Recommendation on a Bolt purchase? - pricing, options, concerns etc

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ekutter

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Might be needing to replace my 2010 prius quicker than I hoped (like next 3 to 4 weeks) thanks to a deer strike and the Bolt seems to be the best option right now for my needs.

Anybody have thoughts on what price I should expect for the Premier trim w/ fast charger? I'm waiting for the Eugene dealer to get back to me with Costco pricing.

Main negatives for me: no adaptive cruise control & local Bend OR dealer won't sell them so need to go 2 hours to next closest dealer.

I'm not interested in lane assist (hate it on my Volvo XC60 T8) or premium sound options.

Was hoping to wait for the 2019 60kwh Leaf but that might not be an option. Plus I actually generally like the Bolt better.

Has anybody put a hitch on a bolt - preferably 2"? Don't want to tow anything but need it for a bike rack. I won't put bikes on the roof since I know I am incapable of remembering before going into the garage.

I require a hatch for a dog crate and bicycle. Volt would be an option but I really want to go with a BEV since my Volvo is a PHEV.
 
ekutter said:
Might be needing to replace my 2010 prius quicker than I hoped (like next 3 to 4 weeks) thanks to a deer strike and the Bolt seems to be the best option right now for my needs.

Anybody have thoughts on what price I should expect for the Premier trim w/ fast charger? I'm waiting for the Eugene dealer to get back to me with Costco pricing.

Main negatives for me: no adaptive cruise control & local Bend OR dealer won't sell them so need to go 2 hours to next closest dealer.

I'm not interested in lane assist (hate it on my Volvo XC60 T8) or premium sound options.

Was hoping to wait for the 2019 60kwh Leaf but that might not be an option. Plus I actually generally like the Bolt better.

Has anybody put a hitch on a bolt - preferably 2"? Don't want to tow anything but need it for a bike rack. I won't put bikes on the roof since I know I am incapable of remembering before going into the garage.

I require a hatch for a dog crate and bicycle. Volt would be an option but I really want to go with a BEV since my Volvo is a PHEV.
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The Bolt is a great car. :) You'll love it. Chevy offers a trailer hitch made specifically for bikes or small storage containers. You can just add it to your order whenever you build your car. There are other 3rd party after market options, but for your use I imagine this would be sufficient.

There are also several options for roof rack bike mounts if you prefer those.

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Thanks for the responses. Sound like people are pretty happy with the car and great to see there are reasonable options for the hitch. It'll be about a week before I get my Prius damage assessed but I'm really hoping now it is enough to make the car totaled! Easier than getting it fixed and then using it as a trade-in.

Also good to see details on the 2019. Definitely not worth waiting for.
 
Turns out there is now an option on the Bolt configuration page to add a 1.25" hitch for $129.

I got a great price so pulled the trigger only to find out the car I wanted had just been sold. But they offered me the same price on a custom order that should take 6 to 8 weeks to get here. So I did that. This was actually a good thing because I now get the interior color I want and was able to add the hitch. Keeping my fingers crossed no further delays occur.

Bike rack question. The hitch will only be used for a bike rack. My current bike rack requires a 2" hitch. Can I safely use an adapter, which would extend the rack further out? Or should I expect to have to get a 1.25" compatible rack? Either of these seemed easier to deal with than getting a more custom 2" hitch installed.
 
I think an adapter should work out. If there's some extra movement because of it, you can then try a 1.25" compatible rack and not be out too much money.
 
ekutter said:
Turns out there is now an option on the Bolt configuration page to add a 1.25" hitch for $129.

I got a great price so pulled the trigger only to find out the car I wanted had just been sold. But they offered me the same price on a custom order that should take 6 to 8 weeks to get here. So I did that. This was actually a good thing because I now get the interior color I want and was able to add the hitch. Keeping my fingers crossed no further delays occur.

