with 144,000 miles on it. It is still running great (the deal with his parents was that if he got a car, he would have to pay for gas). It is the best car I have ever owned in over 48 years of car ownership. I ordered and bought my 2017 Volt Premier because of the new features such as adaptive cruise control, plus it had made me slightly nervous making repeated trips to Chicago in a vehicle with well over 100k miles on it.

I now have 25,000 miles on my 2017 Volt, and it will be the primary car for long trips and the secondary car for normal around-town driving. My son-in-law (father of my grandson) does want to see and drive the Bolt EV, so we plan to make a trip to the Cincinnati area, which will be right on the cusp of the Bolt EV's range. There is a DC fast charger at the WalMart near their house (I got the fast charge option), but it's just past where they live, so it might mean a stop / lunch at a level 2 Chargepoint charger along the route. They have a level 2 charger for the 2011 Volt.

I am very pleased with the Bolt EV, including performance and interior roominess.My wife commented that it is so much easier to get into than the Volt, especially in the back seat.

I am in the process of supplementing my original 2011-vintage Voltec Level 2 charger, 3.8 kw with a 7.7 kw charger, probably a Clipper Creek. When I took delivery of the Bolt EV, it was about 1/4 charged (it was on the charge station at the dealership when I got there, but they hadn't had it long). It was plenty of range for me for the rest of the day. I charge it overnight on the 3.8 kw station and got to about 3/4 charge capacity. It wasn't until the following night that I got it to the fully charged point.

My wife and I are ready to drive the Bolt EV and the 2017 Volt in the Woodward Silent Cruise next Wednesday. It's the first day of school for my grandson, so he is unable to come in to drive the 2011 Volt.

Links to my pictures in case the inline image insertion doesn't work - it never has for me on this site.
https://1drv.ms/i/s!An-mc7ZeMBD3-Vtl4fybkTxJCYQO
https://1drv.ms/i/s!An-mc7ZeMBD3-VrfSKhXUY7t9t7P

 

[llninja]

Love the fact that you buy cars for the long haul and give them away to worthy people. I gave away my BMW 535i earlier this year.

 

[Bob_Livonia]

PS: The one hiccup in the delivery of my Bolt EV was that when I called my insurance company to have it added to the policy, the reply was "please hold while I check to see if it is a qualifying vehicle". After a long hold, I was told the company, National General (which used to be GMAC Insurance) "does not insure electric vehicles". They checked to see if they could make an exception for me, since I've been with them 12 years, have 2 other insured vehicles, and was waiting for the certificate so I could drive away. No dice. I called State Farm, who insures my home, and they were very nice and added it and provided the certificate within 30 minutes. I stopped by their office yesterday to change my other vehicles to them from National General; all 3 people at the office wanted to see and ride in my Bolt EV.

 

[llninja]

PS: The one hiccup in the delivery of my Bolt EV was that when I called my insurance company to have it added to the policy, the reply was "please hold while I check to see if it is a qualifying vehicle". After a long hold, I was told the company, National General (which used to be GMAC Insurance) "does not insure electric vehicles". They checked to see if they could make an exception for me, since I've been with them 12 years, have 2 other insured vehicles, and was waiting for the certificate so I could drive away. No dice. I called State Farm, who insures my home, and they were very nice and added it and provided the certificate within 30 minutes. I stopped by their office yesterday to change my other vehicles to them from National General; all 3 people at the office wanted to see and ride in my Bolt EV.

You might shop around. State Farm has some of the highest rates in the industry. I was a 20+ year customer until I saw the light. I wish I could get some of that money back, just like that Prudential whole life insurance policy I had for a year when I was young and stupid.

An insurance company who won't insure electric cars is sure to go out of business....eventually...though electrification seems to be going at a glacial pace.

 

[Bob_Livonia]

You might shop around. State Farm has some of the highest rates in the industry.

I will do some checking. When I was at the dealership trying to get insurance, State Farm came through for me - I didn't have time to go checking around the internet and approaching companies cold asking for a quick turnaround. Yes, I could have put off the delivery of my Bolt EV, but neither my salesman nor I wanted to do that.

