Positives and negatives: 36,000 Mile Review of 2022 Chevy Bolt EV

[@GeorgeKnighton]

The LG Bolt is all that most of us need. My 2020 Bolt provided three years of absolutely trouble free service. Bought it at the height of the rebates and incentives, so it was very cheap. I'm hoping that the release of thousands of buy-back Bolts into the market will finally acquaint people with excellent affordable EVs. I made the mistake of falling for a 2023 Mach-E GT Performance Edition. It has also been completely reliable and it is clearly a better car overall...but it is also perceivably less efficient than the very economical Bolt was!

[@xXBigGravyXx]

You are correct. I have a 2022 bolt pre-ordered on carvana, should be available next week. $15,990 with a $4,000 tax credit applied at time of purchase. Tons of research. It's a great time to get in. 58k miles. Looking forward to it

[@niceguyny1]

Thanks for the great video update. My Bolt EV is 15 months old and my results are the same as yours. Love my light blue Bolt!

[@smalltalk.productions9977]

thanks for the effort and sharing. i road test a 2023 Bolt 1LT next week. thumbs up.

[@KTPurdy]

Four years and 50k miles later, my Bolt drives like the day I bought it.

[@richarddenny7089]

Same here. 55K drive everyday 150 mile round trip in Montana.

[@Vance-m9l]

Have you noticed any changes in range?

[@KTPurdy]

@@Vance-m9l Not yet, but I'm sure some degradation has occurred. I need to get an OBII connector so I can start tracking some readings.

[@EV-Darryl]

Great video guys, keep up the good work! I still love my 2023 bolt 1LT after one year and 30,000 miles…… stay safe

[@mikeintampa250]

What you said about not being nervous that the bumper to bumper warranty was about to expire really resonated with me because that's the point where I usually trade in my car to get a new one because I never want to be without the warranty but the car seems to be so well-built it's not a worry that's awesome.

[@danielberning1240]

I have the exact same color and trim but in a 2023 and I LOVE mine. It's truly an amazing car and the least expensive car I've ever owned and driven.

[@codecthelios]

the wind filter on your mics works so well

[@SpinnerEV]

We like them

[@stevemiro731]

Couldn't agree more. I love my Bolt and have 60k-ish miles. Anytime I drive another car I am happy to get back in my bolt.

[@ab-tf5fl]

I've had my 2020 Bolt for 3 years (I bought it in 2021 with 2000 miles, not quite new, but close enough), and had good experience. Maintenance so far has been nothing but 3 tire rotations, one air filter replacement, and one wiper blade replacement. The air filter replacement and wiper blade replacements I did entirely myself, buying the parts either online or at a local auto parts store. Tire rotations, I was able to do at a normal tire shop down the street. Battery degradation, I'm estimating around 6%, which would be normal and expected based on what I've read about NMC batteries. But, it hasn't been at all a big deal. By the time battery degradation gets to around 15-20%, charging infrastructure will be so much better than today that range just won't be a big deal anymore. Charging speeds, both AC and DC, seem unchanged from when the car was new. On road trips, I have found the Bolt's 50 kW charging limit sufficient, provided that I aggressively unplug at 55% to actually get the full 50 kW. One of the biggest mistakes people make road tripping with a Bolt is charging to 80% at every charge stop, which adds a huge amount of time to the trip. The biggest negatives include very slow charging speeds on those occasions I really do need to charge to 80%, lack of battery preconditioning (makes charging slower than it needs to be in cold weather), and lack of a heat pump (which makes winter range loss more than it needs to be in cold weather). But, none of these negatives are big enough to be worth spending thousands of dollars on another car over.

[@crspeedreviews-yw2iq]

Great Video. I had a used 2018 model 3 and put a 100k personal miles on it. The model 3 was a great car for traveling with super fast charging. My only problem was the phantom drain. It could sit there for 3 days and lose 20-30 miles. I just purchased a 2023 Bolt 2lt with 4300 miles for $19,900. Looking forward to driving this. According to the reviews it is way more efficient . I purchased a 2017 Bolt lt for my daughter a year ago and was blown away by the efficiency. Not to mention the price! Looking forward to making some reviews.

[@daveygjuanvalldez8981]

Helpful video and thanks! I have the same color picked out by the salesperson. Glad to know the tires are lasting because I read somewhere else the tires only last two years.I don't drive much because I am retired so total 8,000 miles right now. EUV.

