Has anyone bought a Chevy Bolt with a Buyback/Lemon title?

[Greystache]

I'm looking at buying a Used EV and I came across a dealer with several Chevy Bolts with manufacturer buyback/lemon titles. All of these cars were bought back by GM because of the battery recall. GM could not supply batteries for all of the recalled cars in a timely manner so they bought back the cars. These cars are now hitting the market with new battery packs and low mileage and a significant discount. I am looking at 2020 and 2021 model years with less than 15K miles for around $14K.  I am going to call my insurance agent later today to see if they have any issue with a lemon title. Anything else I should look out for? I am not worried about resale.  I plan to drive it until it dies.

[Sandi_k]

Nope, but my DH sold his first one back to the dealer, and used it to purchase another.

There was nothing wrong with it, other than the issue of having GM throttle the full charge option, given there had been some battery fallures/fires.

In CA, that meant it was a lemon, since the car didn't actually have the range that GM had advertised. Essentially the FCC labeled it False Advertising/Bait and Switch, so it required GM to make a buyback offer.

His second Bolt has had a similar issue (throttled again!), but he didn't want to go through the hassle of another buyback, so he's kept it; no other issues. Eight years of electric car ownership, and he still is a fan. We use his car for weekends, and mine for any lengthy road trips.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

Not a buyback/lemon title, but a similar note to Sandy that we've had two Chevy Bolts (lease ended with the first one during COVID, and no one was really going anywhere, so we didn't do the buyback). We bought a second one, and it's my favorite car. We've had a lot of great cars, but I absolutely love the Bolt. Mine still gets close to 300 miles on a charge, and it's a 2021. Highly recommend. We've never had any throttling problems with charging.

[diffusate]

I got one, been an amazing ride for the last year. No issues with insurance or anything else.

[studentoflife]

I just bought a 2020 buyback bolt from a dealer who has a bunch of them in stock, over 100 at the time of my purchase. It has the replacement battery and also temporary range limiting software.  Buyback Bolts with new batteries seen to be an insane deal especially when factoring in the federal tax credit. The $14,000 range is a good price point to shop, as it optimizes the federal clean vehicle tax credit (30% up to $4,000 = $13,333 or $9,333 net after credit). The buyback Bolts also have a ton of factory warranty:

- 8 years/100k miles from date of battery replacement
- 1 year/12k miles bumper to bumper from date of consumer purchase of buyback vehicle
- balance of 8 year/100k mile EV powertrain warranty from new purchase

 And the mile for mile cost of home charging is about 1/3 that of our gas station wagon and 1/8 that of my gas half ton work truck.

Seems like an unbelievable value! We will see how it goes. We intend to keep this one for it's viable life, so we're not worried about resale value.

[Bartlebooth]

Where can I find these?  Is it Bolt EV or Bolt EUV?  Any near North Dakota?

2020 EV 24832mi $15,200 at Dahl Chevy in Winona MN is the best I see.  No mention of funky title so I suspect is clean title aka not a good deal!  I know that the Minneapolis area is about as close as I could hope for.

[ChpBstrd]

Where can I find these?  Is it Bolt EV or Bolt EUV?  Any near North Dakota?

2020 EV 24832mi $15,200 at Dahl Chevy in Winona MN is the best I see.  No mention of funky title so I suspect is clean title aka not a good deal!  I know that the Minneapolis area is about as close as I could hope for.

This thread inspired me to look for Bolts on autotrader, which is normally a horrible place to shop because it's all high dealer prices. I found:

$12k buys a 2020 Bolt with 17,715k miles.

$10,300 buys a 2018 Bolt with 33,535 miles.

There are lots more of these with more aggressive pricing, and one should expect to talk them down by thousands.

But damn, these are some decent prices on low mileage cars. I could sell my 14 year old Corolla and own something 8 years newer with 100k fewer miles for a net outlay of about $7k, minus the tax credit of 30% of the price, or about $3k. So a net outlay of about four grand, plus a few hundred dollars sales tax. Car upgrades don't get much cheaper than that.

