Chevy Bolt EV

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Tue Aug 21, 2018 3:36 pm

I bet it's yours. A similar thing happened on a car I ordered awhile back. Dealer site showed it as soon as it was en route, even tho they had pre-sold it to me.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Tue Aug 21, 2018 3:39 pm

coopasonic wrote: ↑Thu Jul 05, 2018 2:41 pm
stessier wrote: ↑Thu Jul 05, 2018 2:32 pm Hopefully only 11 weeks left. This is going to be painful.
Hey, we can have a race, though I think odds are in your favor. I have:
Delivery between Sep. '18 - Nov. '18
...so 8-17 weeks.

Good luck with your second place finish!

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Tue Aug 21, 2018 3:41 pm

coopasonic wrote: ↑Tue Aug 21, 2018 3:39 pm Good luck with your second place finish!

I suspect that is something I'll have to get used to hearing from Model 3 owners...

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:31 am

Just got confirmation that it is my car! It is built, but still sitting in the factory waiting for shipment. They are trying to expedite it by telling them it is already sold. The internet tells me it could still take up to 4 weeks - but at least it is built!

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:40 am

Huzzah! Time to start stockpiling electrons.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:47 am

Zaxxon wrote: ↑Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:40 am Huzzah! Time to start stockpiling electrons.

Indeed. This weekend we'll be cleaning out the garage and ordering the EVSE so it can be installed in early September. I also have to figure out the loan thing. I got approved back in June when I ordered it, but the approval is only good for 30 days. So I have to wait a bit on that I guess.

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:50 am

Which EVSE are you going with?

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Wed Aug 22, 2018 11:01 am

I think I've decided on the JuiceBox Pro 40 Lite, but am open to suggestions. I went with the Lite version because I can't see the app really buying me anything as there is no benefit to delayed charging from my electric company.

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Wed Aug 22, 2018 11:06 am

stessier wrote: ↑Wed Aug 22, 2018 11:01 am I think I've decided on the JuiceBox Pro 40 Lite, but am open to suggestions. I went with the Lite version because I can't see the app really buying me anything as there is no benefit to delayed charging from my electric company.

Awesome. I like the Pro, but I also use time-of-use and the ability to verify that I remembered to plug in. If you don't care about that, then it sounds like you made the right choice.

Kelric · Post by **Kelric** » Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:09 pm

General question to follow. I'll be in the market for a newish car in the next year or two and want to go with an EV if I can afford it (or a hybrid at worst). My company provides free EV charging (and they're some of the best parking spots!) and the general idea is that we'll have one EV car for commuting and one fossil fuel minivan or SUV for bringing the kids to daycare/school and long trips. My commute is either 17 miles one way (14 of which is highway) or 13 miles one way (2 of which is highway). Most people seem to be plugging their cars in all day every day. Batteries don't generally like being fully charged all the time - are cars the same way? It seems like it would make more sense to charge up every few days as you start to approach the 30/40% charge mark rather than always being at 100%.

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:20 pm

Teslas let you configure the charge level, and they recommend 90% or less as your daily max charge, setting it to 100% only when needed. I'm not sure of the Bolt's implementation but it has a similar feature that lets you set it to not go all the way to 100%.

The consensus on the Tesla side is that keeping from extended periods > 90% and < 10% is the important part. Everything else has a very minor impact.

For your scenario, you might consider a used Leaf. You can get them super cheap (<$10k easily) two or three model years back. Leaf batteries degrade far more quickly than Teslas, but if you get a car that started at 107 EPA and now has 90 EPA, it sounds like that'd be sufficient for your commute.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Thu Aug 23, 2018 4:17 am

Yes, the Bolt has something similar called Hilltop Reserve. It charges up to 90% and then stops.

In 2 or 3 years, you could have a lot of options but used and new. For those distances, you could even get a used Volt made in 2017 or later as they get 50-ish miles per charge.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:05 am

Kelric wrote: ↑Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:09 pm Most people seem to be plugging their cars in all day every day. Batteries don't generally like being fully charged all the time - are cars the same way?

I've only had mine for 2 days now, but the plan is to charge once a week, at work on Friday. If I drive bunch over the weekend, I can plug in on Monday as well. I don't really ever see me charging more than twice per week outside of a road trip.

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:09 am

coopasonic wrote: ↑Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:05 am
Kelric wrote: ↑Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:09 pm Most people seem to be plugging their cars in all day every day. Batteries don't generally like being fully charged all the time - are cars the same way?
I've only had mine for 2 days now, but the plan is to charge once a week, at work on Friday. If I drive bunch over the weekend, I can plug in on Monday as well. I don't really ever see me charging more than twice per week outside of a road trip.

