The average American drives around 37 miles per day. The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is good for at least 200 miles on one single charge. Sounds like plenty, right?
Loading up the calculator with those numbers, and performing some very basic math, shows that range would be good for about 5.5 trips, driving 37 miles per day. These numbers are the basis of today’s community question. Is a 200-mile range enough for you?
From our viewpoint, yes, it is. Why? Because the 2017 Bolt EV can recharge up to 80-percent of its battery in merely 45 minutes. No, it’s not the same as driving up to the local petrol station and filling up in less than two minutes, but the Bolt EV won’t leave you waiting around when you’re ready to drive. It would merely require an hour of planning time.
That said, we know there are plenty that would disagree. But we’d counter with maybe an electric vehicle isn’t the solution for said argument. That’s why the 2016 Chevrolet Volt exists; for those who suffer from extended range anxiety, our dear friend gasoline is ready to kick in at a moment’s notice to take over from our mere acquaintance, the electron.
We’ll leave it at that for you. Now, go ahead and vote in our poll below and do discuss in the comment section below.
Comments
A 200 mile range is good for now but as other manufacturers join the part and up the ante then Chevrolet will have to find a way to keep its advantage.
You nailed it. My Volt behaves exactly the same way. I have to look at the Bolt as a 100 mile range car, because in January when the temps are in the negative degrees, that’s exactly what the Bolt will be. I read GM (actually LG) is using a chemistry that’s supposed to handle temperature variances better, but I’ll need to see more more facts and testing before that sways my thoughts on the issue.
You buy a Volt if you want unlimited miles and a Bolt if you never get anywhere near 200 miles in a day.
I think it is good enough, but have a big question. We have a Volt and the range is cut nearly in half in very cold weather. What will be the impact on the Bolt? If it is similar, range may go down closer to 100 miles. Will this cause range anxiety for those who rely on the Bolt as their only vehicle in cold weather areas? This is a side of electric cars that doesn’t seem to get too much attention.
Good enough for around town and daily beater work.
To solve the longer trip issue it is not range but charging times that will be the issue. Until you can charge in the time it takes to fill a tank it will be life style altering.
Say I leave Ohio going to NC. This would require me now to stop in Southern WV and wait the required time to recharge my batteries. As of now 10 min I am in, take a leak, grab something to drink and in NC in just over 5 hours.
As it is now most charge times will be longer than my trip and if I use the fast charge too much it could reduce the life of the batteries.
This is where the Hybrids will fill a larger roll till they solve the charge time issues.
That is why this will take Gas, Diesel, Electric, Hybrid and Hydrogen to solve the many needs of many people. GM is doing it right working all areas as no one single way fits all.
Yes and no. A 200 mile range is great for now, but GM’s EV powertrain team should have their eyes further down the line. It’ll only be a matter of time when a 200 mile range won’t be enough to woo buyers. A longer range should, if not already, their top priority.
Hypothetically, say a 1000 mile range. Enough juice to last you all week, then just plug it in on the weekend when you’ve got down time. Get the recharging time for the car scheduled as routine as it is for your phone; say every Sunday evening at 6pm. Do it routinely and you won’t even think about range anymore.
When range anxiety is safely out of way and out of the buyers mind, the GM can safely ramp up EV production across the product range.
Well if it’s for people who travels about 40 min away from their house to work and back then they might have just a little juice left. But if you say to travel from New Mexico to somewhere like Los Angeles then it’s gonna be a bit of a stretch. But if you say around town then it’s liveable
I don’t want a thousand-mile-range EV. That means I’m paying extra for batteries that I don’t need, which might fail, and cost me a fortune.
Ask any first-gen Prius owner that had to do a battery swap.
500 miles I think will be the eventual sweet spot on the very high end, 200 miles is sufficient for even long distance driving… once the SAE DC Fast Level 3 charging network equals Tesla’s existing Supercharger footprint.
Doesn’t work for California’s longer commutes. Example. From Lancaster to Valencia Fwy 14 is 40 miles one way. To go to LA or the Valley add to that.
We are retired in out late 70s.
We have 2 cars in Australia, a Spark as a shopping trolley and a Holden Calais as a touring car.
We live 60 miles form Sydney, 100 km.
The Bolt is ideal as a shopping trolley and local commutes AND it would cope with family visits to Sydney and back home.
Although the Bolt may not be available in RH drive and in no way cos effective it would be tempting to buy as an easy to use, quiet, and good performing unit.
It has become practical and could be prestigious.
The Bolt is perfect for the person that lives in the city and does most of their driving running errands etc . If your driving mostly on the highways and have long commutes to work then this isn’t the car for you . As battery technology improves and becomes cheaper you will see it in more cars .
I think GM did a great job with the Bolt .
You are thinking of an electric car the same way as you think of a fossil car. That’s just dumb. Think of it as a cell phone. You plug it in every night and then you have 208miles of new range every morning. THAT is plenty. And when you travel longer than 208miles in a day, you can fast charge it and the few times this happens you can wait an hour since you have saved so much time not going to the gas station all the other days.
Biggest issue for the Chevy Bolt is what happens in an environment where regular unleaded gas is selling for under $1.50 which may happen because Iran said they’re planning to increase their Oil output by 500,000 barrels oil per day which may cause the price of oil to trade for $20.00 per barrel or less.
It is livable but I would like to see more. When the EV can give me around 400 miles on a charge, like a tank of gas in a midsize sedan, there will be no issue. That said, I do want to buy a Bolt with 200 plus miles capability for a commuter car. If they get to 400, it will be my only car as long as I can charge on the road.