[Bartlebooth]

Ah I did find at least one using AutoTrader.  2020 LT with just under 20,000 miles for $13k after tax credit.  I'll be in the Minneapolis area in a couple weeks so may actually be able to conveniently drive one home.  Lots of time to think about it.  Presumably it is comfortable for a 6'4" person.  Hopefully it would be bearable for occasional driving with rear-facing car seats too.

[Villanelle]

Where can I find these?  Is it Bolt EV or Bolt EUV?  Any near North Dakota?

2020 EV 24832mi $15,200 at Dahl Chevy in Winona MN is the best I see.  No mention of funky title so I suspect is clean title aka not a good deal!  I know that the Minneapolis area is about as close as I could hope for.

This thread inspired me to look for Bolts on autotrader, which is normally a horrible place to shop because it's all high dealer prices. I found:

$12k buys a 2020 Bolt with 17,715k miles.

$10,300 buys a 2018 Bolt with 33,535 miles.

There are lots more of these with more aggressive pricing, and one should expect to talk them down by thousands.

But damn, these are some decent prices on low mileage cars. I could sell my 14 year old Corolla and own something 8 years newer with 100k fewer miles for a net outlay of about $7k, minus the tax credit of 30% of the price, or about $3k. So a net outlay of about four grand, plus a few hundred dollars sales tax. Car upgrades don't get much cheaper than that.

I have a 2020 Corolla with about 11k miles on it, and even I am tempted by this.  I could get a car that's comparable in age and miles and probably walk away with $ in my pocket, and I'd have an EV. 

[Bartlebooth]

Research shows that comfort for my tall self is likely to be a little better than the 2008 CR-V.  And car seats will be tolerable.  Mainly I'm expecting the passenger area to be roomier but a substantially smaller trunk.

I go back and forth on whether it is dumb.

Thought train A: dropping 12k on something I don't really need

Thought train B: For about $6k more than current car is worth I can get something 12 years newer, 190k less miles, same functionality, and is cool because electric.  SLAM DUNK DEAL DO NOT PASS GO!!!

So this is looking more likely for me.  I was going to say 10% likely when I wrote the previous post.  Now I'm at 60%.

I would have to manage my 2025 capital gains to not go over the $150k MAGI limit.  Pretty sure I was over in 2024 though taxes are not done yet.

[41_swish]

I just bought a Camry after my Subaru exploded, but man one of these is really tempting. I currently live in apartment complex with dedicated chargers, so that really isn't an issue. Just feels like gamble when it comes to the car itself

[merula]

I was in an accident that totaled my Fit in Nov 2020, and made a deal with my husband that we could get the EV he wanted if it was as small as, and had nearly the storage as, the Fit. He found a 2017 Bolt lease return cheap ($15k, although looking at those other prices I feel like it's not as cheap as I thought), with like 30k miles.

I don't think the dealer was technically supposed to sell it to me, they hand-wrote a piece of paper that it was under a recall because of the battery and had me sign it. (Normally I wouldn't get into anything as shady as that, but I happen to know a fair bit about Auto Dealers Errors & Omissions Liability Insurance.) It's not technically a lemon in my state, and I don't think it was officially a buyback, but plenty of the exact same model were.

We finally got a new battery in 2022 and it's been running great. Honestly, it ran great before the new battery too, but the range limitation was a bit annoying. Current milage is 68k, max range is 230ish in summer and 150ish in the depths of Minnesota winter.

I would buy again in a heartbeat, honestly. Part of me is thinking that maybe this is the time to get a second car, but we really don't need one.

[ChpBstrd]

The play I'm considering for our two-car household is to use this cheap, low-maintenance, short-range EV for store/school/work runs which are generally <20 miles round trip, and to hold an older ICE vehicle for road trips. In theory, most of the miles go on the EV, because 90% of our trips are local. It could charge on a 110 outlet overnight and that's no problem for this application. $10-12k is not much of a gamble in the car world anymore. People routinely buy cars like Jeeps, Dodges, or Kias with predictable issues that cost more than the entire value of these Bolts minus their scrap value.

