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Re:Rivian Joins Forces with Tesla, Embracing Their Charging ... by jp191919 on Tuesday June 20, 2023 @01:14PM (#36407240)
A Bolt is about the worst EV someone could use for a road trip.
Re:Rivian Joins Forces with Tesla, Embracing Their Charging ... by hinkley on Tuesday June 20, 2023 @01:19PM (#36407327)
Oh it was terrible even by proxy. It would drop estimated range at about 2 miles per mile. Took all day to get between two metropolitan areas. Spent several hours at a level 2 to ensure they didn’t get stuck in the woods with crap cell coverage.
Re:Rivian Joins Forces with Tesla, Embracing Their Charging ... by evanelias on Tuesday June 20, 2023 @02:35PM (#36408493)
Eh, it's not great but it's totally doable as long as it isn't winter. My understanding is that a Nissan Leaf is much much worse than a Bolt for road trips...

I just did an NYC to Cleveland trip in my Bolt EUV, along a route with only a few DC charging locations, and never once had to wait for an available charger -- even on Memorial Day.

That said, if you need to use the heater, then yeah it's not viable for a road trip. No heat pump, so major battery drain.

The other key to a Bolt road trip is to avoid speeding too much. There's an absolutely tremendous difference in range when going 65 mph vs 80 mph.

Re:Rivian Joins Forces with Tesla, Embracing Their Charging ... by outworlder on Tuesday June 20, 2023 @02:59PM (#36408837)
> My understanding is that a Nissan Leaf is much much worse than a Bolt for road trips...

As a Nissan Leaf owner, yes. Because of CHADeMO (that is going to be a big problem in a few years, as existing stations fail and don't get replaced) and because of the passively cooled battery pack. I can do one DC fast charging no problem without much change in battery temps (CA weather). 2 or 3 in the same day? Might get toasty.

That said, all EVs have issues during winter(Tesla included, their EPA ranges are way overstated). It's just that, for a Tesla, it's easier to find a supercharger.

The consumption difference due to speed affects all cars, no matter their drivetrain. For ICE, that burns a hole in your pocket as it causes you to stop at gas stations more often.

Re:Rivian Joins Forces with Tesla, Embracing Their Charging ... by evanelias on Tuesday June 20, 2023 @04:09PM (#36409780)
re: winter range, my understanding is that EVs with heat pumps (including Teslas) tend to have much more efficient heaters than ones without heat pumps (e.g. Bolts).

re: speed and consumption, for sure. But because the Bolt's DC fast charging rate maxes out at a fairly lame 50-55 kW, and speeding => reduced range => more charging time required, so on a long Bolt road trip there's diminishing returns from speeding a ton. I suppose it depends a lot on terrain and climate though, since e.g. speeding can be more beneficial if it means you're running the heater for less time.

Re:Rivian Joins Forces with Tesla, Embracing Their Charging ... by diesel4 on Wednesday June 21, 2023 @06:06AM (#36416597)
The Bolt's charging speed is glacial. San francisco-> Palm Springs and spent 2 1/2 hours charging vs about 50 minutes total in the Tesla.

The 50 minutes in the Tesla is the same time for a bathroom and quick food stop. The additional hour and a half in the Bolt is pure time wasted.

Add even more time if you drive faster than 65.