Holy Smokes: My 2020 Chevy Bolt Is Now A Chevy Dolt
I took a test drive in the vehicle pictured above. I liked the features and the ride. So I turned in my 2017 GMC Acadia and on January 16, 2020 leased a 2020 Chevy Bolt. I was pleased with the vehicle until August 20, 2021, the date Chevy issued a recall. No ordinary recall, but one made because the high voltage battery that powers the car might melt or burn. Holy smokes!
Before the recall I thought there were pros and cons to driving a Chevy Bolt and the pros outweighed the cons.
Pros:
Vehicle Payment The price was right. I made an early return of my leased 2017 GMC Acadia which was costing me $507 monthly. The dealer picked up the last two payments and the first one on the new vehicle. I applied about $2300 in Capital One GM BuyPower credit card dollars and with no money down walked away with a 3 year lease at $350 a month, a win for me.
Electric cars often come with substantial federal and state tax credits. These credits apply if you purchase the vehicle. If you lease instead, you don’t get the credits, the lessor does. But the lessor passes the savings on to you, the lessee, in the form of lower payments.
Please note that while the Chevy Bolt used to come with a substantial federal tax credit, that credit has expired. In lieu of the federal tax credit, the latest edition of the Chevy Bolt has a much lower price than mine. Of course, with the recall, sales are suspended. When they resume, the price might drop again, because Chevy will likely need to incentivize buyers into purchasing a vehicle with such a torrid history.
Fuel Costs Another pro is fuel costs, at least for me. Gas prices vary by geographical location and are subject to fluctuation based on supply, demand and political situations. Electricity costs are much less subject to fluctuation.
Chevy Bolt owners can expect to spend about $8 to charge its 60-kWh battery at home. Electricity rates vary across the U.S., of course, but the average price as of May 2021 is 13.71 cents per kWh, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The expected range of a Bolt is 259 miles. So if you had a gas vehicle instead that got 40 miles to the gallon, you would have to pay $24.60 at the pump if gas is priced at $3.80 for regular, which is today’s price near me. So the Bolt is cheaper to fuel.
Charging Costs Gas vehicles have a filler door. Open the door, remove the cap if there is one, and insert the hose nozzle to put gas into the vehicle. An electric vehicle also has a filler door, but under the door is a plug. You will need a charger with a charging cord to insert into the plug to supply the electricity to make the car run.
There are two kinds of chargers for the typical home user. The cheaper charger is the Level 1. My Bolt came with that one. I simply plug in the unit to my wall outlet in the garage, walk the cord over to the vehicle and plug it in next to the filler door.
The Level 1 charger I had was slow, adding about 4 miles range per hour. If that is too slow for you and it was for me, then the Level 2 charger is what you need. That one will give you about 24 miles range per hour and get you to full battery much quicker. I had a Level 2 charger installed. My total cost was about $2300 for the charger, professional installation and local permit.
Fortunately, there is some good news on charging stations cost. Congress passed a tax credit for those who purchased or purchase an electric charging station in 2018 though and including December 31, 2021. You can receive a federal tax credit of 30% up to $1000 of the cost of purchasing and installing a residential charging station. See IRS form 8911.
Even better, once Chevy starts selling Bolts again, they will pay to install a Level 2 charger in your home.
Maintenance Another pro is routine maintenance. At 7500 miles I will have to have the tires rotated. Gas powered vehicles will need an oil change and filter costing as much as $100 once or twice a year. My electric car uses no oil, needs no filter and so costs less in routine maintenance.
Gas Station Visits I ride by them, feeling sorry for the drivers there in rain, snow or bitterly cold or steaming hot weather. Another pro for me.
The Environment I get to pat myself on the head for not emitting anything damaging to the environment as I ride to my destination. Yet another pro for me.
Cons:
State Fees In Illinois for a newly acquired electric vehicle the license plate costs $401 with annual renewal at $251. For a newly acquired gas vehicle the plate costs $301 with annual renewal at $151. This is a negative for me, even if a small one. Your state may differ.
Insurance Electric cars cost more to repair, so they cost more to insure. My 2020 Chevy Bolt will cost me about $200 more a year to insure than my 2017 GMC Acadia. Another con for me.
Traveling My E.P.A. range was 259 miles before the recall. I easily take short trips, but long ones mean stops to recharge. There are stations, but they are not nearly as numerous as gas stations. Some have fast charging, an option that my Bolt can use. Rapid chargers are the fastest way to charge an electric vehicle, providing 60–200 miles of range in 20–30 minutes. But even that will make a long trip considerably longer than one with a gas powered vehicle. So I’ll be using my other car for long trips.
The Recall Chevy advises as follows:
“As part of GM’s commitment to safety, experts from GM and LG have identified the simultaneous presence of two rare manufacturing defects in the same battery cell as the root cause of battery fires in certain Chevrolet Bolt EVs. As a result, GM will be conducting a recall of Bolt EVs (2017–2022) and Bolt EUVs (2022) to address the risk of battery fires in these vehicles.
Out of an abundance of caution, GM will replace defective lithium ion battery modules in Chevrolet Bolt EVs and EUVs with new lithium ion modules. We will notify customers when replacement parts are ready. We are asking customers to take the following steps until the new remedy has been performed:
1. Set your vehicle to a 90 percent state of charge limitation using Hilltop Reserve mode (for 2017–2018 model years) or Target Charge Level (for 2019–2022 model year) mode. Instructions on how to do this are available in the video below. If you are unable to successfully make these changes, or do not feel comfortable making these changes, GM is asking you to visit your dealer to have these adjustments completed.
2. Charge your vehicle more frequently and avoid depleting your battery below approximately 70 miles (113 kilometers) of remaining range, where possible.
3. Park your vehicle outside immediately after charging and do not leave your vehicle charging indoors overnight.”
Conclusion
I was happy with my Bolt. But the cons, especially the current recall, tip the scale against the Bolt. The range is reduced by the charge limitation. The convenience is reduced by the need to keep the vehicle outside. The anxiety is increased by the fear of fire and not knowing when, if ever, the recall will be performed. It could and probably will be months. The cons now outweigh the pros. In short, Chevy has turned the Chevy Bolt into the Chevy Dolt.