[Greystache]

Thanks for all of the input. We just pulled the trigger on the deal this afternoon. Got a well equipped 2020 Bolt LT with less than 9000 miles on the clock and a new battery for just over $13K out the door after $4K federal rebate. My utility company also offers a $4k rebate that I will apply for tomorrow. If I get that, my total out of pocket will be $9K. The car came with a 12 month warranty from GM. I saw the original window sticker for the car. The MSRP was over $30K.

[GilesMM]

Fantastic deal ona Bolt!!!

[ChpBstrd]

@Greystache please update us in a few months with general impressions. Thanks!

[41_swish]

If there is any bolt owners in here, what kind of range are you getting after ~3 years of use?

[Dicey]

If there is any bolt owners in here, what kind of range are you getting after ~3 years of use?

Paging @Holocene...

[Sandi_k]

If there is any bolt owners in here, what kind of range are you getting after ~3 years of use?

DH has had two Bolts; the first was a 2017, and his current one is 2022.

He has driven about 30k miles in each. So, he's only charging to ~80%, as he's been told that the battery will last longer if it's not fully charged every day. At that level, he's getting ~ 220 miles in range.

He bought it specifically because most of his driving is within a 25 miles radius, and we use my car for the road trips to SoCal.

When we visit his BFF in Fair Oaks, he will charge it fully, and it's been fine. In the winter, with the heater and lights on, it's about 150 miles RT. No issues. And no observed degradation since he bought the car.

[Holocene]

If there is any bolt owners in here, what kind of range are you getting after ~3 years of use?

Paging @Holocene...

Answering my page...

I've had my Bolt EUV for a little over 2 years.  I drove it very little in the first 1.5 years (around 5k miles).  I've driven it a ton in the last 8 months.  I've got around 17k miles on it now.

Range is hard to say since it varies so much depending on temperature, elevation, and speed.  I'm averaging 3.8 miles/kWh (according to the car).  The battery is 65 kWh, so I'm averaging around 247 miles of range which happens to be the stated EPA range.  That's been driving in mostly moderate temps and a lot of elevation changes.  Mostly under 55 mph speed with occasional freeways at 65-70.  That's also with a bike on the back and a roof box on top and a ton of shit inside.  So I'm really happy with the range overall.  In MN winters, I was getting more like 2-2.5 miles/kWh (130-160 mile range).  But I was only driving <50 miles at a time so didn't care.  But cold seriously does kill battery range.

I haven't noticed any battery degradation or loss of range.  Doesn't mean there's none, but I think it's pretty minimal.  It's not like an early gen Leaf that's lost half it's range in a matter of years.  People out there with 2017 Bolts with 100k+ miles on the car are still getting decent range.  I think GM was probably overly conservative about battery management and that's part of why it charges so slow.  But on the plus side, the battery should last.

Overall, I love the car.  I've been living out of it while traveling the country for the last 8 months.  It DC fast charges extremely slow and isn't a good road tripping car.  But when you have time, it's fine.  I more often do slow AC charging at campgrounds or hotels or while sightseeing.  I really love driving the car on mountain roads as one pedal driving makes that so seamless.  I'd find it incredibly hard to go back to an ICE car at this point.

I'm a bit jealous of these awesome deals now!  I couldn't find a used Bolt much under $25k when I was looking in early 2023.  And I got my new one for just under $25k OTD after tax credit, so I was happy with that.  Congrats @Greystache on the great deal.  Hope you love your Bolt as much as I do!

[merula]

I definitely noticed an increase in range when I got the new battery from the recall, it jumped up from ~180mi to ~240mi. But still, that was 2022, so the battery was 5 years old at that point and throttled from the recall fix.

I agree on the guess about GM's conservatism on battery management. They've been burned enough in their history to not make that mistake again.

