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So, GM is killing the Chevy Bolt later this year. A lotta folks are upset about that, but as someone who knows a lot about the car and how it fits into the broader EV landscape, I'm not actually too bothered by this news.
There's a /different/ bit of news from GM that I'm much more upset about but honestly the Bolt's time has come.
Currently, the Bolt is a phenomenally cheap electric car. Bang-for-the-buck it's unmatched! And people are, I think rightfully, upset that we'll be losing such an affordable option.
But there's a logical reason for its affordability: its underpinnings are from 2016.
Is that bad? Not necessarily. But the car is flat out BAD at DC-fast charging.
The Bolt is a car that I could only recommend if you have charging at-home and are content with never taking on a road trip.
This is the Achilles heel of the car that the broader public is probably unaware of.
Its long range is let down by the fact that you pretty much need - at minimum - a 45 minute charging session after every couple of hours of driving.
Some folks are gonna be OK with that, but many aren't. And honestly, a Bolt taking up a precious fast-charging stall for an hour is a meme in electric car circles.
@MrAptronym Day-to-day? Likely not. But there are two stumbling blocks:
First, people want their car to be able to go anywhere at any time. It's a largely irrational need, I'd argue, but since when are humans rational?
Second, though I hate to admit it, I think DC fast charging is likely going to be how we solve the apartments issue. It's just too easy to let someone else solve your problems. It'll cost us all more in the end, but again - we humans aren't rational.
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