I Drove & Charged The Cheapest New EV For a Week ONLY Using 120 Volts: Here's What Happened!

[@peterwright837]

On my 4th EV over 12 years, 2 Leafs and 2 Bolts, with only level 1 charging at my rental home. I have had access to level 2 charging at work, which I typically used on Fridays to charge the car near full for weekend adventures.

[@justanotherdrunk]

Yep, been driving EV's (non Tesla) since 2014 exclusively Level 1 and for me, public charging is just a novelty.

[@roodick85]

Level 1 for my first few years and still use it now. No issues whatsoever and tops up while I'm sleeping

[@anydaynow01]

Same with my Volt, I typically average about only 7-8 tanks (~64 L) of fuel a year because of road trips and weekend adventures or the infrequent long day of shopping.

[@LotsOfPaypa]

Sounds like you burn through more fossil fuel than a regular car buyer would, buying and selling BEV the way you do…

[@jaderhuff81]

So they last 3 years?

[@codedGiraffe]

You can change it to default to 12 amp if you set location based charging

[@msmith3395]

I found I only had to plug in every other day to keep it full until Qmerit got my NEMA 14-50 installed, now it's once or maybe twice a week. The ICE car I traded in only got used about 10k miles per year and driven only locally, so perfect use case for this EV. Loving the smooth and easy ride.

[@jpmiller99]

Yep, that's the perfect use case for an EV in 2023.

[@matthewprather7386]

Roughly 5 miles per hour while on level 1.. That adds 60 miles of range in 12 hours overnight. Seems it’d work for a lot of people. Good demo!

[@thatissomeBS]

Yeah, for anyone that drives a normal 1 tank per week, or less, which is a lot of people, it's more than enough.

[@97JoMiller]

also depends on the speed that they are traveling for that 60 miles as well... if it's in town, no problem, freeway, you won't get the same range per charge.

[@markshellard]

My wife has a 50 mile round trip commute daily and we just use the level 1 charger in our garage on her Bolt. Works like a champ.

[@MLHunt]

Interesting and useful piece. Your channels are good for this. I wish more CarTubers did more practical stuff like this along with more typical general reviews. Oh and btw I really liked the chill downtempo music you used for this piece. Very nice vibe.

[@anthonyc1883]

The music choices are very Casey Neistat-esque, a huge KZbinr who uses excellent sound beds.

[@dalejones4322]

I'm glad you did this video. Most of the time I could make it on level 1 charging and I could definitely make it on level 2. This was a perfect example for everyone to use as a baseline. Great video. Thanks Tommy

[@mikekimura2532]

Tip: Change your Instrument Cluster Layout from Modern to Enhanced to get better information! Page 79: Reconfigurable Instrument Cluster The cluster layout can be changed. There are two display configurations to choose from: Modern, and Enhanced. Use the steering wheel control to move between the different display zones and scroll through the different displays. See “Layout” under “Cluster Menu” following. . Modern configuration displays the speedometer with a battery gauge and efficiency gauge. . Enhanced configuration displays the speedometer with battery gauge, efficiency ring, and power gauge.

[@MikieLAX]

"Reconfigurable Instrument Cluster " Not on Page 79 in my 2019 Manual; Page 121

[@mikekimura2532]

@@MikieLAX The Cheapest New EV in the video is a *2023* Chevy Bolt EV which is on Page 79 in the 2023 Chevy Bolt EV Owners Manual. "Reconfigurable Instrument Cluster " is on Page 121 of the 2019 Chevy Bolt Owners Manual.

[@lifeisgood12341]

Its almost like for most people it works just fine

[@-Jethro-]

Where’s the drama in that? 😂 My family has put 30k miles on a Leaf this way. No problem.

[@insiainutorrt259]

If im gona pay for a car ist goig to take me on vacation long trips or its not worth it AT ALL!

[@Reighnn]

@@insiainutorrt259 ok

[@-Jethro-]

@@insiainutorrt259 That’s what public DCFC is for. Your home charging speed isn’t really a limiting factor for long trips.

[@insiainutorrt259]

@@-Jethro- It very much is when vacation is limited in time... if the battery is good to price milage/performance id be happy but there is not even close to such an ev car.... any old beat up piece of crap is far more car for the money....

[@toofast4radar]

That EVSE is made by Clipper Creek for GM and will actually do 240V 12A if you get a 5-15 adapter. Also set up your location based charging so it defaults to 12A at home.

[@mikekimura2532]

Agreed! See page 93 in the owners manual for how to setup Location Based Charging. Note: 12 Amp setting for Home Location is good for 90 Days and then it will reset back to 8 Amps and you have to reset 12 Amp.

[@neverknow69]

You can actually just take a good part of pliers and bend one of the plug legs sideways. So you can plug into a 220 15amp plug.

[@cpufreak101]

This is nice to know as someone that just ordered a Bolt! Despite renting I have access to a 30A 240V outlet which leaves my L1 as a travel charger, nice to know when I visit my grandparents though I'd leave with a full charge!