[41_swish]

I guess the reason why I am so interested in one is because I rode in my coworkers for a work trip we took, and I fit great in it. I am tall so finding cars that fit is tough. I was really happy with just how roomy it was inside. I also see them for very reasonable prices around me, especially with a used ev tax credit.

[merula]

I guess the reason why I am so interested in one is because I rode in my coworkers for a work trip we took, and I fit great in it. I am tall so finding cars that fit is tough. I was really happy with just how roomy it was inside. I also see them for very reasonable prices around me, especially with a used ev tax credit.

The driver's side is slightly less roomy than the passenger's side, FWIW, at least on my 2017. Still pretty good compared to an ICE tho, since the electric motor doesn't take up nearly the space.

[41_swish]

Really? I was in the passenger seat, but that seems weird. who knows why the driver side is less roomy.

[Dicey]

Really? I was in the passenger seat, but that seems weird. who knows why the driver side is less roomy.

Steering wheel?

[Holocene]

I definitely noticed an increase in range when I got the new battery from the recall, it jumped up from ~180mi to ~240mi. But still, that was 2022, so the battery was 5 years old at that point and throttled from the recall fix.

I agree on the guess about GM's conservatism on battery management. They've been burned enough in their history to not make that mistake again.

Older Bolts also had a 60 kWh battery pack that was replaced with 65 kWh for the recall, so that contributes to a bit of the extra range.  And if 180 miles was the throttled range (at 80% I believe?), then that probably explains the rest of range increase.

[SweatingInAR]

I love my Bolt, and just took it on a 160 mile round trip last night. Almost all at 65-75mph. It still had ~40 miles of range left. I usually tell people that in temperate weather, I get 200-300 miles depending on speed. Less in cold and heat.

Temperature also affects charging, so a regular 120V inside a garage or in temperate weather will be fine, and you can expect to replenish more than 3 miles per hour spent charging. That number can go way down in extreme temperatures. The car has to keep the battery at a happy temperature, and running that AC can consume a lot of the energy from that outlet. I assume it can also heat the battery, but I don't have to charge in the cold so I haven't experienced it.

I previously had a Volt PHEV, and it would gain less than 2 miles per hour spent charging on 120V when we first arrived at a destination in the peak of summer. It did speed up later once the temperature stabilized.

...
It could charge on a 110 outlet overnight and that's no problem for this application.
...

When charging on a regular household outlet, you should ensure that it is a tight connection and that there are no other large loads on the circuit. Sharing with a garage door opener has always been fine for me, but sharing with a well pump has tripped the breaker and messed up my parents' sprinkler timer settings...

I have helped set up a lot of people with charging stations, and I really like going with the cheapest 16A 240V EVSE on either a 20A or 30A 240V circuit. The wiring for 20A or 30A is much cheaper than the wiring needed for a 50A or 60A circuit and is easily fished through walls and attics. It's also less of a concern for a crowded panel.

I do recommend a 50A circuit if the charging station is right next to the circuit breaker panel and there is plenty of capacity, but I always start with the cheap 16A EVSE. 16A charging stations are really cheap (less than $100 new for now, and often $50 used). They can replenish 9-12 miles of range per hour spent charging. Replenishing 100 miles can be done in a night even in extreme weather.

[41_swish]

The range seems respectable when factoring in all things. I reset my cars odometer every time that I get gas. If it is at 300 miles, I will think that it was actually a lot of driving. I think people get very hyper-fixated on this idea of a needing their car to do 400 miles on a road trip or something. You aren't taking a road trip every day. Most days I ride a bike or drive my car 2 miles. If I had an EV and needed to take a big road trip, I would just rent a car. I always say the same thing about a truck. My parents wanted me to buy and F150 when my car exploded in November. I was like why? I work a white-collar job and live in an apartment complex. When I need to move stuff, I will go rent a box truck. Point being, I think people get too focused on niche use cases instead of focusing on the 99% of the time use case.