I'm in a similar situation. My wife's car is a PHEV, so it's drained each night when she comes home. She charges 5-6 times/week, and the Tesla gets 1-2. We also have time-of-use pricing, so we only charge b/t 9p-9a 99% of the time. I also have the Tesla set to max out at 80% on a day-to-day basis. That's generally enough to get through the work week without dropping below 20-30% charge level.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:07 am

I remember reading somewhere that even "100%" is a conservative figure for Tesla, and they unlocked the "final reserve" capacity for a Tesla owner when he had to evacuate from a hurricane few years back and there are no charging stations along his route.

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:15 am

Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:07 am I remember reading somewhere that even "100%" is a conservative figure for Tesla, and they unlocked the "final reserve" capacity for a Tesla owner when he had to evacuate from a hurricane few years back and there are no charging stations along his route.

That was a fairly unique case. The 60 kWh battery was for some time actually a 75 kWh battery that was software locked. When the area required evac, Tesla temporarily removed those software unlocks. AFAIK, all Tesla vehicles currently sold today are sold at their actual capacity (eg the 75 and 100 kWh batteries are approximately that size).

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 3:18 pm

stessier wrote: ↑Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:31 am Just got confirmation that it is my car! It is built, but still sitting in the factory waiting for shipment. They are trying to expedite it by telling them it is already sold. The internet tells me it could still take up to 4 weeks - but at least it is built!

Today is Week 10 since the order was placed and 2 weeks since I got confirmation the car was built. No further information has been provided.

To pass the time, I've been reading the 2019 Owners Manual that was recently released. It's really not making the wait any easier.

Garage was cleaned out, though. Tomorrow my next credit card statement begins so I will be getting the Juice Box next week and then scheduling the electrician for soon after that. On the plus side, my credit unions' new car interest rate hasn't risen at all since my original planned July purchase, so I haven't lost anything on that part of the deal!

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 3:21 pm

If it makes you feel better, today is also week 10 since my father-in-law ordered his AWD Model 3. It's also yet to arrive.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 3:23 pm

Zaxxon wrote: ↑Thu Sep 06, 2018 3:21 pm If it makes you feel better, today is also week 10 since my father-in-law ordered his AWD Model 3. It's also yet to arrive.

I find the smilie a bit excessive.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 3:26 pm

Zaxxon wrote: ↑Thu Sep 06, 2018 3:21 pm If it makes you feel better, today is also week 10 since my father-in-law ordered his AWD Model 3. It's also yet to arrive.

Same day I ordered mine!

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 3:45 pm

stessier wrote: ↑Thu Sep 06, 2018 3:23 pm
Zaxxon wrote: ↑Thu Sep 06, 2018 3:21 pm If it makes you feel better, today is also week 10 since my father-in-law ordered his AWD Model 3. It's also yet to arrive.
I find the smilie a bit excessive.

coopasonic wrote: ↑Thu Sep 06, 2018 3:26 pm Same day I ordered mine!

He made the mistake of going AWD. I see reports of 6/28 orders of non-P AWD cars being delivered, so hopefully soon for him.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:33 pm

I just got a voicemail.. My car is in and charging! Ironically, I'm not ready!!

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:34 pm

stessier wrote: ↑Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:33 pm I just got a voicemail.. My car is in and charging! Ironically, I'm not ready!!

GO! GO NOW! Let them charge it and then use a 120V for a week until you get the JuiceBox in.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 7:09 pm

Have to go to the bank in the morning for the loan. What car specific info will I need? Haven't financed using my own bank before.

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 8:02 pm

Generally the sales contract from the dealer. If it's your bank they should have the rest of your info already.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri Sep 07, 2018 9:50 am

Ally (Chevy's close financial friend) can probably beat whatever rate your bank will offer.

You can also go to AutoNavigator to get another idea of what rate you should be getting. AutoNav is a pre-qual/soft pull on your credit, so no impact to your credit score. Down near the bottom there is a "Find participating dealers" box to check if your dealer is in the network.

The idea of physically going to your bank for an auto loan in 2018 is kind of funny.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Fri Sep 07, 2018 1:00 pm

Thanks Coop.