Yes, everyone has stories about insurance companies. I was not happy with my claim experience at National General, so they probably did me a favor forcing me to switch. The State Farm office located a mile or so from me has been providing my homeowner's insurance, competitively priced for many years. They admitted they might not be the lowest cost, but they are there for me when I need help, rather than going through a big, impersonal call center. Thanks, we'll see. One woman from the State Farm office who rode in my Bolt EV expressed interest in buying one after the ride.

My first knee-jerk response was to check with AAA, the largest auto insurer in Michigan - I had been with them before switching to GMAC Insurance / National General after many big AAA rate increases. My salesman cautioned me against AAA as they have high rates on Volts, per his experience - yes, this salesman specializes in Volts, knows and drives them, and enthusiastically sells them instead of steering customers into a more familiar and perhaps more profitable Suburban. - that's a big reason why I drove a bit further to continue buying from Serra Chevrolet.

I wonder if National General's experience may have been poisoned by Tesla. I've read horror stories about the expense and delays getting Teslas fixed that have been in very minor accidents.

BTW, Michigan is an auto insurance fiasco with their unlimited no-fault benefits - even the lawyers are advertising, even if it is your fault, take out a loan with us as an advance to the benefits you will have coming to you. I know a guy who fell off the back of his pickup truck while it was parked and badly broke his wrist, which has kept him from ever working as an air conditioning repairman again. Because it involved a truck, he is entitled to unlimited lifetime benefits including loss of income under his no-fault auto insurance policy. That's why Michigan has some of the highest auto insurance rates in the country. Thank you ambulance-chasing lawyers and your political lobby.

 

[llninja]

One saving grace about State Farm, they do give you a discount when you combine homeowners and automotive insurance together. But individually, without the two bundled, they are usually more expensive. But get into a few fender benders, and they yank the cheap insuance away and nail you. I'm still just recovering from a few fender benders. Hindsight being 20/20 it would have been cheaper for me to pay for the damage to the vehicle myself rather than involve the insurance company. Life lesson learned. I'll only involve insurance for a major claim and liability issue, not to fix the few thousand dollar stuff I can afford to self insure.

 

[jeff_h]

Links to my pictures in case the inline image insertion doesn't work - it never has for me on this site.
https://1drv.ms/i/s!An-mc7ZeMBD3-Vtl4fybkTxJCYQO
https://1drv.ms/i/s!An-mc7ZeMBD3-VrfSKhXUY7t9t7P

Great pics - and you chose a great color for the Bolt!

 

[BAZINGA]

I wonder if your insurance carrier refused to insure your "electric vehicle" thinking it was a Tesla? Collision damage/repairs on Tesla's are considerably more costly than a steel bodied vehicle. And of course the lengthy wait on parts means they pay for a loaner car for much longer periods than a regular vehicle.

But as others have said shop around you could still save some money.

 

[Bob_Livonia]

I wonder if your insurance carrier refused to insure your "electric vehicle" thinking it was a Tesla? Collision damage/repairs on Tesla's are considerably more costly than a steel bodied vehicle. And of course the lengthy wait on parts means they pay for a loaner car for much longer periods than a regular vehicle.

They knew very well that is it a Chevrolet Bolt (with a "B") EV, along with VIN. Yeah, maybe the Tesla "halo effect" is coloring their decision making at the corporate level. I don't really care since I am done with National General once I get my money back for the unexpired premium period on my other two vehicles. For others purchasing a Bolt EV, something to keep in mind and check. The premium from State Farm doesn't appear to be out of line for Michigan, and will come down as I transfer my other vehicles over to them.

 

[sosmerc]

Question for you re: the fast charging option:
Is this special hardware that has to be installed on the car, or is it just a special EVSE set up for DC fast charging ? I would be interested in a bit more info about this option.
Thanks very much and congratulations on your neat new vehicle!

 

[volt11]

Congrats, they make a pretty pair. You SO need a new charger, though!