[@davidmccarthy6061]

I did it for about five weeks but I installed level 2 because my Bolt had to park outside frequently in Chicago winters and 240 lets the pack warm itself it needed. Also helps that range is maintained during preconditioning. Otherwise, wall outlet is doable if someone has the right circumstances.

[@shaunmwoolley]

My friend has gone almost an entire year owning his Model 3 LR plugging in on level 1. His daily work commute is 66 miles & he lives in cold climate Ohio. His model 3 gets 6-7 miles per hour on level 1! He recently added a bunch more mileage to his weekly driving because of his son’s bowling tournaments. He usually ends up near a supercharger to charge & said he thoroughly enjoys the charging sessions with his son. He said it’s kinda a thing they do now. Grab a snack/drink & watch a KZbin video while the car charges.

[@samusaran7317]

Buys an extended range battery, still using emergency granny cable. Way to skimp out on the essentials

[@shaunmwoolley]

@@samusaran7317 apparently the essentials aren’t essential for everyone.

[@samusaran7317]

@@shaunmwoolley I don't see the reason to penny pinch on something that can make an ev actually useable instead of sitting plugged in +12 hours for any substantial range. Seems a bit masochistic and silly too me.

[@shaunmwoolley]

@@samusaran7317 well for my buddy, his electrical box is on the opposite side of the house from the garage and he was quoted $2000 to run the necessary line. Standard outlet has worked fine for him so he doesn’t see the need. He has the money but doesn’t see the need since this has been working for him just fine. Just the other day he told me he worried about it when he got the car but now he chuckles because it is a non issue. He also told me that he’s never not used the car because it had to be on the charger.

[@shaunmwoolley]

@@samusaran7317 most of the time I have to throttle my charge so the car isn’t sitting at full before I’m ready to leave for a long drive. I’m only using a 30A dryer outlet so the car charges at 23miles per hour and still gets done too fast. I told my buddy he should run an extension cord over from another outlet on a different breaker and use a split cable so instead of only getting 7 miles per hour he could possibly get 12-14 miles per hour. He said again… just the standard outlet has worked fine so he sees no reason to bother. He’s that comfortable with his charging setup!

[@clmagnet]

Lol, drove a Volt from 2015 to 2019 on 120v only from a cable dangling my apartment window, then 120v only (unless I went on a trip) for my tesla model 3 from 2019-2021. I finally got a level 2 charger in summer 2021. It's almost as if commuting and day to day short distance travel is perfect for an EV and people shouldn't really worry about range/charging when at home. Even with a 50 mile round trip commute, a Bolt on 120v is still more than viable.

[@anydaynow01]

Yep the only reason I went to a Level 2 was to take advantage of really cheap time of use rates where I lived at the time for my Volt, and to have a charger for when I eventually go full BEV in a few years when it eventually dies, or if a friend comes to visit and needs a quick charge. I programed the Volt with it's onboard charge menu to charge early in the morning and I had a full battery before I left for work. I did move to an area when they don't offer that service and the electricity is really cheap anyway so I just plug in with the Level 1 that came with the car and haven't had any problems with running out of battery for commuting even when only set at 8A, sometimes I use 12A if I get home late and need a quick turn around, but I haven't had a reason to install my Level 2 at my new place yet, maybe when I'm feeling especially productive one day I'll make a Home Depot run and install it 😅!

[@dachunglo]

Thanks for the very informative, non-bias and insightful video! I’ve actually decided to get a 2023 Bolt EV because your videos have assured me it’s a good car!

[@gsczr1]

Thank you for doing this video. It's the first time I've seen a test using Level one charging. I understand that if you buy a new Chevy Bolt or Bolt EUV, GM has a promotion where they will pay to have a 240 Volt charger installed at your home. I think they will participate up to a grand. With the major price drop of the Bolt and Bolt EUV, the $7500.00 Fed tax credit, the $2000 State Tax Credit, and GM assistance to pay for a 240 charger, it's no wonder you can't find Bolts at the dealerships. They are flying off the lots. Heck I want one. Cheers!!!!

[@anydaynow01]

Some employers or local electric companies have programs which give a rebate so it's worth it for folks to look into those options.

[@matthewnelson5680]

I drove a BMW i3 using only L1 for about 9 months, and it was no problem. No issues at all, though I did have that REx as a backup. Doing this experiment during the other 3 seasons in Colorado will yield even better results!

[@DblOSmith]

This is what I do every day in my TMY. Level 1 charges exactly the amount that I drive for work on the daily. And, this is even when it derated to 9amps because of socket temps at 12 amps.

[@pmireur04]

If you have a smaller battery (mine is 2014 BMW i3), I feel like Level 1 (110v) charging is totally doable and so easy! I haven't had any need for Level 2 (220v) at home; plenty of those free ones around Seattle area.

[@rp9674]

I have a 15 i3 Rex & fiat 500e, got by for 1 year sharing a 110v, really appreciated L2 when I got it. I've done some slow charging recently, it's better than I remembered.