My bank is actually a credit union - I know I shouldn't use those interchangeably, and yet... I probably didn't have to go in person, but I wanted it done right away and knew they could do it as they underwrite their own loans. Took about 15 minutes...then 30 minutes to run home and get the buyer's order I forgot...then 15 minutes to return and digitally resign everything because it didn't save my signatures the first time. In theory though, it was quick.

Also looks like my rate was decent - 3.49% for 72 months. We intend to pay off in 60, but it's nice to have the cushion in case something happens.

Set up an appointment to pick up the car at 9:30 am tomorrow. Ordered the Juicebox and it will arrive on Saturday sometime. Calling the insurance company this afternoon to add it to my policy and then I'll be calling an electrician to see about installing the new circuit sometime next week. I'm pretty sure I can make it a full week on 110V (driving about 65 miles a day at the moment), but I really don't want to.

There was a little story about how I found out it had arrived. After writing my little "whoa is me" post, I decided to check out the dealership site again. Lo and behold, the picture had changed from the generic stock photo of a random Bolt to the specific color and views for my Bolt. I thought this might mean it had arrived since the stock photo only appeared once the car had been produced, so I swung by the dealership on the way to pick up my daughter from play practice. As I neared the place, I got a cellphone call from a number I didn't recognize and sent it to voicemail. When I pulled in the lot, she was right up front plugged in and charging! I really wanted to get out and talk to the sales guy, but traffic was horrible and I didn't want to be late for my daughter. When I got to school, the voicemail had been transcribed (Yay Project Pi!) and it was my salesman saying the car was in and I could pick it up on Friday. I was amused.

And now I'm very excited. I had trouble sleeping last night. I'm pathetic.

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Fri Sep 07, 2018 1:04 pm

We're all pathetic. Congrats. I'm sure tomorrow will be fun.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri Sep 07, 2018 2:28 pm

stessier wrote: ↑Fri Sep 07, 2018 1:00 pm Thanks Coop.

My bank is actually a credit union - I know I shouldn't use those interchangeably, and yet...

Yeah, credit union rates are competitive.

stessier wrote: ↑Fri Sep 07, 2018 1:00 pmAfter writing my little "whoa is me" post, I decided to check out the dealership site again.

"Woe is me."

stessier wrote: ↑Fri Sep 07, 2018 1:00 pm And now I'm very excited. I had trouble sleeping last night. I'm pathetic.

Been there. Quite recently actually.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 12:49 pm

It has arrived.

TFW you gun it for the first time.

:auto-swerve:

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 12:54 pm

TTIWWP.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 1:45 pm

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 1:47 pm

Congrats! I was going to say nice pics, but then I saw the Patriots mats.

Enough · Post by **Enough** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 2:01 pm

Snazzy! And agree with Zax, terrible mats.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 2:04 pm

You should really have the dealer clean that trash out of your floorboards.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 2:16 pm

A guy from work came over to look at buying the Civic, so I was showing off the Bolt and he laughed at seeing the floor mats. Then he asked how I kept them so clean. Because they are brand new...ordered them off Amazon 2 weeks ago in prep for this day!

Sadly the drivers side doesn't fit great, but I'm going to try them for a bit before trimming it more.

I got the Premiere Bolt and the front bowtie was supposed to be black on that version...I only noticed when taking the pics that it is gold. I'm not sure if I care enough to see if they will fix it.

The drive home was 10 miles and with one pedal driving, I only touched the brakes once on a hill to make sure I didn't roll at a stop. I only used 1.5 KWhs too.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 3:30 pm

We just came from the National Drive Electric showcase up at the high school, where they had just about every EV currently on the market available for a test drive. Everything except the Teslas, that is, because those were owner-supplied. You could look, but you couldn't touch. We're not on the market for a car and I was only interested in Teslas, because everything else there looked practical and sensible.

We do need to buy Wife a new car four years from now, and the Bolt interested her as a hatchback. But four years from now I'm sure the EV market will be more robust, and autonomy will be the cutting edge feature.

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Sat Sep 08, 2018 6:47 pm

I participated in a NDEW event locally today. There were about 30 cars, maybe half Teslas. I gave a bunch of people rides and saw several grins. Fun times.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Mon Sep 10, 2018 8:47 am

So how long before I stop staring at the speedometer because I can't tell how fast I'm going just by engine vibration?

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Mon Sep 10, 2018 9:06 am

stessier wrote: ↑Mon Sep 10, 2018 8:47 am So how long before I stop staring at the speedometer because I can't tell how fast I'm going just by engine vibration?

The better question is how long until you just don't care?