Bolt EV to Model 3: A Quick Tesla Road Trip

[@E_Schepp]

I have never driven the M3 so I' jealous 😉 That said I enjoyed that you also love the benefits or the Rear Camera Mirror that is in the Premier Bolt 👍 I think the Cybertruck will also get this feature 👍 My initial thought and feel about this feature in my 2002 Bolt was "What a waste of money and I will never use it". I have changed my mind since 👍 Some reasons I have found might be useful and applicable to others also. 1) Constant mirror adjustment. We have 2 drivers and we are different heights - so each driver has to adjust the mirror each time they want to drive the Bolt. This is not needed if both drivers use the camera (since it has great viewing angles). Just jump in and go. This also works well if one of the drivers want to use the regular rear view mirror and the other wants to use the camera. All you need to do is to adjust the mirror for the person that wants to use the rear view mirror. Then all that is needed is toggle between camera and mirror view (switch at the bottom of the mirror). 2) No obstruction and a nice wide angle view You have no headrest that obstruct your view nor do passengers or "other stuff" in the rear seat obstruct your view. 3) Very adjustable. You can set the brightness/zoom/tilt angle of the camera. This I set only once (all drivers use the same setting) in my case. I like the brightness to be on its dimmest level (still plenty bright on a sunny day), zoom on the middle setting (gives you a nice wide angle while not making objects to small, and tilt level is set to get more view of the road and less from the sky. 4) Auto dimming I was concerned that the screen would be too bright at night - but no worries, it's auto dimming works perfectly for me. 5) Bonus for Uber/Lyft drivers I am not one, but I have heard Uber drivers comment about the fact that their customers like this feature since it gives them more privacy (the don't "feel" like the driver is checking them out but focusing on what is happening behind the car) If others have a 2020 Bolt and haven't used this feature give it a try for a few days. You might learn to like it as much as we do 😉

[@user-oo3uj5ku9r]

Same! I love the mirror in the rearview, its awesome!

[@plugandplayEV]

Great additional points, thanks! We do appreciate those aspects as well, especially on holiday trips when the car is packed to the gills with kids and Christmas. Another thing I overlooked was Android Auto. It's not perfect in the Bolt's implementation, but I prefer having Google Maps and my personal bookmarks to just the car's version of a map.

[@E_Schepp]

@@plugandplayEV I agree, bookmarks linked to your user account and being available on any phone/laptop is better than having it only in the car.

[@kens97sto171]

There are a few negatives to the rear view camera mirror. you have to change your focal length to use one. When you're looking out your front windshield you're focusing out in front of you at a distance when you glance up at a rear view mirror you are also looking at a distance far away from you and your eyes do not have to change focus. When you look at a screen at that distance you do. And for people who are getting older getting close to needing bifocals this can be a serious issue and is kind of annoying it can even give you a headache especially if you're someone like me who is a rideshare driver and I'm constantly using my mirrors. Also I want to be checking on my passengers behind me to make sure they're not doing something they shouldn't do. If they're worried about privacy then they should get in their own car and go where they need to go. I've had customers do some things in my car I didn't like and if I hadn't seen them in the rear view mirror doing it, I wouldn't have been able to stop them like drinking alcohol, drugs, etc But they're certainly are positives also to you having a camera as an option. The big one is especially with a hatchback you can load up cargo behind you and with a camera as an option you can still see behind you. I definitely would appreciate having it as a feature but it's not something I would use all of the time. people will have the same issues when they switch to cameras for the side mirrors. You're having to change your focal length that takes time and can give you a headache

[@ryans.7558]

@@plugandplayEV That is something that I think Tesla SHOULD put in, but likely won't. Being that it would "compete" with the Tesla mapping system. Frankly, that is nearly a deal breaker for me at this point. I love having Android Auto. I already have this computer in my pocket, why not let it handle the "infotainment" side of things in the car. Having Waze up (or Maps) and also my music player controlled within works for me. Better than just having it bluetoothed to the car.

[@ryans.7558]

So, I'm guessing you won't be getting one. I did test drive both the Bolt and Model 3. Funny enough, it was the test drive that made me decide that the Bolt made more sense. Certainly felt the Bolt drove better. YMMV. Still waiting to test drive the Mach E. I also must say, the V3 speeds aren't very useful I feel with how quickly it drops off. The time savings become only a couple of minutes at best. It's more marketing at that point where they can say "we charge at X". I think a steady 150kW to 80% would be awesome. I certainly want to see the charge times for the Mach E at this point with a warmed battery. After experiencing the Bolt's charge speeds now.

[@plugandplayEV]

Nope, the Model 3 was never really on our list though, due to the form factor. Having a hatch and higher ride is just better for kids. The new SR version could put the Model Y back in the mix, but I think we prefer to stay outside the Tesla bubble at this point.