[jrhampt]

My elderly Prius has been acting up again lately, so I perused the used car listings yesterday... interestingly the selection is much more sparse and expensive than it was a few months ago (assume people have been buying them up due to incoming tariffs), with one notable exception: there are still good deals on Bolts to be had.  I found a 2017 with 35k miles on it, new battery (replaced in 2023 under the recall and still under warranty for another 100k+ miles), 11k.  I double checked to make sure that the price didn't include the rebate which I would not be eligible for, and they said it didn't.  I might just go all electric at that price.

[41_swish]

If you have a reliable place to charge it and it fits your lifestyle this seems like a no-brainer.

[jrhampt]

I think so too...I will be picking up the Bolt this weekend, final quote comes out to a little less than $12k total including all taxes and fees.  With the trade in it will be about $10k.  I'm a little nervous to go full on electric (mostly irrationally so since I'm an ideal case for an EV, work remotely, most travel within a smaller radius), but on the other hand I'm cautiously optimistic about the prospect of no more oil changes or gas stations and our second car is a CRV hybrid so we'll still have a vehicle for longer trips.  Plus our utility provider has some incentives/rebates for EV charging and EV chargers (if I want to install a level 2 smart charger), so I'll be exploring those options too.

[Bartlebooth]

I think so too...I will be picking up the Bolt this weekend, final quote comes out to a little less than $12k total including all taxes and fees.  With the trade in it will be about $10k.  I'm a little nervous to go full on electric (mostly irrationally so since I'm an ideal case for an EV, work remotely, most travel within a smaller radius), but on the other hand I'm cautiously optimistic about the prospect of no more oil changes or gas stations and our second car is a CRV hybrid so we'll still have a vehicle for longer trips.  Plus our utility provider has some incentives/rebates for EV charging and EV chargers (if I want to install a level 2 smart charger), so I'll be exploring those options too.

$10k and then ~$4k less due to the rebate?

[jrhampt]

I think so too...I will be picking up the Bolt this weekend, final quote comes out to a little less than $12k total including all taxes and fees.  With the trade in it will be about $10k.  I'm a little nervous to go full on electric (mostly irrationally so since I'm an ideal case for an EV, work remotely, most travel within a smaller radius), but on the other hand I'm cautiously optimistic about the prospect of no more oil changes or gas stations and our second car is a CRV hybrid so we'll still have a vehicle for longer trips.  Plus our utility provider has some incentives/rebates for EV charging and EV chargers (if I want to install a level 2 smart charger), so I'll be exploring those options too.

$10k and then ~$4k less due to the rebate?

Unfortunately no, I do not qualify for the rebate.  But it would be a really fantastic deal for someone who did.

[41_swish]

Is the $4,000 rebate a used E.V. credit?

[Bartlebooth]

Is the $4,000 rebate a used E.V. credit?

Yes

I am seeing prices about $3k higher than jrhampt reports (great deal!?).  Greystache's report is basically in line.

One dealer has 16 of them and I see nothing on their website saying that the list price includes the tax credit.  Their listings do say so in autotempest.com results.  I called and they say it is included (weak conversation from my side).  Maybe I should have my wife call and say she doesn't qualify for the credit and see if they soften the price in that scenario.  I think they have a lot of room to go down but I am terrible at negotiating.  They claim some are "reserved" so they have to email me a list of what is available.  They really do everything to maintain the upper hand!

(prices before credit)
jrhampt      - 2017 LT 35000 miles $11k
Dealer        - 2017 LT 15847 miles $15.3k
Greystache - 2020 LT   9000 miles $16k
Dealer        - 2019 LT 25247 miles $15.5k

Anyways I am building up a spreadsheet to make comparisons.  2020 Premier with 20k miles for $16k (12k with credit) out the door is my goal.

[jrhampt]

Is the $4,000 rebate a used E.V. credit?

Yes

I am seeing prices about $3k higher than jrhampt reports (great deal!?).  Greystache's report is basically in line.

