Bought a 2017 Bolt EV

[redpoint5]

I'm due for a 3rd set of tires on the Mazda CX-5, and it has less than 70k miles on it. Not sure why it burns through rubber so quickly, because it's a gutless pile. I can see how the Bolt would chew through tires.

I used to run tires until the steel appeared, but now that my company pays for the company car and I have a family, probably not something I'll do anymore.

Most I ever paid for a set of 4 tires was $750 for 285/75 R17 Bridgestone Dueller AT Revos.

I've heard people complain of ride quality on the Bolt (too harsh). The stock tires are self-sealing, meaning they weigh more than they probably should while not really solving a major problem for anyone that carries a plug kit.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Snax

Could be worse. The 20" tires on my i3 before installation are topping over $1000 now for a set. (Bridgestone has a monopoly on that production size.)

The weird tire size was one of the reasons I very quickly market the i3 off my shopping list. Expensive, mediocre grip, and no other options. What happens when Bridgestone gets tired of making them?

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I've heard people complain of ride quality on the Bolt (too harsh). The stock tires are self-sealing, meaning they weigh more than they probably should while not really solving a major problem for anyone that carries a plug kit.

The stock Michelin Bolt tires are stiff, mediocre and heavy with the layer of sealing tar on the inside. 23lb each with less tread depth than my new Pilot Sports. I solved the flat tire problem by buying a spare wheel / tire from another Chevy.

The tires don't help the ride but I'd say a lot of the issue is just the short wheelbase. It is hard to fight physics.

[redpoint5]

People complain of harshness over bumps. Don't know what to do about that on the cheap other than underinflate by a few PSI. One could add a few hundred pounds to the car to increase the sprung weight, but that seems dumb. Does anyone make one of those spring-loaded trucker seat retrofits for a passenger vehicle?

[ksa8907]

On my Volt I went from the stock tires to 235/45 uhp tires, General Gmax AS05, and dropped about 5-10% range. The increase in handling, braking, and acceleration without lighting the tires was well worth it!

[redpoint5]

Maybe that's why I never considered the Prius as poor handling, because I never had OEM tires on it. Seemed to handle as well as any family sedan of that size with whatever tires the tire shop owner who sold it to me mounted.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Maybe that's why I never considered the Prius as poor handling, because I never had OEM tires on it. Seemed to handle as well as any family sedan of that size with whatever tires the tire shop owner who sold it to me mounted.

The Ecopia tires that came on my Prius and Spark EV were pretty awful tires. Swapping out the stock tires / wheels for some wider rims and all-season tires help the handling on the Prius a lot. The Ecopia on my Spark EV were so dangerous in the wet that I swapped them out at only 6,000 miles.

The very budget rear suspension didn't help the Prius either but Toyota swapped in an independent rear suspension for the 4th gen.

[JSH]

A long overdue update:

2022 stats:

... 12,002 - Miles
...... 2915 - kWh
......... 4.1 - Miles / kWh (138.2 MPGe)
.. $365.74 - Cost of Electricity (84% charging at home)
...... $0.03 - Fuel Cost per Mile

$671.80 - Maintenance (Tires)
$507.00 - Insurance

[redpoint5]

3 cents per mile was my estimate for our region.

I figure I was getting 2 cents per mile in the Prius plug-in given $0.08/kWh (Clark PUC) and the limited speed of EV mode (60 MPH max).

[Snax]

Seems on-point. I figured out back of the napkin style that it's about 3.3-3.5 cents per mile for my i3 - NOT factoring in tire changes (which I have not done), as that is an absurdly high cost for OEM sizing.

When it comes time for tires, I'll happily take a small hit on efficiency to use a size costing 1/3 as much to replace them.

[aerostealth]

https://www.lccommunityradio.org/arc...ctric-vehicles

Link to a Las Cruces, NM public radio interview with me about what the city needs to do to promote more charging options for EV's. For Phil Knox (Aerohead).