[@ryans.7558]

@@plugandplayEV I am trying to steer my wife towards replacing her X5E with the Y, but she's not biting. Though she did open the possibility of the Audi Etron. Frankly, I would like for Tesla to switch over to CCS and Android Auto. I think once they do that I will look at them more closely. Well, that an for them to play nice with "right to repair" as well.

[@edfegan6678]

Thanks Steve! BTW, you can open the charge point doid either inside the car or by pressing the button on the charger

[@plugandplayEV]

Ah, pro tip. Thanks!

[@auctionwheels]

But the bolt has a heated steering wheel😎

[@plugandplayEV]

The latest Model 3 also comes with a heated steering wheel now... I'm running out of things to nitpick here!

[@auctionwheels]

@@plugandplayEV I know the Y does but heard the 3 is still coming w non heated until they run out of the old inventory

[@plugandplayEV]

@@auctionwheels Huh, I did a bit of deeper Googling and yep, it looks like that's exactly what happening... I'd just read the many exclamations of Model 3 *finally* gets a heated steering wheel before that. Nice, I'll enjoy mine that much more for the rest of winter then!

[@MHdollrevievs]

We live in Calgary Canada,Our 2019 TM3 SR+ doesn't have a heated steering and I can say it would be nice to have but wasn't a game changer.

[@MHdollrevievs]

What we do is after we plug into a supercharger we put into the navagation the next supercharger/destination and wait till it gives us a buffer we are comfortable with and only charge to that level,That way we don't waist time charging.We use percentage not eta range.We almost never charge above 80%

[@plugandplayEV]

Good to know, thank you. The owners of this Model 3 often go above 80% charging but they prefer longer stops to eat, so the slower charging at that point isn't really a factor in the decision.

[@trnddacr]

I was the model 3 after the red model x (1 station) I was pretty much topped up when they got there so there was no difference in charging speed

[@plugandplayEV]

Ha, small world! Is that your local charge stop or were you on a trip? They got quite a bit busier as I headed back to Boston, as you'd expect.

[@trnddacr]

@@plugandplayEV Wife's family lives out there, I live in Boston. I charge at home, south bay and Braintree mall. South bay is right there but, I rather Braintree!

[@plugandplayEV]

@@trnddacr Gotcha. We're north of the city and typically charge at home or in Lexington for L2/remote work, or Burlington if we need a fast charge for any reason. Hoping the V3 at Burlington Mall will go in faster than the projected 2022, so our family can get a quick juice up for this Model 3 if they forget to bring a J1772 adapter.

[@trnddacr]

@@plugandplayEV What charging speeds do they get at home (your house)? At my house I get 8kw (about 20 to 22 miles per hour). I haven't been to a v3 charger yet. I will say, the charging at current speed v2 is quite fast when you go shopping. That 30 minutes or so to top off... I find myself rushing! On the opposite side of that, when sitting in the car waiting. Well that feels like a lifetime.

[@plugandplayEV]

@@trnddacr We're on an older 30A circuit, so we'll pull around 6kW from our EVSE. Not blazing fast but more than enough to fill them up over a relaxed visit. I have to say even the V2 stops on this trip made me confident any EV capable of 125-150kW charging will suit our needs. I almost always grab a coffee on solo trips and with kids the stops are minimum 20 minutes, so the car will almost always be ready before we are at that power level.

[@user-oo3uj5ku9r]

Was looking forward to this video for a long time! I also think another key feature that the Tesla has is that it will pre-condition the battery if your destination or along the route you need to stop and supercharge. I wish our Bolt's had this so we could start at the full 55 kWh charge rate, instead of 20 or 30 (or even 17). I'm not sure if you mentioned that, but it really does save a tonnn of time.

[@plugandplayEV]

Thanks! Yep, I briefly showed a screen grab of the battery conditioning and we pumped right up to full rate on the 150 kW Supercharger. On a trip like this, the Bolt EV would have a warm enough battery (after ~100 miles of highway driving) to accept close to its full power. Still, I completely agree it would be nice to have a smarter system or manual control of battery conditioning to make sure that's the case every time.

[@Frank71]

Hard to justify the 49,200 out the door price with optional paint and no FSD. Get a nice mid trim Bolt at 23,000

[@plugandplayEV]

Very different prospects at this point. For someone who wants the performance and very software-focused approach, Tesla might be worth the extra and can be had for around $40k. For someone who wants a more familiar drive set up but in a practical, affordable all-electric option, the Bolt at $20-25k (or far lower, used) is tough to beat.

