No navigation?

[EldRick]

Doesn't OnStar offer the Nav service on this car like it does on my Spark EV?

Yes, it does. It's free for three months. That's one of the attractions of Google Maps - it never needs a costly annual update. And it's voice-activated.

 

[JupiterMoon]

Having naviation that understood elevation gain/loss, road speeds, etc. and coupled that into your range estimates for that segment of the trip would have been great. I ended up having to do a lot of guessing on my trip which was not that easy. It's also hard to drive and actively search for a closer charger that's open without having to pull over and stop.

I understand the potential cost implications but it seems like a mis-step to not offer anything.

It's really not that costly. There are some hybrids I believe that have those functions now and it's something all EVs should have.

 

[JupiterMoon]

Doesn't OnStar offer the Nav service on this car like it does on my Spark EV?

Yes, it does. It's free for three months. That's one of the attractions of Google Maps - it never needs a costly annual update. And it's voice-activated.

That's a shame it's only three months. I got OnStar included for my entire 3 year lease.

 

[kicoken]

It seems like a perfect partnetship with google/waze to allow them access to the efficiency models and let them handle this for GM.

 

[EldRick]

Re. OnStar, here's what Chevy says you get - from http://www.chevrolet.com/complete-care.html

OnStar Basic Plan†
Experience a powerful connection to your vehicle and the world around you. This plan is standard for five years from the date of delivery of an eligible 2016 model year or newer vehicle.† Features include:
Remote engine start and stop if equipped with factory-installed remote start
Remote door lock and unlock if equipped with automatic locks
Manage the available Wi-Fi hotspot†
Locate the vehicle on a map with a mobile device if equipped with factory-installed navigation radio
Remotely sound the horn and flash the lights
OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics
Dealer Maintenance Notifications

Then you can also pay quite a bit for subscriptions to their plans, which run from $20-35 Per Month:
OnStar Guidance Plan
Safety, convenience and navigation are all at the push of a blue button. A three-month trial subscription to the OnStar Guidance Plan† comes standard on most Chevrolet vehicles.† Features include:
Automatic Crash Response
SOS/emergency services
Crisis Assistance
Roadside Assistance
Stolen Vehicle Assistance
Hands-Free Calling
Vehicle Diagnostics
AtYourService
Turn-by-Turn Navigation
myChevrolet Mobile App†
Dealer Maintenance Notification
Remote services

 

[michael]

You can buy a nav only add on to the basic plan. It's less expensive. I think about $12 per month

I'm going to get this for my wife's use. She like being able to talk to a person have them enter the address for her

 

[marshallinwa]

I second using Google maps offline for those times you have no cell signal. It seems to work just fine with your GPS signal.

The only thing you have to watch is to make sure the maps update once a month. I have mine update on WiFi automatically when I get home.

 

[EldRick]

She like being able to talk to a person have them enter the address for her

Some do, some don't. On my Spark EV, I didn't care for the postage-stamp sized display you get with OnStar nav.

I've also been surprised by "OK Google" and its ability to understand voice requests for directions. I don't usually ask for an address, just tell my phone something like "OK Google, directions to Tonkin Chevy" and it gets it right the first time.

 

[dan2112]

I second using Google maps offline for those times you have no cell signal. It seems to work just fine with your GPS signal.

I played with this a little on my LEAF with my Android phone with the Cellular turned off - just keep in mind you do need a data connection to do "Navigation" features. I planned my route at home and purposely took a wrong turn and the route didn't "recaculate". Turned Cell on and it immediately recalculated. But the data usage was tiny compared to loading the maps - a few megabytes of data. So preloading is always a good thing. I don't know if Apple lets you "preload" maps.

 

[marshallinwa]

I second using Google maps offline for those times you have no cell signal. It seems to work just fine with your GPS signal.

I played with this a little on my LEAF with my Android phone with the Cellular turned off - just keep in mind you do need a data connection to do "Navigation" features. I planned my route at home and purposely took a wrong turn and the route didn't "recaculate". Turned Cell on and it immediately recalculated. But the data usage was tiny compared to loading the maps - a few megabytes of data. So preloading is always a good thing. I don't know if Apple lets you "preload" maps.

Interesting, I just drove in the opposite direction of my destination, and my phone updated the navigation directions offline just fine while in airplane mode and GPS only set in the location menu. I'm using an old Motorola X 1st generation.

 

[dan2112]

I second using Google maps offline for those times you have no cell signal. It seems to work just fine with your GPS signal.

I played with this a little on my LEAF with my Android phone with the Cellular turned off - just keep in mind you do need a data connection to do "Navigation" features. I planned my route at home and purposely took a wrong turn and the route didn't "recaculate". Turned Cell on and it immediately recalculated. But the data usage was tiny compared to loading the maps - a few megabytes of data. So preloading is always a good thing. I don't know if Apple lets you "preload" maps.