[@pmireur04]

@@rp9674 I read somewhere that Level 1 charging is better for your battery's health in the long run

[@tmorcos21]

What is nice is if you buy a bolt, you will get a free installation of the bolt charger 32amps and a Nema 14-50 plug. Had mine installed last week

[@andysue2264]

There are adapters out there that can let you utilize two 110V circuits safely at the same time to increase your charging abilities if a dedicated 240V is not possible. Maybe a future episode in the making?

[@murda2999]

I have an EV. I don't drive much, so a 120V outlet would have worked for me, but I hated the idea of waiting. I upgraded to the Level 2 after a few months. I had electricians do the work. I needed about 65' of new cable and a new 60A breaker. They wired and mounted the new charger that I bought separately. While they were running new wire, I had them also install a new 20A circuit in the garage. Cost was $1,250. As you show in your video, I can recharge in a couple of hours instead of needing all night.

[@samusaran7317]

Its only logical even if you don't need the speed. Good evse's can dial back power when needed

[@TCPUDPATM]

I’ve driven a Tesla for 14 months on 120V charging exclusively. It’s not even a big deal to drive 10,000 a year. The car will spends a LOT of time in my garage. I just plug it in. I supercharged once when I did a 400 mile road trip. An upgrade to 20A (vs 15A) will give you a nice 33% bump to 16A (80% max draw for continuous usage).

[@trenier23]

I'm retired and sold my residence as well as several rentals. I love being the tenant and calling the landlord for problems. Anyhow I have a Bolt EUV and have only charged it on 110 volts since delivery and it's plenty for me. Love my little car.

[@erikstephens34]

Great video and it shows how 120V charging can work for a very large segment of the population. And as public and workplace charging improves that will only grow the viability of this.

[@TFLEV]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@justanotherdrunk]

Yep, been driving EV's (non Tesla) since 2014 exclusively Level 1 and for me, public charging is just a novelty.

[@matthewknobel6954]

My L1 that came with my car only outputs about 1 mile per hour, 2 if I am lucky. My commute is 26 miles one way or 52 miles round trip. The metro stop I go to has no L2 or L1 availability. If I get home at 5pm and charge to 5am I can put back 12 miles. In winter I average 190 miles. MOnday (190 - 52 + 12) = Tuesday (150 - 52 + 12) = Wednesday (110 - 52 + 12) = Thursday (70 - 52 + 12)=Friday (30 - 52 XXXX) - Unable to get to work on Friday, no charge. There is also no room to run to groceries or pick up kids at school functions. A 52 mile round trip is close to the US average. In summer it could be done, just barely.

[@rickkarl7961]

If your EVSE gets only 1 or 2 miles per hour, something is wrong with it. Get it checked out, it's broke.

[@Rockin4D]

2020 bolt here. With in town driving i can see this working. I tried it in summer but have to commute highway about 27 miles, 54 round trip, to work. using a combination of 8/12 amps off and on the car would last like 3.5 days before i had to drive ice to work and let it sit for nearly 3 days to fully charge again. Ended up buying a level 2 Juicebox which is super nice. Anyone who is wanting to get into the level 2 realm on the cheap I recommend hiring an electrician to convert/install a 110v wall plug to nema 6/15. Then get an adapter 6-15 to 110 and you can use your stock EVSE charger which supports 220 and you can charge noticeably faster in the higher 2000's watts range. plus save a bundle.

[@veggiemikeellis]

Thank you for the vid! I also liked your week long experiment with public chargers. Thanks for the practical knowledge!!!

[@Trance88]

Pretty interesting. I can see myself with a Bolt and I could basically "trickle" charge at home with the standard outlet while the car is sitting on standby at home and then use fast charge stations when you do long distance drives of more than 50 miles.

[@tornadotj2059]

We took delivery of our Model 3 on December 27, 2022. We have a 50 amp outlet for our RV, but as of today we have never charged on anything but 110. It has been fine, we haven’t needed the 50a once.

[@SteveRowe]

Thank you for the video. My commute is 30 miles each way, and I've been driving my 2017 Chevy Bolt as my daily driver for over 2 years. I don't have level 2 charging at home or at work. It's great in the summer (I live in southern Michigan) when I get 4+ miles/kWh, but in the winter (3- mi/kWh), the charging definitely gets behind and I need the weekend to get the battery back up to full. If needed, I go to the Meijer and use the "fast" Chargepoint charger in the parking lot and charge at 25-30 kW until I make up the deficit. That's a pretty rare occurrence.

[@doncapo732]

Awesome video giving us a realistic insight of the vehicles performance and what to expect on a level 1 charger. Excellent job Tommy and as always, Blaze is just pure joy to see in your videos!

[@BuellXB12SDucati1198]

Off topic a bit. I have a Metroboard X skateboard and a Dualtron Scooter that I use to get around local towns and cities. I carry the charger in my backpack. Whenever I stop at a cafe, bar, or restaurant, I get permission and plug in while drinking or eating. That way, I can keep riding all day long. Both use 110v chargers. I recommend you park your EV at a place where you can plug in 110v or at least park. Then switch to a small Scooter or such like to commute around town. Just an idea that may work for some. It's just an idea that may help with 110v charging your EV at home only.