When I got my first 240V charger in 2010, I wanted it to be more future proof, so I got the ChargePoint unit that can do 6.6kW. But so far, I haven't had a vehicle that can go above 3.3Kw, not even my ELR, thanks to GM's short-sightedness on the issue of opportunity charging. Perhaps that rumored Buick version of the Bolt will be the first in my driveway that can take a bigger drink, or maybe the new Jag iPace. If GM can find the cajones to put SuperCruise in the Buick, it will definitely get my vote. Otherwise, it's so far the Jag's game to lose, because it is so darned pretty!

 

[DonC]

Congrats on the Bolt EV Bob. Looks great in the pictures. Seems like you're really going to have some electric adventures.

It is still running great (the deal with his parents was that if he got a car, he would have to pay for gas).

That is so funny. What a deal! Obviously one smart boy. LOL

 

[Ladogaboy]

Congratulations! It's nice to see the Bolt EVs getting picked up in states other than California. A reasonable price and long range means people finally have a pure EV option that works for them.

Question for you re: the fast charging option:
Is this special hardware that has to be installed on the car, or is it just a special EVSE set up for DC fast charging ? I would be interested in a bit more info about this option.
Thanks very much and congratulations on your neat new vehicle!

The Bolt EV has a $750 option for a DCFC charging port. It is additional CCS hardware, and it cannot be added after the fact.

 

[Raymondjram]

Congratulations for your Chevy Bolt EV purchase!

Now, as a member of this forum, you have a "duty" to promote the Bolt EV to every family member and friend, so they will decide to buy their own, and make new sales. This is whay many Volt owners have doe since 2011, and I hope you will enjoy demonstrating your Bolt EV as much as driving it.

 

[hellsop]

Question for you re: the fast charging option:
Is this special hardware that has to be installed on the car, or is it just a special EVSE set up for DC fast charging ? I would be interested in a bit more info about this option.

It's hardware that has to be installed in the car at time of manufacture. There's no way to add it later. At least not now nor in the foreseeable future. *opinion*And if there were, it would probably cost a lot more than $750...*/opinion*

 

[sosmerc]

So does this mean the EVSE that plugs into the charge port is a different configuration than the standard plug and port setup?
Or is it an additional port and matched EVSE for the DC fast charging? (does the Bolt with DC fast charging have two different charging ports?) I am still a little confused about the option.

 

[Bob_Livonia]

Question for you re: the fast charging option:
Is this special hardware that has to be installed on the car, or is it just a special EVSE set up for DC fast charging ? I would be interested in a bit more info about this option.
Thanks very much and congratulations on your neat new vehicle!

It is in the order guide as "CBT [option code]: Fast Charge Provisions"

It provides additional hardware, factory installed in the vehicle that makes it compatible with DC fast chargers out there, and becoming more common - but it is not compatible with Tesla fast chargers, since Tesla ignores the SAE J-standards and has their own proprietary system. Provides about 90 miles range in 30 minutes charging time. Occasional use, not intended for the garage or daily charging.

 

[sosmerc]

It is in the order guide as "CBT [option code]: Fast Charge Provisions"

It provides additional hardware, factory installed in the vehicle that makes it compatible with DC fast chargers out there, and becoming more common - but it is not compatible with Tesla fast chargers, since Tesla ignores the SAE J-standards and has their own proprietary system. Provides about 90 miles range in 30 minutes charging time. Occasional use, not intended for the garage or daily charging.

Is there a problem with daily fast charging in terms of damaging the battery? I had not heard that.

 

[El Dobro]

The dealer I go to with my Volt has Bolts as courtesy cars and the ones I saw have the combo plug.

 

[Ladogaboy]

So does this mean the EVSE that plugs into the charge port is a different configuration than the standard plug and port setup?
Or is it an additional port and matched EVSE for the DC fast charging? (does the Bolt with DC fast charging have two different charging ports?) I am still a little confused about the option.

It's the same port housing, but the CCS format adds two large posts for the DC current. You can use the standard charger on the same port, but the two DC posts won't be used.

Is there a problem with daily fast charging in terms of damaging the battery? I had not heard that.

It's not really economical to fast charge everyday; however, at the Bolt EV's fast charge rates, you're probably not looking at significant wear on the battery.