[@tommckinney1489]

Thanks Steve. Looks like you got 3.4 miles/kWh and I believe you mentioned your Bolt normally gets around 3.2 under similar conditions? It would be interesting if you could get a "trusted EV friend" and have him/her drive a Bolt along the same route at the same time you drove the Tesla so that we could get a good comparison on efficiency.

[@plugandplayEV]

That was exactly what I was thinking as I edited this video with the numbers! Unfortunately, it was a flying visit and we only had one clear day, but next time I hope to do a parallel drive with both on stock tires so there are as few variables as possible.

[@rickymillerii]

You mentioned that the Tesla is a vehicle that is easy for people to start out in and just jump in and go. I very much disagree. Tesla is a very technical car. I have found with my wife and friends the Chevrolet Bolt is a car you just jump in and go. if you need a charger you just ask google to find one, this is something easy to do and something most people are used to already with Google Maps. The knobs and touch screen in the bolt make it really easy for new people coming to the EV market and I have seen quite a few videos on the web saying just that, for newbies the Bolt is a great place to start because it is much more like a normal car. Tesla has all this hype and cult-like following, but it is a technical car, and with the absence of Apple Car Play or Android Play it is another learning curve for most people to readily adopt.

[@plugandplayEV]

Definitely a fair point, but I was thinking more from the point of view of a road trip. If someone new to electric cars wanted to go more than 250 miles, I'd find it easier to have them jump in a Tesla, plug in a destination and go with the car planning the trip. Compare that to the accounts, apps, and calculations you'd have to run in most non-Tesla vehicles and I think it's much harder for a newcomer. That said, the general look and feel of something like our Bolt EV or Kona Electric is certainly much more like a traditional car than a Tesla.

[@chrisw443]

They are not competing standards adapters are coming out for teslas to use CCS. In europe all EV's now use CCS and its a matter of time before tesla switches here too.,

[@plugandplayEV]

I did mention the adapters briefly, but I think it's early days for them in the US. The first thing is the price, which currently at almost $1,000 for the Setec adapter is an expensive addition for charging back up. The second is the question mark over how much power these will eventually pull. If they're limited to significantly less than what a Supercharger can offer, there's no compelling reason to use a CCS station first. That relegates them again to a road trip back up, and only really necessary for Tesla drivers who travel in some very specific places. Again, this could all change in a second if Tesla releases a cheaper and/or more powerful official version for North America. Or if the CCS networks accelerate rapidly into places that Superchargers aren't abundant (e.g. perhaps Rivian stations in national parks). Just a snapshot of the moment in a very dynamic market.

[@usaverageguy]

How did you get a Model III for this trip? Did you rent, or was it a loan? And I am curious about the speedometer. Are you sure it was accurate? You could use a GPS to calibrate the Tesla speed. Most factory speedometers are off by at least 2 mph

[@plugandplayEV]

My wife's family swung through town on their way to Florida and drove their Model 3 across to us, so we had a weekend to test. Will hopefully do more next time we're together, maybe a parallel run consumption comparison alongside our Bolt EV. The speed might not be spot on, as you suggest. Same with our Bolt tests, i expect. I need to start validating with GPS for future vids, but in this case the takeaway would be much the same: slowing down by ~5 mph made all the difference in achieving the car's protected consumption vs. falling some way short of it.

[@trnddacr]

It's about 1mph off for mines! I tracked with gps. Tesla reports 1 to 2 miles above the actual speed.

[@Lynyrd_Evnyrd]

It’s a great car. The only other non-Tesla vehicle that can beat it’s charging speed is the Taycan and not by much. I’m excited to see what the Ioniq 5 can do with its 800V system. I’m surprised more manufacturers don’t move to 800V or use a setup like GM is with the Hummer EV where the car charges at 800V but runs on 400V motors using multiple wiring paths. You’d think with all the video coverage charging speeds get, the manufacturers would learn to make it more of a priority in design.

[@plugandplayEV]

Absolutely, very smooth and quick charging experience in the Model 3. The lack of V3 Superchargers along a route we travel a lot was surprising though... I assumed Albany would at least have one rated for 250kW. In certain scenarios, the Audi e-Tron will charge a little quicker than a Model 3 on V2, but it's much less efficient so you'd be stopping more often. The Ioniq 5 looks really promising. Hyundai's efficiency is right up there with Tesla and the 800V architecture could put them back on top... it would be great to see that competition from a mid-market competitor.

[@anthonyc8499]

800V technology is still VERY expensive which is why so few manufacturers have gone with it. Won't be long now though with the Koreans adopting it for the E-GMP platform and I suspect VW will roll it out on their next-gen Trinity platform that's being teased out of Wolfsburg.

[@tommckinney1489]

...and, just for completeness, I *think* the V3 chargers do not share power between adjacent chargers. Anyone know for sure?