Interesting, I just drove in the opposite direction of my destination, and my phone updated the navigation directions offline just fine while in airplane mode and GPS only set in the location menu. I'm using an old Motorola X 1st generation.

Hmm - interesting - wonder if this was operator error. I have an old Moto G though

 

[samiam95124]

My last built in maps was the Leaf, and it sucked major. It was always out of date, and the list of EV charging stations was pure fiction that was dangerous to rely on. It had virtually no traffic detection to speak of, and I commonly used google or waze and ignored the built in nav.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Both of my cars have built-in Nav. The Leaf's is about the worst you could imagine. It leads one to believe that Nissan did the absolute minimum in order to check the feature box. Sure makes the car look better on paper.

The CMax is actually very good. Combined with the voice recognition, I can easily do things like search for points of interest nearby. For example, a restaurant or a charger. Ford updates the maps over the air, and provides traffic information. It is all integrated seemlessly with the car.

My biggest concern with the Bolt's approach is lack of access to maps when you are out of cell coverage. This happens a lot on certain long trips I take. My path takes me through the mountains (either the Adirondacks or the Catskills). In both cases, I have spotty coverage at best. So if I didn't plan perfectly ahead and need to find a place to charge, I have to first wander around until I get a cell signal.

There is also the issue of running up my data usage, for which Verizon charges by the GB.

Finally, I'm hearing that the phone has to be physically plugged into the car to use it? The whole interface seems clunky.

It seems like the Bolt's "nav" falls somewhere better than the Leaf but not as good as the CMax.

I'll have to give it a try when I can test drive the car. Is it possible to pair an iPhone to a dealer's car as a "guest"?

 

[rcrcr]

Absolutely. It could not be easier to pair an iPhone with CarPlay, so I would imagine no sane dealer would have an issue with your doing this on a test drive. Remember to bring a Lightning to USB cable.

 

[michael]

Does the Bolt have the onstar assisted turn by turn?? My wife actually prefers this.

One of our Volts has no nav, but she calls onstar and tells them her destination. Turn by turn guidance happens by voice and appears on the little screen under the speedometer

I was told Bolt has this feature. Can anyone confirm this????

 

[EldRick]

You can store the Google maps for a selected area in your phone (you have to refresh it once/month).
That lets you use the maps offline, even if the route planning requires a connection.

 

[JupiterMoon]

Does the Bolt have the onstar assisted turn by turn?? My wife actually prefers this.

One of our Volts has no nav, but she calls onstar and tells them her destination. Turn by turn guidance happens by voice and appears on the little screen under the speedometer

I was told Bolt has this feature. Can anyone confirm this????

I believe it does. But unlike my Spark EV, it only comes with OnStar for 3 months then you pay. It's NOT worth paying for it.

I frankly am very disappointed this car doesn't come with a nice, sleek, built-in NAV system.

I never thought I'd say this but BMW's latest i-drive in the i3 is very good and their NAV is fantastic. It has charging locations integrated as they should be. Obviously it's CD or DVD based but still...NAV points (like Tesla has) should be part of the deal. While there are many public charging stations available now, especially in CA, we still don't have enough and it's important to know where these charging stations are, what status they are in, etc.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

You can store the Google maps for a selected area in your phone (you have to refresh it once/month).
That lets you use the maps offline, even if the route planning requires a connection.

This still requires some planning ahead. How large of an area can one store? Can I, for example, store the entire northeast region of the US?

Does Apple offer the same option?

Just trying to get my head around all the ins/outs of the Bolt's nav.

 

[michael]

Does the Bolt have the onstar assisted turn by turn?? My wife actually prefers this.

One of our Volts has no nav, but she calls onstar and tells them her destination. Turn by turn guidance happens by voice and appears on the little screen under the speedometer

I was told Bolt has this feature. Can anyone confirm this????

I believe it does. But unlike my Spark EV, it only comes with OnStar for 3 months then you pay. It's NOT worth paying for it.

I frankly am very disappointed this car doesn't come with a nice, sleek, built-in NAV system.

I never thought I'd say this but BMW's latest i-drive in the i3 is very good and their NAV is fantastic. It has charging locations integrated as they should be. Obviously it's CD or DVD based but still...NAV points (like Tesla has) should be part of the deal. While there are many public charging stations available now, especially in CA, we still don't have enough and it's important to know where these charging stations are, what status they are in, etc.

Apparently you can buy that one service a la carte for about $10 a month. It will be worth it for her, she much prefers doing it that way to dealing with a convention nav

 

[EldRick]

How large of an area can one store? Can I, for example, store the entire northeast region of the US?

Do some research. Install Google Maps, if you can. Play with it and/or check the docs to see if it will do what you want.