Car
Contents
Chevy
Bolt
2017 Toyota Prius Prime and Chevrolet Bolt both rank highly in the used hybrid and electric car class. The Prius Prime is a plug-in hybrid vehicle with a 640-mile range (on gas and electric power). That’s much longer than the Bolt’s 248-mile all-electric range. Moreover, you can quickly refuel the Prius Prime at a gas station, while the Bolt requires a charging station and at least a half-hour wait before you can get back on the road. The Prius Prime also has a roomier interior than the Bolt. However, the Prius Prime’s acceleration is rather mundane, and its infotainment system is slow to respond at times. At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with either car.
The 2018 Chevrolet Bolt starts at $36,620. That’s nearly $3,800 higher than the average price of a used 2017 Bolt. The Bolt was an all-new model for 2017, and the 2018 model doesn’t offer any noteworthy updates. By choosing the 2017 Bolt, you’ll get virtually the same vehicle as the 2018 model for less money.
Which Is Better: 2017 Chevrolet Bolt or 2017 Chevrolet Volt? If you like the Bolt but aren’t yet sold on an all-electric vehicle, consider the 2017 Chevy Volt. It’s a plug-in hybrid, so its total range allows for significantly longer non-stop trips than a fully charged Bolt. Both cars offer brisk acceleration, a quiet ride, and lots of features. Despite its shorter range, the Bolt is the better car overall. It’s more fun-to-drive than the Volt, and it has more passenger and cargo space. https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/chevrolet/bolt/2017
Mileage at Purchase: 50,048
Mileage at Battery Replacement:
Recall Information
4 April 2022
0.7 MI Schukei Motor Company, 721 S Monroe Ave, Mason City, IA 50401 - but "This dealer is not certified to service your electric vehicle. Please visit www.chevrolet.com to choose a certified dealer." (Same with Pritchard, Clear Lake...)
19.8 MI Ollenburg Motors, Inc. 525 Hwy 18 W, Garner, IA 50438
28.5 MI Mike Molstead Chevrolet, Buick, Gmc, 1501 S Grand, Charles City, IA 50616- but "This dealer is not certified to service your electric vehicle. Please visit www.chevrolet.com to choose a certified dealer."
- Mike Molstead recently became certified to do the battery recall. Authorized to order a battery in early June...
H&S Motors, Cresco, IA - "This dealer is not certified to service your electric vehicle..."
Rydell Chevrolet, Waterloo, IA - does not bring up the error. Someone on the FB group posted a good experience here.
Charging
| 1 Gallon (assuming 30 miles/gallon) | miles | kWh | 0.08/hWh | 0.11/kWh | 0.3/kWh | 0.4/kWh |
| 1/8 charge summer | 30 miles | 7.5 kWh | 60 cents | 83 cents | $2.25 | $3 |
| 1/4 charge winter | 30 miles | 15 kWh | $1.20 | $1.66 | $4.50 | $6 |
| Charge | kWh | Miles (summer) | Time (110, 12 amp) | Time (110, 8 amp) | Time (J-1772 | Time (14-50) | Time (TT-30) |
| 1 kWh | 1 kWh | 4 miles | 1 hr | 1.2 hrs | 10 minutes? | Time (14-50) | Time (TT-30) |
| 1 bar | 3 kWh | 12 miles | 2 hr | 3 hrs | 30 minutes? | Time (14-50) | Time (TT-30) |
| 1/4 charge | 15 kWh | 60 miles | 11 hr | 17 hrs | 2.5 hrs? | Time (14-50) | Time (TT-30) |
| 1/2 charge | 30 kWh | 120 miles | 21 hr | 33 hrs | 5 hrs? | Time (14-50) | Time (TT-30) |
| Full charge | 60 kWh | 240 miles | 42 hr (1.75 days) | 62.5 hr (2.6 days) | 10 hrs? | Time (14-50) | Time (TT-30) |
Note: one doesn't generally bother to charge >80% at a public charger, esp. if being charged by the minute, because battery charging slows down so much after 80%
| Time | Summer miles (110, 12 amp) | Summer (110, 8 amp) | Summer (J-1772 | Summer (14-50) | Summer (TT-30) |
| 1 hr | 4.8 miles | 3.3 miles | 22 miles ? | 26 miles | (TT-30) |
| 3 hrs | 14 miles | 12 miles | 66 miles? | 78 miles | (TT-30) |
| 8 hrs | 38 miles | 30 miles | 176 miles? | 208 miles | (TT-30) |
| 24 hrs | 120 miles (1/2 charge) | 80 miles (1/3 charge) | Full++ | Full+++ | (TT-30) |
Level 2 Charging
Need 220 outlet with ? plug.
