What if I Run Out of Charge (and stall)?

Hi There,

Not that I would be so careless, but I am wondering what would happen if I totally drained the battery and was stranded somewhere. Do tow trucks have a means of giving me a "boost"? Or do I need to use the tow truck for their main purpose and get a tow back home? Also, are there any portable battery packs that are capable of providing enough of a charge to get my Bolt an extra few miles?

Thanks!

The car will reduce power and give you enough warning when charge is very low. At that point it's best to drive at about 15MPH until you get to a charging station or 120 volt outlet. Tow trucks can only tow the car, unless they carry a portable L-2 charging setup.

Good to know! Thx!

remember, GM roadside would get a stranded Bolt to the closest charging station for free. I would suggest storing the number in your phone or becoming familiar with how to contact them using the "my chevy" app just in case...

winterescape said:

remember, GM roadside would get a stranded Bolt to the closest charging station for free. I would suggest storing the number in your phone or becoming familiar with how to contact them using the "my chevy" app just in case...

Click to expand...

Is this service tied to an OnStar subscription? In other words, once my trial expires, does this service also end?

GetOffYourGas said:

winterescape said:

remember, GM roadside would get a stranded Bolt to the closest charging station for free. I would suggest storing the number in your phone or becoming familiar with how to contact them using the "my chevy" app just in case...

Click to expand...

Is this service tied to an OnStar subscription? In other words, once my trial expires, does this service also end?

Click to expand...

Nope "complete care" is free if you own or lease a Bolt ...

The response, security and convenience of 24-hour Roadside Assistance for 5 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first.
24/7 toll-free phone assistance
Emergency towing to your nearest Chevrolet dealer
Flat-tire fix or change
Battery jump-start
Vehicle unlock service
Emergency fuel delivery (Transportation to the nearest charging station)
Courtesy Transportation or expenses reimbursed if a vehicle requires warranty repairs

http://www.chevrolet.com/complete-care

There was an article I read somewhere talking about some AAA vehicles getting equipped with chargers (not sure if they were L2 or some type of battery based QC.. I'd guess L2.)
Actually, looks like it is some type of a mini QC (and also L2). 15 minutes for 15 miles.
http://newsroom.aaa.com/2011/07/ev-charging-statio/
Of course, the problem with that is.. Probably Chademo??
L2 would take it a while to get you what you need depending on where you are..
Probably be quicker to tow you to a charging location than to use L2. ;-)
(The above isn't the article I read before and I haven't fully read that one yet..)

So there is "some" of that, but I'd bet you'd be hard pressed to find a AAA truck with that enabled in most areas.

desiv

winterescape said:

Nope "complete care" is free if you own or lease a Bolt ...

Emergency fuel delivery (Transportation to the nearest charging station)

Click to expand...

I see "emergency fuel delivery" on the page you linked to, but not "(Transportation to the nearest charging station)". And I haven't been able to find a GM page that states this. Can you point us to a page that shows that this specific service is included?

SeanNelson said:

winterescape said:

Nope "complete care" is free if you own or lease a Bolt ...

Emergency fuel delivery (Transportation to the nearest charging station)

Click to expand...

I see "emergency fuel delivery" on the page you linked to, but not "(Transportation to the nearest charging station)". And I haven't been able to find a GM page that states this. Can you point us to a page that shows that this specific service is included?

Click to expand...

Sean, correct all the documentation actually says, as you point out, is "emergency fuel delivery" I had a verbal conversation with our dealer as to "what does that mean for a Bolt ?" and they responded that "as remote charge capability is not yet widespread they would get the vehicle to a charger" That was a sufficient response for me, but you might want to just call roadside and ask them to confirm how they currently handle this situation for your own reassurance. I hope I never actually need to find out!

winterescape said:

SeanNelson said:

winterescape said:

Nope "complete care" is free if you own or lease a Bolt ...

Emergency fuel delivery (Transportation to the nearest charging station)

Click to expand...

I see "emergency fuel delivery" on the page you linked to, but not "(Transportation to the nearest charging station)". And I haven't been able to find a GM page that states this. Can you point us to a page that shows that this specific service is included?

Click to expand...

Sean, correct all the documentation actually says, as you point out, is "emergency fuel delivery" I had a verbal conversation with our dealer as to "what does that mean for a Bolt ?" and they responded that "as remote charge capability is not yet widespread they would get the vehicle to a charger" That was a sufficient response for me, but you might want to just call roadside and ask them to confirm how they currently handle this situation for your own reassurance. I hope I never actually need to find out!

Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification. Personally I wouldn't rely on that kind of claim made by a dealer - my dealer tried to tell me that OnStar communicates via satellite and that meant that there weren't any gaps in coverage anywhere.

AAA will also tow an EV to a charging station, since they cannot deliver fuel to you. I confirmed this with my Califonia office.

I’m curious what does the car actually do?
Shut off at some point (or refuse to take throttle commands) Or go slower and slower until you are not moving?

The Leaf will go into reduced power mode, and then, a mile or two later, will shut down. The Bolt behaves in a similar fashion, first reducing power and warning you, then shutting down to protect the pack from cell reversal. I'm not sure about distances between warning and shutdown with the Bolt. It's pretty much SOP for an EV.