2019 Chevy Bolt Lt Efficiency
 

Just purchased a 2019 Chevy Bolt Lt with 9,267 miles on the clock. So far we have driven it for eleven days and we are really enjoying it The car is quiet, smooth riding, fast, and energy efficient. My last energy log in the Ecomodder Garage returned 133 mpg-e.

I brought the battery up to a 100% SOC for that run and we used 48.7 kWh to travel 213.8 miles. That means we averaged 4.4 miles per kWh. This amounts to 227 watt hours per mile which estimates out to 33,700 / 227 = 148 mpg-e but when multiplied by 0.9 to account for charging losses translates to 133 mpg-e. My driving style and the 4,000 feet of elevation helped account for this higher than average figure.

This car is a ripe project for a boat tail and Phil Knox has already crunched some numbers for me on the car. Phil thinks we can lower the Cd from 0.31 to 0.22 and that this could result in a 30% improvement in range at highway speeds. This could give the vehicle up to 280 miles of range on 90% of battery. This could yield 218 miles of range at 70% battery when traveling.

It would a take a $200 hitch plus the installation cost. Then I would need an aluminum car carrier which now run $89 at Harbor Freight. On top of that we would have to build a light weight boat tail that is still open in the rear to allow for access and visibility. Right now however for the more immediate future we are installing a 220 volt 32 amp EVSE in our garage to improve the speed of and the efficiency of charging.

https://youtu.be/tHkV_UE7UdQ

Bjorn Nylander discusses the impact of wind on driving.