Last year I sold a 5 year old PHEV Chevy Volt with 60K miles on it. If the battery degraded, it was barely noticeable. If I hadn’t required 4WD, I would still be very happily driving that car.
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Our X is 6 years old and is still going fine. Not a single oil change yet! 
We keep cars for a long time, too, so this Elmomobile is staying… My husband does not baby his cars, for sure, so the battery has lost some juice (about 3-5%) - as expected for his usage (pedal to the metal, daily commute, etc.) When the battery croaks, we will likely put a new one in if still possible because the car is just fine and is already pre-scratched and pre-dented.
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Our Bolt is also 6 years old. There weren’t many EVs in existence before that, except early tech Leafs that didn’t meet our needs and pre-Model 3 Teslas that we were unable / unwilling to afford.
Our Bolt replaced a Honda Civic hatchback that we joked was just about to turn drinking age. We also joked that the Civic was worth 50% more after you filled its gas tank. I loved that car and was very sad to part with it.
We plan to drive the Bolt into the ground. Our other car, the C-Max we’re sending off with the college kid, turns 10 this year - still a young car as far as I’m concerned.
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I own a 2017 Bolt EV too (and our kids also have 2013 plug in hybrid Ford C-Max energis, @stringbird). Bout to top 100K on the Bolt. Not planning on getting rid of it anytime soon. It’s a great car. My favorite car I have ever owned.
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I sold our Leaf after 9 years but not due to battery issues. The battery was less than 10% degraded. Sold it to a friend who loves it (great HS kid car). I wanted a car with newer safety features, Apple car play, and a few other things.
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I don’t know anyone with a Bolt who doesn’t love that car, although I am sure there must be people out there. The low purchase price, the fun handling, the 250+ range, what’s not to like. I love the way it goes immediately when you press the accelerator, unlike our ICE car where there is a tiny lag.
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From the article:
“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been looking into a string of accidents involving Teslas that are believed to have had automated driving technology installed.”
That accident/investigation has nothing to do with the make or the fact that it is an EV. It is the dumb use of automatic driving, which we personally would never use.
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This thread has me considering trading old minivan for Chevy Bolt EUV this summer.
But, I’m still hoping for a few more large group trips in the minivan.
Before this thread , I was more inclined to wait til minivan dies and then go for a hybrid.
It doesn’t necessarily address concerns about charging or number of seats, but speaking of minivans . . . one of the things I found most surprising about EVs is how much interior space they have as compared to comparably sized gas powered vehicles.
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You can get a 35mpg hybrid minivan (Toyota Sienna).
You can get a plug-in hybrid minivan (Chrysler Pacifica).
If you wait a bit, you can get a fully electric minivan (VW ID.Buzz).
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We are currently a two-car family and we have one all EV (Tesla Model Y) and a PHEV. We installed a level 2 charger last year.
We will NEVER go back to all ICE vehicles. We’ve hedged our bets on gas and electricity issues by having the PHEV. While I only get around 25 miles on the PHEV in all electric, a lot of that regenerates so we get much more than that for short trips, which is the bulk of our driving.
I had a CC thread a couple of years ago on getting the Tesla, and many of the posters here were invaluable in give us advice on the cars as well as charging solutions.
ETA: Here’s that thread: Tesla Model Y
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People love to post about Tesla crashes. But the reality is they are safer than many, many other cars https://www.williammattar.com/blog/self-driving-car/new-govt-data-on-tesla-self-driving-car-safety/#:~:text=Cambridge%20Mobile%20Telematics%20(CMT)%2C,than%20comparable%20gas-driven%20cars. “ Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), the world’s largest telematics service provider, recently set out to answer some of these questions. According to a widely circulated press release, CMT found that Tesla cars were 50% less likely to have accidents than comparable gas-driven cars.”
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Thanks!
Chevy’s website teases MSRP at $28k and taking the minivan in trade(~$4k). That price catches my attention.
From The Atlantic:
Electric Cars Are Sending Tire Particles Into the Soil, Air, and Water - The Atlantic
Yes, if want a new Bolt, better buy one soon before it is discontinued.
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Is this the last year this is being made? Are they even available?
We think this was a discontinuation mistake. The Bolt was very well liked, well rated, and the price was decent. Everyone we know who had one loved it. The replacement for the Bolt will have a different battery type, I think…but the price will be a lot more.
Frankly, I never thought Chevy was good at making car decisions…
Got a new set of tires for the X when it had 45k on the odo - and only because one tire blew up when something sharp punched it on the freeway! What are those lead-footed people with tire changes at 13k doing to their cars?!
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Ford F-150 comes in some many versions that you can easily cherry pick weight comparisons.
Comparing like for like (crew cab, 5.5’ bed, XLT trim, 4x4), we still find various weights. The 35% difference appears to be comparing the heavier extended range battery in the Lightning to the lightest gasoline engine version (3.3L). Comparing lightest to lightest or heaviest to heaviest (excluding the special Raptor, Platinum, etc. versions) gives a difference more like 27-28%.
However, tire wear is likely more a function of driving and maintenance habits than anything else. Drivers who burn rubber at each acceleration opportunity will wear out the tires quickly, regardless of what they drive. Same with those who brake late and hard. Also, drivers who let the tires get underinflated will see their tires wear out more quickly.
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Indeed. I have 29k on the original Contis with plenty of tread left.
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