[@nick-3808]

congrats on the car. if GM gave this car a 100kw fast charger they would not be able to make enough even with the "old supposed" battery and chassis. I am looking forward to new adventures for you guys. One more thing I do not think the new Bolt with the ultium platform will be as competitive pricewise as the original Bolt. hopefully I would be proven wrong.

[@SteveRowe]

I love my 2017 Bolt too. I've got a lot more miles on mine than you do :-) The worst thing about the Bolt in my experience has been GM. As a company, I don't find GM are very enthusiastic about EVs in general and the Bolt in particular.

[@cooperschwartz318]

I hate that they discontinue a product just as they start to get it right, the bolt deserved better

[@10Shreks]

Love my 2023 Bolt euv. Passing gas stations is a beautiful thing. I will never try a road trip with it (again)

[@BradfordNeedham]

My only negative (and a slight one) for my 2020 Bolt is that the wheels don't have clearance for chains or cable-chains. So I tried out snow socks and they work well enough to get me around in the infrequent snows of Portland Oregon. Other than that, I absolutely love the car: it's fun to drive, it doesn't burn gas, and has almost no maintenance costs.

[@annabbott1963]

Thanks for answering my question. I take my Bolt from the DC area where I live to Richmond and Philly easily and charge when I get there/ before I leave. Works great, taking my first "longer" trip to NYC this upcoming weekend and I am not looking forward to the longer charging stop because I have limited time. And we want to go again this summer. I am anticipating long lines for chargers this summer. Every few weeks a new EV shows up on a driveway in my neighborhood.

[@callmebigpapa]

Great video! When I put $75 in tank of my truck .......cant wait to get a BEV

[@rp9674]

I like the bolt content ! Community Chevy in Burbank ca has several bolts, but they were crap to me when I was shopping + add on dig liscence plates (I've heard), wanted $40k. They have a 2nd lot full of bolts, some older. Maybe battery replacements. I got my 23 2LT in Simi.

[@TaylC864]

So for drivers on the east coast without garages or covered car ports this isn’t a smart choice? [because of our storms…?)

[@harold1901]

That’s the big difference is taken care of your car and shouldn’t have any issues. I know some people just don’t take care of it and run it to the ground.

[@KTPurdy]

While we put 90% of our miles on EVs we still have a couple of ICE vehicles. Every time I fill up I'm amazed that people are OK paying for petrol.

[@MarcosE-i7m]

I think that by charging at 50-55kw it should not stress the battery. Could be wrong but seems logical :). On my list of ev's for this year.

[@stephengreen3566]

Is your car tracking your driving habits and location?

[@SpinnerEV]

Don’t think so

[@BlueBird1377]

It has OnStar. It will track as much as a cell phone can.

[@CharlieJohnson963]

Mine has 38K I've only paid for charging for one 500mile trip this year. Otherwise: free charging at work and some establishments I've patronized. ❤

[@coopie810]

Are you going to buy an extended warranty?

[@SpinnerEV]

Not planning to, no.

[@shutterguy_dude]

Have you experience a flat tire? Knowing that the Bolt doesnt have spare tire. Thanks

[@SpinnerEV]

I have not, but I did pick up a nail that leaked fast enough that it almost became a flat. Took the car to a tire shop to see if the tire could be repaired. That’s when I found out that the Bolt has self sealing tires. All he had to do was take the nail out and reinflate it. It’s been fine ever since. We travel with a portable compressor and I keep an eye on the TPMS

[@shutterguy_dude]

@@SpinnerEV thanks for the time to reply. More power to the channel

[@SarahStuff-p5u]

Just got a 2017 and can say the charging speed if your going to make a trip is laughable to the point of making you want to cry. Unless you are doing local driving and charging over night, 100% have an Ice car, just a real honest review. I will not do daily driving and have a small 3kw solar system at home to trickle charge it......but for any use than low milage local driving these EV are a waste of money/time.

[@josemanuel2244]

Is this car more expensive to repair besides the battery?

[@SpinnerEV]

Only had to buy tires so far

[@Gijoe0012]

At 100k miles I had to get transmission fluid pump replaced. 1,000 to repair unfortunately. In my opinion here's my Pros budget friendly, deceptively fast, compact for city driving/parking Cons infotainment can be buggy/glitchy, seats could be more comfortable not terrible. Charging speed.

[@michaelhogan6770]

After 47k only washer fluid, need tires soon

[@scrambler69-xk3kv]

I guess my biggest fear as a senior is the cost of a battery replacement when the time comes as I do not plan on replacing it any time soon.