[@zachtravers]

I bought a 2018 Model 3 in the beginning of January and for the past month I've used only 120 at my house with no issues. I've supercharged twice when I took two trips and I charge at work if I need to go in (I work at home). A 240v would be nice, but I rent a townhouse so not an option for me.

[@matthewlibanio8227]

I have a 2018 LR Model 3 and wait until the temperatures drop below 0 degrees Celsius, it barely charges at 110V and of the temps go to -10C, then it basically doesn't charge at all. It's awful. The Bolt and Volt I have easily charge even at 8 amps at 110V, the Model 3 does nothing much. Very frustrating winter car if you only have 110V.

[@zachtravers]

@@matthewlibanio8227 well, it's been consistently below freezing here in Massachusetts and I've been getting 4-6 miles/hr on my 20a circuit using a 16a Lectron charger. It will be -11F tonight so I guess we'll see how that effects it.

[@matthewlibanio8227]

@@zachtravers yes, unfortunately at 120 or 110V with 12 amps max, it just focuses on keeping the pack warm, and since the 2018 model 3 doesn't have a true active heating and just a waste heat system, it takes forever for it to warm up, and with so little power to spare, the charge speed goes down to 2-3 kms of range per hour. Sometimes it touches 4 kms per hour. I love the car still, but running at 120V in the cold has been extremely frustrating for the past 5 years. My Volt can charge at -20C at 8 or 12 amps with no issues for the past 7 years. Anyway, it would be cool to hear your experience if you could report back!

[@zachtravers]

@@matthewlibanio8227 in the app, it normally shows when the car is heating the battery, and I've only seen it do that when I pre-condition the car, but maybe it just doesn't tell you? I'll report back tomorrow morning with how much range I gained overnight. I pretty consistently pull 16a so it won't be apples to apples for your situation but should give some idea on how extreme cold will effect it.

[@zachtravers]

@@matthewlibanio8227 at 630PM I had 37% stating 103 miles, at 630AM I was at 52% or 146 miles. So I gained about 3.5 mi/hr or about 5.5 km/hr give or take. It dropped to -11F last night and was -8F at 630AM. Also, it showed that the battery was heating basically every time I open the app.

[@jrmaxwell4504]

Good review. Thank you. I'd add 1 qualifier. The level 1 charger will let you do what you did with a car of similar efficiency to the Bolt and that's good to know. If you ran the same experiment with your Hummer EV, you would be officially hosed.

[@SuperJman991]

For sure. I almost wonder if my 240v 32a setup would even be enough for a Hummer. I mean it’ll deliver 7kwh, but the hummer only gets like 1 mile per kWh. So it’s only charging at 7 miles per hour.

[@ab3000x]

I have a 2017 Bolt with a level 2 charger. I usually plug it in for about two hours (11:30pm-1:30am) every night in the winter up to 80% state of charge but can skip days (1 or 2 depending on what I'm doing the next day) in the summer. I drive about forty miles a day between backroads and highway. I never have any "range anxiety." Level 1 would probably be feasible for me but I'd have to keep it plugged in overnight. I like that the battery pack has been optimized for level 2 and I also like to turn off any electrical equipment if I'm asleep or not home. I'd like to drive this car for as long as possible so keeping the battery healthy is important to me. Good video!

[@bobuncle8704]

I’d like to see if a home solar could power this car in the winter for daily driving. Colorado’s power generation sources include 41.6% by coal, 25.5% natural gas, 26.5% solar, 2.9% hydroelectric, and 0.3% biomass. Therefore, only about 30% renewable energy sources. For ev’s to be more effective we still need to get away from mains sources all together.

[@maj429]

I don't know about Colorado but I'm in Virginia and I can tell you how mine works. I have a 13.2 kW array of solar panels that generate on average 33.5 kilowatt hours of power (my 12 month average in 2022) per day My 2023 Chevy bolt uses about 30 kW of power for my daily commute of around 110 mi, right now in the winter, I assume it will drop to 27-28 in the summer. So summer or winter I am covered by my solar panels at home.

[@kannermw]

@@maj429 Your 12 month average solar output is just barely enough to support the needs of just your car but 6 months out of year it would be inadequate. My point being the idea that renewables and EVs are the future without baseload capacity power generation is a complete fallacy. Then take into consideration 100% EVs would add 25% more baseload to grid is a recipe for disaster. The grid is currently 60% fossil fuel dependent and adding EVs would only make it more so. In the meantime we would be better served with hybrid tech because the vehicle cost impact is much less with no government subsidies in tax credits or for charging infrastructure.

[@fluffysheap]

Most people won't be able to charge with home solar because they are away during the day, when the sun is out. If you want to get home solar, that's fine but you probably won't power the car with it.

[@michaelhogan6770]

I drive 100 miles per day with my 2021 Bolt and have no problem with the 120 charging, even after 25k miles

[@ronkemperful]

Interesting video. I am a caretaker of my 92yo father up here in Loveland, where my average daily mileage has been around 8 miles per day over the past 5 years. I doubt that I ever would need level two, much less even an occasional fast DC charge for any type of electric vehicle. I have seriously thought about replacing my 6 year old Subaru Forester that only has 30,000 miles on it with something like a Bolt EUV. But my main concern is reliability and I’ve heard besides battery issues that the Bolt has had electrical gremlins in addition to problems with the drive motors.

