We traded in a 2015 Toyota
We traded in a 2015 Toyota Corolla S that got 35 MPG on the highway for a 2017 Bolt EV. The Bolt EV's main problems are the limited range (240 miles) and lack of on-the-highway charging infrastructure. Level 3 chargers are relatively rare and they can give you about 90 miles of range in a half-hour of charging. But it's expensive, if you can even find one that actually works. That means with only Level 2 chargers, one of which we installed at our home and charges at around 30-40 miles/hour), you drive 3.5 hours (65 MPH x 3.5 hrs = 227.5 miles), charge for 7. They cost about $700 plus installation, which will be my entire gasoline savings in one year. The dealer gives you a Level 1 charger with the purchase of the car that you can then plug into any 120V household outlet charging at the ridiculously low rate of 4 miles/hour. To recharge it from nearly empty, it would take you at least 60 hours or 2.5 days!!! Let's just say that the Level 1 charger will tell you what time it will be done, just not the day. Here in Texas, we have high temperatures and highway speed limits. You can't expect to drive 60 MPH on a 75 MPH road (on IH-45, for example, and it's even 80 MPH west of San Antonio on IH-10) without getting run over. Efficiency goes way down, approaching 3 miles/KWH at those speeds. And air conditioning consumes a lot of electricity, too. Remember, you only have a 60 KWH battery! Our average efficiency in Houston is about 4.2 miles/KWH. Sure, you can get 5-6 miles/KWH at 30 MPH, but you could also walk and use even less. This makes the Chevy Bolt EV is a commuter car plain and simple. If you buy one, you will need to have another car for road trips. One more thing, the interior of car is roomy but you can only put in 2 regular, child, car seats in the back and the trunk is tiny.