One dealer has 16 of them and I see nothing on their website saying that the list price includes the tax credit.  Their listings do say so in autotempest.com results.  I called and they say it is included (weak conversation from my side).  Maybe I should have my wife call and say she doesn't qualify for the credit and see if they soften the price in that scenario.  I think they have a lot of room to go down but I am terrible at negotiating.  They claim some are "reserved" so they have to email me a list of what is available.  They really do everything to maintain the upper hand!

(prices before credit)
jrhampt      - 2017 LT 35000 miles $11k
Dealer        - 2017 LT 15847 miles $15.3k
Greystache - 2020 LT   9000 miles $16k
Dealer        - 2019 LT 25247 miles $15.5k

Anyways I am building up a spreadsheet to make comparisons.  2020 Premier with 20k miles for $16k (12k with credit) out the door is my goal.

This particular Bolt has been sitting on the dealer's lot since January and has come down over 3k in price since then, plus I negotiated a bit to get it down to 10k before taxes/fees etc.  It's in a very wealthy area of CT and I would imagine very few people there would qualify for the tax credit, plus not a huge market for small, practical vehicles there.  But it happens to be just what I was looking for.

It is confusing trying to find out what the list price includes...The rebate isn't always specified whether or not included in the cost, but I've emailed one or two dealers who then tell me the cost is after the rebate so the actual cost is 4k higher if you don't qualify.  I've even seen some that if you read the fine print, say the advertised price is AFTER a 20% down payment and assumes financing.  Some places don't want cash buyers.

[Greystache]

If you have questions about who and what kind of cars qualify for the use EV tax credit, here is a link to the IRS page:
https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/used-clean-vehicle-credit

In my case, here was the price breakdown for a 2020 Bolt LT with 8500 miles.
$14950 sale price
$1578 sales tax (California)
$644 fees (lic,registration docs)
-$4000 tax credit
$13172 total out the door

[Bartlebooth]

If you have questions about who and what kind of cars qualify for the use EV tax credit, here is a link to the IRS page:
https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/used-clean-vehicle-credit

In my case, here was the price breakdown for a 2020 Bolt LT with 8500 miles.
$14950 sale price
$1578 sales tax (California)
$644 fees (lic,registration docs)
-$4000 tax credit
$13172 total out the door

Thanks.  Apparently I estimated only $1000 tax and fees for your purchase!

[41_swish]

13k out the door is an insane deal nice!

[Bartlebooth]

I was just discussing one with a salesman which was priced the same as all the rebate eligible ones except has had several owners since the August 16, 2022 so almost certainly not tax credit eligible and no real way to find out.  I told him that this is not a very compelling price in the current market and they may need to get down about $4k lower on that.  2019 Premier with 46000 miles listed for $16k.  A 2017 Premier with 37000 miles (price should be within $1500 IMHO) in the same city is $10.5k after tax credit.

I actually have a slight preference for not having to worry about the $150k MAGI limit.  But not $5k of preference!

[jrhampt]

Ok, I did it.  Total $10,162 w taxes and fees after $1500 trade in for elderly Prius.  So really $11662 total.  Battery warranty good until 2031 or for 80k more miles.  Spouse’s employer has free charging onsite so he’ll charge at work once a week until he retires next year, and the employer also gives a $1k credit for used EVs.  Utility reimburses $1k for installing L2 charger so it should be basically free, and if you enroll in their incentive program can get a $25 credit each month for doing 2 15 minute charging sessions.  The catch is that this vehicle doesn’t have the dc “fast charging” capability, even though I asked the dealer prior to pickup - I should have verified by having them send me a photo.  I was pretty annoyed about that but decided it was not a deal breaker in the end since we are a two car household, I only drive about 6k miles/yr, and the other car is a hybrid that we will use for road trips.  This car is the perfect size for me and so far am happy with it; really wish they made more inexpensive compact EVs.

