my Bolt EV review: the sleeper hot hatch!

TL;DR: I'm an ex-Model S owner, but if I did not get a Bolt, I would've gotten a GTI or Focus ST as a daily driver.

My background

I got into the EV ownership with a used Tesla S85. The appeal of free, unlimited long, distance trips with Supercharging and good performance was enough to get me into buying one despite my reservations on size and not caring at all for luxury crap like power seats/locks/windows.

Problem is, Supercharging is only free for people who don't value their time. I started off a few lucky stops timed perfectly with lunch and coffee breaks; but things went downhill around holidays and popular events when I had to wait for lines and slower charging when all spots were taken.

I also have an LS1 F-body where EVERYTHING is manual, so my standards are low for everything besides performance and fun-to-drive factors.

For my daily commute and errands, the S85 is too wide to be practical for the small parking spots and neighborhoods I tend to visit. The Model 3 will only be a little smaller than the S, and I would rather have something less flashy in the rougher parts of LA.

So I sold my S85 to buy a Bolt LT...

Life with the Bolt

I've always enjoyed spirited driving; so not very efficiently. The Bolt saves me time since I no longer have to stop for gas in my day-to-day commute. Stopping for gas often means waiting in line or being out at odd hours, and often dealing with bad seals on vapor recovery nozzles.

Acceleration for city driving is great and it's easy to plug holes in traffic, and I can do it without making the ruckus my LS1 makes. My RWD LS1 is still more exciting to drive when there's nobody else on the road, but the Bolt is plenty enough to satisfy me as a daily driver. FWD torque steer is new to me after a lifetime of RWD, but manageable.

The best part about the Bolt is carving corners. I always drive in L, and modulating the accelerator and regen paddle gives a level of control I have never experienced with manual or regen of the S85. I enjoyed one-pedal driving immediately from my first test drive. Being around a thousand pounds lighter than the S85 definitely helps for both fun and efficiency.

So, I would urge anybody considering a FWD hot hatch like the GTI or Focus ST to look at the Bolt. Perhaps even an RWD enthusiast considering an 86 or BRZ could be swayed.

Unlike some other vocal Bolt owners, I have no problems with the seats due to my small frame. I prefer cloth to the leather I had in the Tesla since it has more friction for cornering and absorbs more sound (more on that, later).

After a few hundred miles, the LRR tires seem to have better grip and squeal less than when they were new. But I'll definitely replace them with sticky summer tires once I'm done with the stock tires since I don't need all the range.

I enjoy driving and being in control of my car, and learned to drive without nannies like ABS, traction control, or cruise. Needless to say; self-driving does not interest me, so one impetus of getting an EV today is to have one before self-driving becomes standard.

I use Sport mode at higher speeds to firm up the steering, but do not like the jumpy accelerator for city driving.

My normal commute is under 40 miles; but often unexpected events occur or I just get the urge to wander a bit and end up going over 100 miles in a day. For now, I will use my LS1 or a hybrid rental for the rare road trip.

My Bolt has DCFC; but I'm not sure when (if ever) I'll use it. The best charge rate is about half the rate of Supercharging, and the CCS infrastructure is still in its infancy.

Things the Bolt does better than Model S

• physical switches and knobs - being able to feel my way around most of the AC, lights, TC, Sport mode is way better than relying on a touch screen on the S

• smaller size and narrower width makes finding parking spots easier

• One-pedal driving and much lighter weight than the S. The handling and fun-to-drive factor is really not to be underestimated from this hot hatch.

• Lower sideview mirror position relative to driver doesn't obscure forward side view

• rear window visibility is better than the S, even if it's not as good as the old F-body.

• Usable sun visors and interior storage compartments

Things I like in general

• Brake pedal is blended to allow regen, but it's done imperceptibly from normal hydraulic brakes, so it has excellent feel. It's not like the whiplash inducing jerk fest that is the 1st-gen Volt.

• low center of gravity and body stiffness from the battery, the chassis and suspension tuning, and handling is very well done despite the LRR tires. Body roll is minimal and the car remains lively and responsive when pushed.

• Again, one-pedal driving is really, really well done for spirited driving.

• I really prefer the mundane looks of the Bolt and not attracting too much attention; especially compared to the other cars I've driven.