[@rp9674]

It's odd how hatch is hard to open AND close, it's usually 1 or the other

[@MediaDevice01]

GM definitely cheaped out on the paint. Poor DC charging, lack of frunk and poor paint quality are my 3 biggest gripes. It's been 2 years since I've had my Bolt, and the amount of stone dings on the front is ridiculous.

[@thayne559]

Not to mention your hands reek of gasoline every time you have to fill up. I do not miss that at all.

[@-fuk57]

What exactly are you doing when you put gas in a vehicle???

[@chrishisted1851]

Is that really an issue? It only happens to me when I fill the lawnmower

[@stevemeiz]

What about EV insurance. I have 2 EV's a 2021 Bolt and a 2023 BoltEUV. I'm paying $1670 a year for the 2021 and $1034 for the 2023 through GEICO. That's my negative

[@SpinnerEV]

Geico was high for me also, even after 20 years as a customer. Ended up switching to Allstate and got much more reasonable premiums

[@paulstough2995]

I pay $552 per year for my 2023 Bolt EUV through Nationwide Insurance.

[@eddiekolofer1760]

Found Allstate to be the best insurance. I have two EV’s a bolt and a Volkswagen.

[@ab-tf5fl]

Not sure what coverage you have, but auto insurance is usually sold 6 month policies. $1670/year equates to $835/6 months, which, if you have full coverage (liability+collision+comprehensive+under insured motorist protection) feels entirely reasonable. Also, as the car ages and its resale value declines, you can save a ton of money by dropping collision insurance from the policy (this is true with any car, doesn't matter whether it's gas or electric). I haven't done that yet, but likely will within the next year or so, depending on what rates my insurance company offers for renewal.

[@rp9674]

Liberty has been comp to gassers

[@rp9674]

Not directly bolts related, but I have to keep my hood open at night to keep the rodents out

[@jaredjared8347]

How about 4x insurance prices!?

[@SpinnerEV]

Not with this car. Got a different EV that spiked the premiums, but switching providers took care of that.

[@jerrycoleman4970]

Great video.

[@SpinnerEV]

Thanks!

[@Catman1798]

All the money you save goes to the yearly vehicle registration fees lol I heard some states it’s expensive. Some states In the thousands?? Here in Texas they raised it for EVs. Not sure what it is but I pay $86 a year for a gas vehicle. Insurance is also more (I checked with mine).

[@SpinnerEV]

$200 more for registration in Texas. Switched insurance carriers, so not that bad.

[@rp9674]

Heavier more expensive EVs get hit harder?

[@BradfordNeedham]

I never thought about road taxes (which are invisibly included in gas prices, at least in Oregon) until I bought my Bolt. I worked out that the registration adds about 2 cents per mile for me. I've never read of EV registration fees anywhere in the USA higher than $225.

[@smalltalk.productions9977]

@@SpinnerEV Texas politics!

[@davidws5439]

54 kws, NOT CHARGES AT 54kwh.

[@Effervescent_Smegma]

Trash resale value. Slow AF dc fast charging. DC fast charging network. GM discontinued the car.

[@flolou8496]

GM is not discontinung the car, the 2025 model is currently in production with new battery technology, yes it has slow DC fast charging, but that is a time management issue, I could be ok with even taking 1 hour to fast charge my EV, if it cost me say 15,000 less to get this model VS a TESLA, which is does, and as far as the trash resale value, well, that might be true if your buying brand new , but you can a 2017 Premiere model under 15,000 now with low miles even, if you know how to properly shop around, (that's the way to get this model and that model from 2017 to 2019 should be coming with a new engine as well if you know what your doing)

[@Effervescent_Smegma]

@@flolou8496 imma need a source on that GM is currently producing them.

[@pinifernia]

I'm here to look at people who buy bolt over tesla. Whats going in their mind lol

[@rp9674]

It starts with $10k delta. No lol

[@darkerbrother1]

You are aware they own a Bolt and a Tesla

[@rp9674]

A lot of people own a lot of things

[@chrisoconnor3119]

Is Tesla THAT great over anything else?

[@darkerbrother1]

@@chrisoconnor3119 I don’t think so and neither does most of the world. BYD is the number one EV supplier in the world. In fact the next time you ride an EV bus. It will probably be a BYD bus made in the California plant. We just don’t have BYD cars yet . That’s the reason for the tariff on Chinese Cars