The first 1000 miles with the Bolt

[grestep5621]

First the Bolt is the perfect car for me. I drive about 20 miles a day and at the extreme I drive about 200 miles in a day once a year.
Second, I have a solar system that produces more than I use.
I traded in my Chevy Equinox which I loved for a Bolt.
For the first 500 miles I drove in as you would a normal car and was amazed on how close GM has tuned this car to drive exactly as I would expect any car to drive. After 500 I switched to L mode and was really impressed with one pedal driving. The ability to switch back and forth to D mode when I do the occasional freeway driving is great.
I warm the car up using the Remote Link on my cellphone 15 minutes before I need to leave if it is cold and probably will use the same strategy in the summer if it is hot. The car is plugged in and running on utility power while remote started.
The seats are not as nice as the Equinox, but even on the days I drive 100 miles they are comfortable.
My Android phone mostly stays in my pocket as I think the Bluetooth screens are easier for me to use than the Android Auto screen, but when I need Google Maps on the car screen I have the USB cable always plugged in to connect.
The Bolt has room for a wheelchair when I need to transport anyone that needs one.
Probably the hardest thing I have had to adjust to is that when I look in the rear view mirror I can't see my face unless I switch it out of camera mode.

Driving in L mode now is second nature and I really enjoy the ultimate in speed control both for acceleration and deceleration.
Love the steer wheel regen option except when I first start up and the regen doesn't provide as much deceleration as it does when I have driven enough miles to have it fully effective. Not a big problem as normally I have to drive on the level for many miles, but occasionally I go down hill when I leave the house and the first stop sign reminds me that L mode is not going to stop in time.

Tried the center arm rest in the slide forward position and it will be nice on my next long drive.
In short, this is the best car I have ever owned.
I am looking forward to long drive of 200 miles sometime this summer.

 

[devbolt]

If you want more regen first thing in the morning, then you might want to look into Hilltop reserve mode. Only charges the battery to ~88% leaving plenty of "headroom" in the battery for regenerative braking. The small hit to range is worth it. For those days where you think you might need the full capacity of the battery, you can always turn off Hilltop reserve the night before you charge.

 

[like2bike]

I think using the hilltop charging mode would solve the lack of re-gen problem. The hilltop mode is also strongly recommended for normal don't-need-full-range use since it is also the battery-long-life mode.

 

[grestep5621]

Thanks I will turn on hilltop reserve.
Sounds like a great solution.

 

[SparkE]

Page 132 of the manual :

- "Energy Settings"
- "Hill Top Reserve"

 

[charge]

The Bolt must accelerate very well with all that torque and hp. My Focus EV has 184 ft-lb, & weighs about the same as Bolt, but the Bolt has 266 ft-lb available. My Focus EV uses the same Michelin Energy Saver A/S tires as Bolts, yet the Focus uses wider tires, so wheelspin is less of a traction control limited issue with the Focus. The Bolt must be amazing fun to drive though.

Not a big problem as normally I have to drive on the level for many miles, but occasionally I go down hill when I leave the house and the first stop sign reminds me that L mode is not going to stop in time......

All the fooling around with different Human Factors control laws here is fun and games until people get confused, hitting pedestrians, overrunning stop signs, safety issues abound. (This has long been something the aviation community has dealt with, and we've noticed many a pilot crashing or getting into trouble simply because they piloted another airplane type which behaved differently with control inputs of old habits.)

Also, in L mode, over long periods on flat terrain you can get foot cramps, as many have found, so switching back and forth and goofing around that way D to L is necessary. The DOT and NHTSA will catch up with this monkey business.

 

[grestep5621]

I think using the hilltop charging mode would solve the lack of re-gen problem. The hilltop mode is also strongly recommended for normal don't-need-full-range use since it is also the battery-long-life mode.

Looks that it also saves $$. I look at my power use after turning on hilltop charging mode and it takes much less energy to replenish the power used than before. Guess putting at last drop of energy into the Bolt takes a lot more power.