• AUX port. I like my high quality, legacy audio devices :P

• Fuses are all documented in the manual and owner replaceable

Other notes

• OnStar is disabled by pulling the F31 fuse (easily reversible), more reassuring than just calling Tesla or OnStar to disable telematics. BT audio and Wi-fi still work without the fuse; but I use neither. Compass no longer works, though.

• GM seems to be more in favor of open standards and 3rd-party/owner repairs and modifications than Tesla. The hood allows easy access to the inverter, 12V, etc compared to the Tesla where everything is hidden away.

  GM also supports both Android Auto and Carplay (not that I would bother with either) where as Tesla uses it's own proprietary stack with no 3rd party apps.

  GM currently sells LS crate engines and aftermarket performance parts for retrofit, and I'm hoping this tradition continues to EVs down the line.

  Too bad GM's support of CCS is limited and won't help with building charge stations. I guess we have VW for that :P

Where the Model S still beats the Bolt

• Supercharging isn't great, but it's still miles better than CCS at the moment. However, I think CCS will eventually take over SC, even if the Bolt is the slowest CCS car in a few years.

• The Tesla UMC is smaller, more flexible, than everything else (except Jesla), and still relatively inexpensive.

• Standard rearview camera can always be activated; I guess Chevy wants to sell more Premier models.

• The Tesla camera is higher resolution and screen is better angled to avoid glare

Things I do not like about the Bolt EV

• Glare from shiny chrome and plastic above the touch screen and edge of the steering wheel bowtie is bad, even with polarized sunglasses. I put matte vinyl wrap around those parts to fix it. This was my biggest complaint.

• Light-colored trim still reflects off side windows, but it's less bad with sunglasses. I might still vinyl wrap or paint it. Other than the reflections, I have no complaints about the plasticky interior other people complain about.

• DCFC at 80kW isn't ready for the future, especially with 350kW on the way. Maybe there'll be aftermarket upgrades in a few years and infrastructure improvements to make the occasional road trip tolerable; but I still have an LS1.

• electronic shifter is numb and possibly a safety hazard, PRNDL is familiar to valets and car wash personel. I don't think I'll trust this car to guys working at automated car washes with a shifter that requires a special procedure to keep in neutral.

• I barely use the touch screen other than to set charging times when parked, but the screen is slow and sluggish when initially configuring my car

Further improvements which could be done

• Sport mode couples firmer steering with a jumpier accelerator pedal. I'd like the option to have firmer steering, only. This should be changeable in a software update.

• Stopping while facing downhill still requires the brake pedal; HSA only works when facing uphill when going forward (why?!). This should be changeable in software, too.

• I'm not sure if the sidewall stiffness from 17" is worth the weight increase from 16" or 15". The wheel choice seems styling driven, and not efficiency or performance. In fact, having a big empty space between the brakes and wheel looks ridiculous, to me. I might switch to smaller rims in the future.

Charging

I'm using a OpenEVSE P50D (built myself) into a NEMA 14-50. It's 40A, so more than enough for the Bolt and ready for other EVs. The Tesla UMC was smaller and more flexible with it's array of adapters, so I considered the Jesla, but decided it wasn't worth twice the price over the OpenEVSE.

I just got solar panels on my roof, so electricity costs should be offset since my build accounted for my S85 usage. I hope LADWP can start billing me correctly next month...

Audio (look at my username!)

The standard stock system sounds fine and neutral to me. I do not know if it uses lightweight neodymium speakers, but they are not bad at all.

I chose cloth seats to dampen reflections, especially around the headrest area. The lack of a glass roof also helps with that. I understand Tesla attempts to use software EQ to account for glass roof reflections, but I don't believe EQ can effectively tame reflections.

I do not enable EQ, keep center L/R balance but only the forward speakers. I hate having stereo music coming from rear speakers.

On the Bolt, there's some audible distortion from the kick drum in extremely kick-heavy (badly engineered) recordings I listen to. Some door panel rattle is noticeable in normal bass-heavy acoustic rock recordings, too.

I have absolutely no complaints about the mid range and high frequencies. With the forward-only only speakers, I have no problems with imaging or coherence.

BT audio introduces gaps between tracks, so I use AUX exclusively.

I do not listen to music too loudly while driving so I can hear road noises and other cars. In fact wind and road noise might be quieter than the used S85 I had.

My S85 had the optional subwoofer in the rear, which I hated since the front woofers were high-passed while the sub sounded out-of-phase. With subwoofers I setup at home, I always place them in front, at the same distance from my listening position to my front speakers for coherence.