- "Chevrolet installs a 240V line and a NEMA 14-50R outlet"
Chevrolet Dual-Level Charge Cord - https://www.chevrolet.com/electric/shopping/configurator/packages?fbclid=IwAR26j1mMIRELkt00xp890ztn_VsyYpQD3TLCzLqWQuCGkiFWE8cyikqY6Ow&make=Chevrolet&model=Bolt%20EV&radius=250&year=2022&zipCode=60061
"If you go with an outdoor EVSE the Grizzl-e has a mounting that is lockable but easy to remove."
"I use a Juice Box 40 adds 25/mile per hour of charging. It uses a NEMA 14-50."
Adaptors for other types of plugs?
"I’ve had the Jdapter brand for about 4 years and used it many times on Tesla destination chargers. Works like a charm. 2017 Bolt Premier."
Solar Charging
"A general rule of thumb is that 1 kW of installed PV solar panels will produce about 200 kWh per month. To put that into perspective, that’s enough to completely fill a Chevy Bolt EV’s battery pack three to four times per month (adding about 800 miles of driving per month). Of course, that is for a mounted solar panel system with consistent, regular sun exposure." https://www.torquenews.com/8861/solar-panels-chevy-bolt-ev
- A typical single solar panel will produce about 2 kWh per day. "A 370-watt solar panel will produce between 1.4 kWh and 1.9 kWh of electricity on average, per day"
- A typical solar panel system in the U.S. is around 6 kW in size, or between 16 and 18 solar panels, depending on their wattage. A 6 kW system will generate somewhere between 720 kWh to 900 kWh per month (for reference, the average American household uses about 893 kWh of electricity monthly). https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/how-much-electricity-does-a-solar-panel-produce
- A 1kW Solar Kit requires up to 100 square feet of space. https://sunwatts.com/
- Residential solar energy costs $0.08 to $0.10 per kWh on average, and commercial or utility-scale solar power costs $0.06 to $0.08 per kilowatt-hour. Home Guide Solar Panel Costs - lots of good charts
So our 120 watt camping panels = 0.12 kW = 24 kWhr/mo (0.12 x 200) = 96 miles of range/month? (0.12 x 800)
Park House used 437 kWh in January 2022. (April-Oct about 130 kWh/mo. Nov, Dec & March were about 330. Feb was over 500.)
- so 300 kWh/mo = 3600 kWh/yr = about a 3 kW solar system
Clinic
- so
Home
- so
Volt
The 2018 Chevrolet Volt has a robust plug-in-hybrid powertrain and lots of standard technology features. However, its poor predicted reliability rating and cramped rear seats push it to the lower third of our competitive compact car rankings. Which Is Better: 2018 Chevrolet Volt or 2018 Chevrolet Bolt? The 2018 Chevrolet Bolt is an electric vehicle (EV) that fares exceptionally well in our compact car rankings. The Bolt has a 238-mile electric range, a higher predicted reliability rating than the Volt, and a sporty ride. Inside, you also get more passenger and cargo room with the Bolt. That said, the Volt's range-extender gasoline engine makes it a more practical choice for longer trips. The Bolt is the more well-rounded option, but it all comes down to whether you're willing to go all-electric.