[@voldar70]

It's the first time I ever hear about drive motors problems, and I have my Bolt for over 4 years already. The FUD is absolute !

[@ronkemperful]

@@voldar70 I am glad that you have had a great experience with your car. Looks like a fun ride. The information about the drive motors was from Consumer Reports. But, some of that information I would take with a grain of salt for the negative survey results could be from disgruntled Bolt customers who had to park their cars outside because of the battery recall.

[@anydaynow01]

For your purposes a used Volt would be even cheaper and as long as you keep it plugged in the ~80km range (for the Gen2) will be more than enough for you. The only recommendation I would have since you would almost never use the ICE is to only fill the tank a 1/4 way, (about 8 liters) that way when the car goes into fuel age maintenance mode you are only burning a few liters, and this happens only about once a year. If you need to travel a long distance you can always top off the tank as needed. Also every few months the car goes into ICE maintenance mode where it idles the engine to move fluids around and evaporates water moisture in the oil. There is also a menu option where in very cold weather it can idle the ICE to heat the cabin instead of using the strip heater for more range, it sips fuel in this mode since the battery is still the power source for driving, so emissions are extremely low. My current commute is so short (~20km) I ended up turning this option off, but it was very beneficial when I used to have a longer commute or a long shopping day in the winter.

[@MichaelTJohnson]

I’ve had a bolt for a few years. Sometimes I go a week or 2 without plugging it in at all. When Im driving it more often, I’ll plug it in. The charger it comes with is actually capable of level 2 charging with an adapter to plug into 220v. It will almost charge completely overnight that way.

[@cesartrujillo4190]

Congrats on buying the Bolt. Thanks for showing that most people can do just fine with a 110 outlet. Retirement vehicle? Yes please. Sadly not great at road trips but teslas get similar 110 range so this is a great introduction.

[@usa-ev]

Nice video! And great demonstration of living with Level 1 charging. As long as you average fewer miles than it can charge daily the battery will trend towards full (as you showed) even if there are some days you go well above the average (as you showed). Very nicely done!

[@MontysMotos]

Good insight. I'm considering level 1ing a Livewire for my daily and it's looking pretty viable.

[@lemongavine]

We are a one car household with 3 drivers. We’ve had our Hyundai Kona Electric for almost two years now. We put 24K miles on it so far and those are almost entirely all on a 110V outlet in our garage. Maybe 500 total miles we’re done at DC fast chargers. So yes, it can be done.

[@BakingThePoundcake]

I would like to know more more detail here. Wouldn't it make more sense to pay ~$500 to have a 240v receptacle installed in your garage and exclusively charge during off peak hours? If you charge with 120v you'll often be using peak demand rates.

[@inventor226]

It depends where you live. I don't have peak rates here. I have the rate set only twice a year and it is constant in between.

[@-Jethro-]

If your rates change throughout the day, then yes, you’ll save money and help the grid if you get all of your charging done when the rates are cheaper. But many locations have constant rates throughout the day.

[@mattbrew11]

That depends on where you live

[@anthonyc1883]

Of course a 240v receptacle and circuit would help, but the point of Tommy's video was specifically to show how 120v would work for people who can't have a 240v line installed for various reasons.

[@danielmao1593]

Just wanted to add the "yes-or-no" to your question depends on the average distance of your daily commute. The off-peak time (where I live) is 7pm-7am, which provides 12 hours of off-peak charging time. If your daily commute is 48 miles (12hours x 4miles/hour), or less, than you'll be able to use-and-replenish all of your daily energy consumption by plugging in at night. Moreover, if you start your work week (at 80% on Monday morning), you'll easily be able to accommodate an atypical day where you drive 100 miles, for example. I use this methodology and have never needed to use a level 2 charger.

[@jefft7085]

Awesome test. My dad lives 165 miles away. I always wondered at the viability of level 1 charging being able to get me home after a weekend visit.

[@kosiranze]

165mi at 3.5 mi/kwh that is 47kwh of electricity needed. At 12a/120 v you get about 1.2kw to the battery so about 40h of charging. Because you don't discharge the full battery going one way, would likely ne able to get back home after being plugged in at your parents house for about 30h, which seems reasonable for an overnight weekend visit. Otherwise a 15 min stop at a fast charger somewhere on the way would be more than enough to get back home.

[@trustbuster23]

This generally tracks my experience. I found I do just fine with only Level 1, with a commute of 40 miles round trip. Almost as important as your commute is how you typically spend your weekends. Because if you aren't constantly driving kids to their soccer game, etc. you will probably recover a lot of range over the weekend. As this showed, it literally takes just one day of barely using the car to recover an awful lot of range, even on Level 1.

[@samusaran7317]

Weird how people subject themselves to using emergency granny cables.... Masochists

[@trustbuster23]

@@samusaran7317 When I bought the car, I assumed I was going to need to put in a Level 2, but found I didn't need it. Saved probably $1,200.