[neo von retorch]

The catch is that this vehicle doesn’t have the dc “fast charging” capability

Overall great deal!

So what exactly is this limitation? No level 3 charging at all? It can only handle Level 2 50A / 240V home charging (which is a bit under 10 kW/h)?

[Bartlebooth]

The catch is that this vehicle doesn’t have the dc “fast charging” capability

Overall great deal!

So what exactly is this limitation? No level 3 charging at all? It can only handle Level 2 50A / 240V home charging (which is a bit under 10 kW/h)?

Indeed, it can only charge at 7.2kW (11.5kW for 2022+) instead of 55kW that it can theoretically do with DC fast charging.  35-40 kW seems to be the typical real-world fast charging speed which is ~160mph--better that one might initially think but still bested by pretty much any other EV.

[41_swish]

I feel like you do ultimately get what you pay for in life and this is no exception. This is an economy ev and will make sacrifices to come in at a good price. The person that I know who has a bolt says that it is charged at home 98% of the time, so fast charging is an annoyance at best.

[jrhampt]

Yes, that's correct.  It's not a full replacement for an ICE car or a hybrid because of the slow charging limitation, but it's perfect for a 2-car household.  On 260 miles of range (more like 300 during the summer and if you don't do much highway driving), even charging once a week is overkill.  I could probably get away with charging once a month and still easily have 50+ miles of range left over. 

[neo von retorch]

perfect for a 2-car household.  On 260 miles of range

This is how I am treating my Polestar 2. For daily use, you are encouraged to keep battery between 20 and 80%, on a 75 kWh battery. And I currently average 3 mi / kWh. So that's a whopping 135 mile range. (I also watched a review on YouTube where the Polestar 2 went into limp mode below around 13%...) But for my commute, which is about 50 total miles in a week, it works great. And I tend to charge it every ~2 weeks, even when I run some errands in between. I've only ever used the ~1.3 kW/h level 1 charger.

(In theory then 75 kWh could get me to 225 mile range going from 100% -> 0% but I definitely don't trust it do be capable of that. On the highway in cold weather I got 2 mi / kWh.)

[41_swish]

I have never claimed the Chevy Bolt was the best EV out there. However, for this cheap of a price it will make a great daily driver. For those other niche cases you can rent or use your partner's car.

[jrhampt]

I have never claimed the Chevy Bolt was the best EV out there. However, for this cheap of a price it will make a great daily driver. For those other niche cases you can rent or use your partner's car.

I have to say I really dragged my feet on going full EV, for what is in retrospect no good reason, really.  It works great for me.  I'm pretty enthusiastic about not having to deal with gas stations, oil changes, or emissions testing again.  Driving it mostly around town in 50-60 degree temps I'm getting just over 5 miles/kw, and it's been fun doing the one pedal driving thing.  I'll check back in again after some more time has elapsed.

In the meantime, wondering what everyone is using for a home charging setup?  What charger, did you hard-wire or just plug in, etc?  Or did you even bother with a Level 2 charger at all?

[neo von retorch]

In the meantime, wondering what everyone is using for a home charging setup?  What charger, did you hard-wire or just plug in, etc?  Or did you even bother with a Level 2 charger at all?

Polestar 2 comes with a Level 1/2 charger. I plugged it into a 15A 120V outlet in my garage and haven't looked back

Only driving like 500 miles / month so I have no payback (at least not quickly) on paying to get a 30A or 50A 240V outlet set up in the garage. ($300+ new with the least permanent solution where I cross-purpose the 30A dryer outlet with a smart switch to prevent overloading it.)

Given where my breaker box is, I estimate easily $1000+ to run new wires to install a 50A outlet.

[ChpBstrd]

Given where my breaker box is, I estimate easily $1000+ to run new wires to install a 50A outlet.

I spent $3500 to:
-upgrade from 150A breaker box to 200A, re-hooking each existing wire in the new box
-run two 240v lines through crawl space to dryer and stove

So not at all a comparable job at all, but maybe good for ballparking it.