It’s not everyday that you get a really cool email from a brand asking you to do something kinda out of the norm lol. I opened my email a few months ago and to my surprise, it was from Chevrolet! I have never personally worked with Chevy although I love reviewing all vehicles but this particular car brand I had never tried. So I was pleasantly surprised when they asked me if I would like to join them in a two-day drive from Atlanta, Ga to Asheville, North Carolina in the new Chevy Bolt EV! This car was named 2017 North American Car of the Year, I was excited and intrigued to learn more about it!
Friday morning, me and 5 other car bloggers/influencers that were hand selected, made our way to downtown Atlanta to the Hilton hotel for a welcome breakfast. We had a brief brand presentation and a walk through with the Chevy Bolt Ev and the key features. They also gave us a few apps to download to make our experience a little more easier with charge up stations along the way. After the presentation, that was pretty much it and we were on our way! I decided early on to take my “blogger buddy” Jennifer Jones (Fiddle Dee Dee) with me and make it a fun “girls road trip”. Me and Jennifer have been friends for years and she is very familiar with the area we were headed to. She’s also an amazing photographer and I knew she would enjoy the experience with me.
My boo Jennifer got the keys, she is ready to go!
The fleet of Bolt Chevys!
This was my Chevy Bolt we affectionately named her “LoLa” lol.
Like any other vehicle, you have to get to know the car. We learned early on that keeping the speed at around 65 to 70 MPH saves lots of energy.
Key Features:
- 238-Mile Battery Range
- Regen On Demand
- One Pedal Driving
- Surround Vision
- Apple Car Play/Android Auto
- 4G LTE Wifi
- My Chevrolet Mobile App
To find out more info click here The Chevy Bolt EV starts at $37,495
Our first charge up was in Greenville, South Carolina. It took about 4 hrs to fully charge the vehicle, so we had lunch at the Hilton hotel and went shopping at the local mall. I’m not really a gadget person at all but it was very easy to plug in. I was very impressed at how easy it was!
Charging:
- The fastest way to recharge your battery at home (professional Installation required)
- Offers more power than the standard 120-volt outlet
- Can provide up to 25 miles of range per hour of charge time
- Bolt EV offers DC Fast Charging capability
- Provides up to 90 miles of range in about 30 minutes of charge time
- DC Fast Charging stations are available for public use
- Program your charge settings whether you’re home or away
- Using the GPS signal in the car, Bolt EV will know when you’re home and will activate according to your preset times. If you’re somewhere else, Bolt EV will know to charge immediately
- Delay charging until utility rates are at their lowest, which is usually at night while you sleep
My Likes:
- The car was very roomy and fully equipped with everything! Very easy to drive and handled well. I really enjoyed it!
- It had a lot of punch to it, not that golf cart feel like most electric cars.
- I truly loved that the car had wifi! Driving in the mountains or through different small towns, sometimes you lose your signal etc but we never lost contact!
- I liked the style and design of the small wagon, great for outdoor activities like hiking or camping.
- It is EXTREMELY quiet and we had to keep checking for the first few hours of having it, to make sure it was on LOL!
- I loved the feeling that I was being “green”. With all the hurricanes and global warming occurring now, you feel like you are doing your part.
- I actually met an owner of the same vehicle I had at a charging station by (Mall of Ga) and she raved about the car and said it’s great for city driving and had a lot of places to charge in the Atlanta area.
My Dislikes:
-
When using an electric car, it’s important to keep a few factors in mind including the temperature outside, driving speed, use of AC/heat, etc. Extreme heat or cold temperatures, how much you use the heat/AC, etc. can affect the available mile range just like it would in a gas car, but with an electric car, you a bit more anxious because chargers are not as prevalent as gas stations. It was 90 degrees on the day I drove to Asheville so I wanted to charge up the battery half way through our journey just to make sure we wouldn’t have range anxiety as we head closer to our destination. It did take a bit longer than expected as we found a level 2 charger through the PlugShare app which gives the car 25 miles per hour on the charger. Since we still had a ways to get to Asheville and it was pretty hot outside, I stayed at the charger until we were fully charged which took longer than I had planned.
-
Along my route, it was easier to find Level 2 chargers than Level 3 chargers, the latter of which is much more efficient at 90 miles per hour on the charger.
- Sometimes charge stations were in full use once you found one on your “plug share” app. So you had to wait additional time to charge up. Most charge stations have a fee as well. Also, some charge stations don’t allow you to charge at the same time as another person, so you have to come back(hopefully with enough charge) or wait it out. I found this to be very annoying.
- If you are a green person, by all means this Chevy Bolt Ev would be the perfect car for you, if you are into green living. For me and my fast-paced life, this vehicle does not work for me. I’m a city girl and I’m constantly on the go, this car just does not fit into my lifestyle.
Overall, I found the whole experience to be very eye-opening. I enjoyed learning about the Chevy Bolt EV, test-driving the vehicle and visiting a “green city” that I’ve never been to before. It took me out of my comfort zone and I tried something totally different. Again, it’s a great electric car if this is your lifestyle but it’s not for me. Maybe if I lived in a smaller city with less traffic and chaos this car would work out but for right now, I don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon lol. It was a pleasure to work with Chevrolet and I would like thank them for making memories with me and including me on this amazing adventure, till next time! xoxo
I love that you tried it. I like the idea. I know that I can only do it if it takes gas and can be charged. I’m not ready to give up my gas fully.
Yes, I tried that’s all that matters, it was extremely fun though!