[@scubatrucker6806]

Level 1 would work for my home. Thank you Tommy

[@MrKrieger56]

This is no surprise. When I first got my 2021 Bolt it was a month until I got a level 2 installed at our home. During that 1st month I had no issue keeping the car charged.

[@mondotv4216]

I do think that is a good test. Mind you in 230/240V countries like the UK and Australia a 10amp charger will give you 2.4kW which is a lot more acceptable. I'd like to see you do a longer video on this theme where you also take advantage of opportunity charging. ie if you go to the gym and there's a destination charger you plug in the car.

[@fishflash1]

Good to know that it can be done on level 1. Especially if you have pay charging stations available in a pinch.

[@Snerdles]

One pretty major thing to keep in mind is that in the winter battery heating will take a set amount of power to maintain for proper charging. If that amount is 1kw the the 12A 120v EVSE will only be charging the battery at about 0.4kw, or about 1.5-2 miles per hour it is plugged in. That wastes a ton of power as a ratio to the amount used for heating. Even a 240v 16A EVSE will get you 3.8kw, which if 1kw is used for heating you still get another 2.8kw (or about 11 miles per hour). That means overnight for 10 hours you'd get about 20 miles on 120v and 110 miles on the 240v small EVSE. That's a pretty massive difference. This, of course, doesn't matter much if you have a garage that stays above freezing.

[@jayziac]

Your overestimating the power to keep battery above freezing to charge. It is a lot less.

[@Snerdles]

@@jayziac I think you are underestimating it by a huge amount. If you watch out of spec reviews cold tests they use 3-5kw to warm. When it is -20C outside it takes a ton of energy to keep things warm.

[@dathyr1]

Thank you very much on using the level 1 charge cable and how well it works for just using level 1. I may still get a level 2 charging system if GM provides the free install from Qmeret. I plan to get a 2023 Chevy Bolt EV 2LT model this coming spring if all goes well getting it. Right now not many Bolts are even available on the Dealership lots. So would have to order one if the price is right for me. I am retired and I just drive around town on a daily basis. Maybe once and a great while I do short trips which would be on a single charge. No long road trips with the Bolt. With that said, Level 1 12 amp charging may also work for me. I need to find out if the outlet in my garage can handle the current, because I think the outlet is on the same circuits as my kitchen appliances and lights. Be interesting how well level 1 charging would work in the winter here in Illinois. Take care.

[@97JoMiller]

we have a L2 charger for our MME and we don't even think about range on a daily basis, it's just always charged for us. The only time we think and stress about it is road trips but that's getting better as more chargers come out.

[@seanplace8192]

Worth mentioning that GM is still doing the free Level 2 installation with a purchase of a Bolt EV/EUV. At least for the 2022/23 models. Even if your setup can't reach the full 11kW that the Bolt EV can accept, the lowest speed for Level 2 is 20amps, which is 3.8kW. That's enough to charge the Bolt up from 20 to 100% in 12 hours. The new NEC code requires that attached garages must have a dedicated 120VAC outlet for each vehicle bay. Since these outlets are dedicated, they're very easy to convert to 240VAC. Just swap out the breaker and the receptacle. No need to run a new wire (As long as the wire is 12ga, which is what the code requires).

[@mrnuke999]

I used a Level 1 for six weeks while waiting for Chevy to install a 240 outlet in my garage , and I did fine. My daily commute is 25 miles, so I was gaining about 20 miles a day charging overnight. I was even able to make three 150 mile round trips to Orlando without any problems. There are two unexpected cost that new buyers should know about though. First, if you don’t have the dual level charger included in the package when your car is delivered, it will cost a few hundred dollars extra to get it from the parts dept. And second, Chevy will only pay $1250 towards installation of your charger. Mine ended up costing almost $2000, so I had to pay $700 out of pocket.

[@iwfur25]

A small quibble... sucks it doesn't have an L1 16 amp setting, for those (like me) who have access to a true 20amp 120v circuit.

[@anydaynow01]

Yep, and manufacturers can just offer a Level 1 charger with the appropriate plug and wiring to handle it. But I think the lawyers are the ones putting a halt to that.

[@daveflibotte6962]

I just watched your video. I found it to be a good fair representation of you using that vehicle. I do take exception to some of your conclusions or conditions. You stated that most people would stay home on a snow day. Most people I know including teachers police, officers, grocery store owners etc. Have to go into work now matter what the weathers you mentioned that you have a 7 mile commute to work which is very nice, I have a 17 mile drive to work (each way) not counting for traffic and weather conditions, which could adversely affect the EV. As much as I would love to make my next vehicle in EV, and unless you can afford the Hummer with the extraordinarily big battery, I think I’ll need a few more years for technology to improve, as well as the infrastructure to improve.

[@JustinG9698]

Also for some people if you drive a little further and your work has a place and allows it just take your cord and plug it up during your 8 hour shift!

[@deasunodonnachadha6408]

I have done this for over a year with my first EV, Kia Niro 2021. Main commuter car to work and back. Convinced me to go all in and get that CyberTruck!

