Who said you can’t take a road trip in a Chevy Bolt? Sure, by today’s standards its fast charging is downright pokey at 55 kW max. But if you know what you’re doing—and Way does—you can make it work.
See Way’s report on how and why he did it on YouTube at 2017 Chevy Bolt EV: Driving 1,000 Miles In A Day. Yes, he did it in one day—a long day, but one day driving from northern California to a new charging hub near LAX and back.
The Bolt has been out so long—and out of production for nearly two years—that many have forgotten that it was the first mass-produced and inexpensive EV with a big battery, beating Tesla’s Model 3 to market in late 2016. From 2017 through 2024 GM sold 210,000 Bolts worldwide, the bulk of them in the US.
Way drives a 2017 Bolt with more than 150,000 miles on the odometer. Not long ago GM—at its expense—installed a new battery on his Bolt under warranty, giving his reinvigorated Bolt an official EPA range of 259 miles. He’s well known in the Bolt community for his many trips up and down the spine of California
Way knows his car and his route so well that I’ve given him the moniker “1% Way” for arriving at charge stations with only 1% state of charge remaining. His well-honed technique is to leave on his next leg when his Bolt reaches 60% state of charge, maximizing the Bolts’ fast charging curve.
His roadside commentary explains how he does it, weighing the options for his next charge stop, including alternatives should his chosen station be busy or dispensers broken. Since his destination was a charging hub near the airport, he only charged three times going down and three times again driving home.
And his expeditions include time for walking his faithful canine companion.
Check out Way’s YouTube channel News Coulumb for more great road trip reports and his regular critiques of DC Fast Charging stations in California.