[@plugandplayEV]

Right, they don't share power. So as more V3 locations are added, Tesla will be furthering the Supercharger network's existing advantages, as they'll usually have more stalls than EA and all will be capable of that full 250 kW.

[@neomilee366]

Is that’s your Tesla ?

[@plugandplayEV]

Nope, it belongs to my wife's parents. They were in town so it was a good opportunity to test :-)

[@neomilee366]

That’s amazing 😻

[@plugandplayEV]

Definitely good fun! Now I just need to convince other relatives to buy a Mach-E and a Taycan...!

[@neomilee366]

good luck lol Tesla girl all day everyday lol I have a Bmw i3 hate it so …..so there that lol

[@anthonyc8499]

You gotta hand it to Tesla. The entire EV ownership experience within Tesla's ecosystem is second to none. How well do you think CCS plug & charge capabilities and mobile apps through Android Auto/Apple Carplay will approximate the ease of the Tesla road trip experience?

[@plugandplayEV]

Early reports on the Mach-E's Plug&Charge are very promising. If EA reliability keeps heading in the right direction, it should be comparable to travelling on a Tesla V2 Supercharger route, albeit a bit more expensive. The challenge will be fine-tuning the navigation to distinguish between high power, P&C compatible stations and older, slower hardware. FordPass will be the first to properly test that, I think, then we'll be looking at what VW and GM can deliver in their latest models. Google and Apple are then wildcards... then could update nav software to do most of this, which would even upgrade and older EV like the Bolt. Here's hoping... 🤞

[@tommckinney1489]

By the way, the first question my non EV friends ask me is "What's the range" ? I find that interesting because if I had purchased a new ICE car, they would ask "What's the mpg", not "What's the range". IMO , with the ever increasing range of newer EVs , it's going to be an education process to convince people to be concerned about efficiency, not range. Just my observation.

[@plugandplayEV]

That's true, there's always going to be a focus on range as long as the idea prevails that EVs can barely reach into triple digits on a single charge. As we edge past 300 miles and the top-end models have 400-500 miles, I think the conversation will naturally move to efficiency and time to recharge. Standard metrics have to emerge that cover the majority of use cases, so that the shorthand can be integrated into the sales process and comparisons are as easy as something like MPG.

[@dennislyon5412]

Steve - you must have thought those charging stops were way too short, coming from the Bolt charging experience? M3 is 10% more fuel efficient than a Bolt at 70+ on a 40 something degree day - wow! And that’s a M3 without a heat pump! Interesting to see the Motor Trend charge curves showing how short-lived the V3 charger “advantage” is, but there is another plus to the V3 chargers - no “sharing” charge speed reduction. Observing the SC usage (it was a weekend day, I hope), it appears that Teslas are pretty popular around Boston - need more SC’s ASAP? I certainly wish the Bolt would preheat before fast charging. That would make the first fast charge stop more bearable when traveling. Cheers!

[@plugandplayEV]

It was definitely nice... hopefully a glimpse into the future for non-Tesla EVs, as the combination of Plug&Charge/100kW+ fast charging becomes the norm. This was a Sunday afternoon, so certainly the busiest it would get. Turnaround was fairly quick, though, and the Supercharger map around the state's metro area's seems to be getting busier, so they should keep up for the moment. The more affordable Model Y and new federal incentives could also put some pressure on those plans. All eyes on the Bolt EV/Bolt EUV to see what GM can add next month!

[@anthonyc8499]

@@plugandplayEV The Mach-E should get about 45-50kWh in 30 minutes. That ought to help move things more quickly along for owners if they're coming from a Bolt EV.

[@trnddacr]

@@plugandplayEV 17th? I was def the white model 3 in the first stall

[@plugandplayEV]

@@trnddacr Yep, Sunday 17th. Barely had time to grab a coffee + film the start/end session before I was on my way again. Was happy to find a Panera on the other side of this deceptively anonymous parking lot.

[@plugandplayEV]

@@anthonyc8499 Just saw that a Mach-E forum member in Michigan got their AWD Premium... hope they want to test a fast charge session from low SOC and report back to the group.

[@MAGApepe]

should have told that goof to park at another charger

[@plugandplayEV]

Eh, I was about to leave anyway and this gave a chance to look at the power drop. Tesla folks can educate each other on that stuff.

[@MAGApepe]

@@plugandplayEV ya must be a newbie or just ignorant lol

[@MHdollrevievs]

As a Tesla owner we are friendly to each other,We are all in the same boat.Charging speeds don't drop that bad even if all the spaces are being used on a V2. Usually when we plug in we go to washroom or stretch our legs and by the time you get back car is done.