[@tonywong9105]

I have a Sorento PHEV and I have very short daily commute so this car with my level 1 charger fit me perfectly. I only wish the car comes with a heat pump so gas engine won't be turned on during cold winter days. Nonetheless the annual fuel costs are negligible so I can focus on working on saving my cable and cell phone bills LOL

[@albertstadt9853]

We've had our Hyundai Kona for almost a year. We planned to install a 220 volt charger, but didn't find it to be necessary. For most of our driving, the 110 volt charger is more than adequate. We have used a DC charger on road trips, but that is rare. And the EV is our only vehicle.

[@gzenno]

yeh I often forget how annoying E-Vehicles will be on renters and apartment dwellers. No landlord is going to install the 240v connection box, and have to be near an outlet in shared parking in an apartment complex. Surely that will cause many an issue as can't have people tripping over the cords across the sidewalks.

[@craigwilliams1060]

In most of Tx where I live most people drive on avg at least 10-15mil to work. So, 20-30mil a day without any ext. stops. And that is if you live in the bigger towns and city. Most people live in the small towns and drive 30mil or more a day just to get to work.

[@toddo3422]

If my daily commute is consistent with the range obtained by performing level 1 charging overnight, would that be a healthier choice for the battery long term versus using level 2 charging? Or would it not make much of a difference?

[@fluffysheap]

No different. The level 2 might actually be healthier because slow charging produces more waste heat per kWh.

[@jackleonard2088]

Seems pretty good considering the temps and driving conditions you had.

[@schmoab]

I’ve been using Level 1 for my Mini for almost a year. Charge 1x a week or so for 28 hours. I don’t drive it that much but you can always get a quick charge around town if you need it.

[@DM-fv7hw]

This would work for us since we probably drive, around 10 miles per day (give or take). We would have to replace our panel, probably around $4-6K which is not an option right now. I'm wondering if EVs with an 800v architecture would charge any differently on 120v?

[@LoneWanderer479]

I think that you're charging at such a low level it won't matter. 800V is mainly for getting high power with lower current so you don't heat up as much. So you can charge at a higher kW rating. But Level 1 wouldn't likely be affected

[@-Jethro-]

Nope… the internal battery charger takes care of it. You’ll add approximately 1kwh per hour, which is approximately 4mph for most cars.

[@laloajuria4678]

no. ac and dc charging are different.

[@Hildepedia]

My wife drives a Model Y roughly 80 miles a day and has her own Level 2 charger in the garage. I rotate a Chevy Volt and a Fiat 500e for my daily drivers. Work is 22 miles round trip. If I drive to lunch it could add 10 more miles to that. Although I have another Level 2 option at home, most of the time I use Level one. Smaller evs add approx 5 miles per hour, per video, so do the math for your use case.

[@mrcnorth7149]

Thank you for doing the Lvl 1 charging test/video. Now that is useful information

[@teardowndan5364]

If your house or garage has a dedicated circuit for an outdoor outlet, it doesn't take much to re-purpose that circuit for 240V/15A and charge your EV twice as fast. Now you get enough overnight range for just about any remotely reasonable daily commute in an energy-efficient EV.

[@SuperJman991]

I did level 1 only with my Honda clarity PHEV for about two years. Got level 2 going once my wife got a mini Cooper SE. I like level 2 a whole lot better but level 1 is doable for me.

[@-Jethro-]

One more thing to consider: If your car sits outside in cold (or hot) weather and you want to precondition the cabin, a 120v L1 connection will not provide the full power required to do this, so your battery will have to do some of the work. This means preconditioning may use up several miles of range just before you leave. An L2 connection would provide enough power to do the preconditioning without tapping into the battery. In fact, an L2 connection might even provide enough power to add range and precondition at the same time. Is this a deal breaker? Probably not, but be aware of it.

[@zachlafond2652]

This would be a must for me. Why have an EV in a cold climate if you can't precondition the cabin. It was -9F this morning. I would have run the heat prior to leaving. Also rather heat it while still connected to the grid vs draining the battery.

[@rickkarl7961]

@@zachlafond2652 p

[@TheAdventureAuto]

A lot of people who are unfamiliar with EV's don't even realize you can charge with level 1. It just seems too good to be true to be able to fuel your vehicle from a basic power outlet. Pretty cool.

[@jameshanna7914]

Yeah but anything with good range takes 3-7 days to charge...not practical at all🤣

[@toddyork5698]

And many of them also believe you have to charge for 3 days using level 1 only, and that it cannot be used unless fully charged.

[@insanvini1203]

I have my MY for 2mos and still Level 1. I use about ~10 to 15% so about avg of 15 to 20miles ( work and home)of my 80% charge daily but gets replenished back overnight before I start my day. It works!

[@kevins718]

You can find a gym or establishment that has a level 2 charger as well. Even a typical public charger that only outputs 6kw, can give you 6x 3.3 miles/kw = almost 20 miles of Bolt range in an hour. That’s opportunity charging for you If it doesn’t work, the most reliable charger you can rely is usually that level 1 charger you have at home

[@stevedrawdy2532]

Had a 20a breaker with 12ga wire and a 15a outlet. Changed the outlet to a 20a and now get 16a charging which is more than enough for my Model S. Most people dont need level 2 chargers.