- Quick acceleration, both from a stop and at highway speeds
- 53-mile all-electric driving range is one of the best among plug-in hybrids
- Quiet powertrain
- Excellent fuel economy
- Low ownership costs
- Smooth regenerative brakes
- Precise steering and stable handling
- Standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
It also has many weaknesses:
- Tall rear-seat passengers will feel cramped
- Lots of hard plastics throughout the cabin
- One of the more expensive cars to purchase in this class
- Low predicted reliability rating
https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/chevrolet/volt/2018
Ford
Escape Hybrid
The [2021] Escape Plug-in Hybrid is Ford's other plug-in crossover. Unlike most other options, the Escape Plug-in only offers a FWD setup, but its price isn't too bad, so it's not a total loss. Its 14.4kWh pack gets the Escape Plug-in 37 gas-free miles, which is great...
https://insideevs.com/car-lists/longest-electric-range-phevs-2021/
Fusion Hybrid
The 2019 Fusion gets Ford’s Co-Pilot 360 safety features as standard equipment: automatic front emergency braking, pedestrian detection, blind spot and cross traffic alerts, lane keeping, backup camera and automatic high beams... A built-in modem and 1.5-liter engine will be standard on all Fusions except the base S model. The Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid boosts its battery-only range from 21 to 25 miles, making it eligible for a larger tax credit.
Hyundai
Ioniq Hybrid
2019 - It consistently had 29 miles of electric range after an overnight charge on a standard 120-volt outlet in the garage. So owners don’t need to upgrade to a 240V. https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertduffer/2019/08/19/2019-hyundai-ioniq-plug-in-hybrid-review-good-for-the-here-to-there/?sh=1789bb6156f0
For 2018, the Ioniq is available as a plug-in hybrid for the first time. This new model offers a 29-mile range that’s perfect for those with a short commute. That said, the used model would likely save you much more money. https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/hyundai/ioniq/2017
Sonata Hybrid
2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid gets up to 39 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway...(the Honda Accord Hybrid earns 49/47 mpg city/highway). The Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid gets up to 99 MPGe and has a range of up to 27 miles on electric power alone... https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/hyundai/sonata-hybrid/2017
Kia
Niro
2019 Kia Niro Alternative Fuels and Charging The Niro Plug-In Hybrid features an 8.9 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. According to EPA estimates, it has an electric-only range of 26 miles. The Niro EV has a 239-mile all-electric driving range, which is on par with the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt and even beats out some Tesla models.
Mitsubishi
2018 Mitsubishi Outlander has three rows of seats and a decent total cost of ownership score, but its underpowered engine, uncomfortable seats, and below-average predicted reliability rating help drag it toward the bottom of our compact SUV rankings... The plug-in hybrid Outlander has an all-electric range of 22 miles. Total hybrid driving range is 310 miles.
Toyota
Rav4 Hybrid :-(
The 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid finishes near the middle of our compact SUV rankings. Although it has a roomy cabin and plenty of standard safety tech, it's held back by subpar interior quality... Interior has too many hard plastics.
The RAV4 Hybrid was fully redesigned for the 2019 model year. Its starting price of $27,700 isn't much higher than the average price for a used 2018 model. The redesigned RAV4 Hybrid gains a stronger powertrain, refreshed interior and exterior styling, and larger infotainment displays (7- or 8-inch display versus 6.1- or 7-inch display). It also comes with extra standard safety features, including rear cross traffic braking, automatic lane tracing assist, and traffic sign recognition. Go with the 2019 RAV4 Hybrid.
The 2018 RAV4 Hybrid is part of a generation that debuted for the 2016 model year. Toyota added a bundle of advanced safety features for 2017, including a pre-collision system with lane departure alert, active steering assist, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, and automatic high beams. There were no major changes for the 2018 model year.
Unless you want the 2017 RAV4 Hybrid's additional safety features, we recommend the 2016 RAV Hybrid instead. It still comes with a decent amount of standard safety tech, and it's a relatively similar vehicle to the 2018 RAV Hybrid.
34/30 mpg city/highway (so no all-electric range?) https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/toyota/rav4-hybrid/2018