[@suprPHREAK]

The lesson I learned getting an EV (Volt): I really don’t drive as much as I thought I would in any given day. The small 50mi battery is almost always enough. L1 worked for a long time for me. I installed L2 (only 15A) simply out of convenience.

[@jesabail]

10k miles into my Bolt EUV using nothing but Lvl 1 at an apartment. If you say it wont work, I assume you don't know what you're talking about and dislike EV's. I love the car and its a joy to get in every day

[@michaelc.seeley4850]

I live in an apartment where there is no place to plug in. In 2015 I had an e-Golf. Owned it for couple years and sold it with 25k miles on it.

[@Aerostealth]

You can make or buy a 120-volt combiner that can plug into two outlets to give you 240 volts. My Chevy Bolt EVSE then works at 2.88 kW's and charges the car at 10 mph versus 4 mph for 120- volts charging. It is still only pulling 12 amps per hot. A 16 amp 240 volt EVSE would be possible using this system. P.S. You need a 240-volt plug adapter. Then you could do up to 3.84 kW's.

[@jlsgarage872]

Keep Killing it at the gym Tommy!

[@sh969]

I drove a 2015 Leaf for 3 years with level 1 charging. It wasn't super convenient sometimes, but, it was workable. MUCH better with a level 2 charger, but it's doable. Also, the average distance driving in a year in the US is 14,000 miles a year. Which breaks down to about 39 miles a day. So....for the average US driver, even with only a level 1 charging option, a bolt would be doable

[@timgurr1876]

EV charging Level 1 can work for those who have a place to do so. There are still a lot of people in big cities that have to park on the roadway at night and do not want to run long extension chords from the home to the street (cord is likely to be stolen along with the charger).

[@DaveCM]

I have a friend who does that and has been for years. He plugs it in over night and it is charged for his drive to work. Where he works has level 2 charging and he will sometimes plug in there while at work.

[@mclaine33]

Well duh… if his work has level 2, of course he wouldn’t have any issue with worrying about state of charge. This video completely eliminates the level 2 and focuses only on level 1.

[@martingriggs6362]

I only charge my 2015 Chevy Spark EV on 120 volts. Of course, I only have about 40 miles of range in winter. I read somewhere that fast charging reduces the battery's lifespan.

[@evankatz2893]

Great production as usual, a subscriber here since day one of your existence. Where can I get one of those hula girls for my dash on met 2023 mini countryman which is 5 days old. Thank you!

[@MaxBrandenberger]

My sister-in-law has been charging her Tesla Model 3 with level 1 the whole time she's owned it. When she was coming to visit I asked if she needed a 240v outlet for level 2 charging and she had no idea what I was talking about. 🤣

[@troyperry1231]

Awesome and informative video. Thanks for sharing.

[@jober112]

I actually got a commercial when you "cut" to cut the zip tie. Well done algorithm.

[@newdawnalex]

Have an old 2012 Chevrolet volt but round trip to and from works about a 7 mi so the level 1 charger works fine.

[@Snerdles]

If you have access to 240v in the garage or just run a standard wire 20A 240v circuit you can run a 16A 240v EVSE that you can get very cheap. That gets you 3.8kw, so at 4 miles per kWh you'd get 15 miles per hour of charging or 150 miles over a 10 hour night charge. That's almost overkill for most people, but even if you come home nearly dead you have plenty in the morning to use.

[@paulbouldin6677]

Have you noticed any difference in your electrical bill since the purchase of the Bolt?

[@jasonblair4057]

My coworker has been doing this since 2018 and has had no issues with range. So as a daily it works well. Long distance takes some planning but not much as it has good range.

[@DirectCurrentRides]

IMO, you probably want a level 2 charger even if you only drive 10 miles per day. It offers so much more flexibility and confidence, and also better preconditioning.

[@therealcdnuser]

Its -20 where i am now and i have been charging my 17’ Ioniq exclusively on 110v. It takes a really long time however I have a 10 min commute so it works fine. At some point I will pony up the money to install a level 2.

[@rp9674]

A lot of people don't get that another use of a big battery like Bolt is charge averaging, you can do a lot on slow. It's too much battery for some. Chevy bolt could work with a smaller Lifepo (lfp).

[@AnonymousFreakYT]

Damn, that Bolt vs. Vette drag was ridiculous! That a cheap econobox EV can almost keep up with a sports car from a few years ago is mind boggling.

[@markjeepingful]

Good to know!!! My is 100 miles a day commute to work means need level 2 charging set up in my garage!!! I already have 240 outlet but notices still need that box on wall???

[@tedwalker1370]

That cable that you are charging is way longer than it needs to be it adds amperage loss. The gage of wire is probably heavy enough that it's not loosing that much though. I would find out how long the 12amp. wire run to the breaker box is and what the gage of that wire is. If it has a long run I would want a more direct one with at least 12 gage wire. It might help with a faster charging. Just a thought.