Bike rack question. The hitch will only be used for a bike rack. My current bike rack requires a 2" hitch. Can I safely use an adapter, which would extend the rack further out? Or should I expect to have to get a 1.25" compatible rack? Either of these seemed easier to deal with than getting a more custom 2" hitch installed.
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NeilBlanchard said:
There is a 2" hitch for the Bolt EV:

https://torkliftcentral.com/2017-chevy-bolt-ecohitch

My brother has bought this, but has not installed it yet. He did install a Torklift hitch on his i3 REx, though! They are incredibly robust units.

We paid about $41,500 on a 2017 Premier with Driver Confidence II and CCS.
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I have the torkliftcentral 2" hitch and I it is well worth it and pretty easy to install. I also have a 2" hitch mounted bike rack and it is much more solid without the adapter (I've used them in the past and there is far more wiggle in the system with it)
 
ekutter said:
Turns out there is now an option on the Bolt configuration page to add a 1.25" hitch for $129.

I got a great price so pulled the trigger only to find out the car I wanted had just been sold. But they offered me the same price on a custom order that should take 6 to 8 weeks to get here. So I did that. This was actually a good thing because I now get the interior color I want and was able to add the hitch. Keeping my fingers crossed no further delays occur.

Bike rack question. The hitch will only be used for a bike rack. My current bike rack requires a 2" hitch. Can I safely use an adapter, which would extend the rack further out? Or should I expect to have to get a 1.25" compatible rack? Either of these seemed easier to deal with than getting a more custom 2" hitch installed.
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Congrats on your purchase! Let us know what you think once your car arrives. It is a fantastic vehicle.

What color options did you go with? :D

An adapter might work but I did read somewhere that an owner tried to use a bike rack intended for a longer hitch on the Bolt. It kept bouncing around and was even thumping his back window.

Not sure that would happen with any other rack, it may have been something else he did wrong. But it's something to keep in mind. Maybe test it out before going off-roading. ;)
 
WadeTyhon said:
An adapter might work but I did read somewhere that an owner tried to use a bike rack intended for a longer hitch on the Bolt. It kept bouncing around and was even thumping his back window.
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Surely that problem can be fixed without too much difficulty. If stabilizing the connection with shims and/or drilling new holes won't work, then at worst you could take it to a welding shop to have them put in an extension to move it back away from the window. That sort of thing is something any welding shop should be able to do quickly and easily.

I know that in this day and age, people are not as willing as they once were to have something modified by a craftsman or do-it-yourselfer to better fit what the intended purpose is. But really, finding a dependable shop to do a simple cut-and-weld job like this shouldn't be difficult for the average person.

Just my opinion, of course.
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WadeTyhon said:
Congrats on your purchase! Let us know what you think once your car arrives. It is a fantastic vehicle.

What color options did you go with
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Went with red with the lighter interior. They say it will be 6 to 8 weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed they don't run into other issues ordering the car. I canceled the stock hitch option after seeing the info about the 2" torklift and watching the installation video. I didn't really care about the lane assist or premium sound options but they were in the quoted price and didn't want to renegotiate. And they are relatively inexpensive compared to the 3k to 5k packages on the Volvo and Tesla. Agreed price is 39K plus about $560 in fees.

Still not the exact car I'd want but easily the best option out there right now for my needs. I've wanted to go all electric ever since the first leaf in 2011 but it just wasn't practical for me at the time so had to cancel my reservation. Other than road trips in the XC60, this should lower our gas usage to basically zero.
 
ekutter said:
Still not the exact car I'd want but easily the best option out there right now for my needs.
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Congratulations on your new car, and here's hoping you fully enjoy it for many long years!

Please do give us a report after you've driven it for the first time, and please do keep us updated with reports on the pros and cons of the car.
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ekutter said:
Went with red with the lighter interior. They say it will be 6 to 8 weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed they don't run into other issues ordering the car. I canceled the stock hitch option after seeing the info about the 2" torklift and watching the installation video. I didn't really care about the lane assist or premium sound options but they were in the quoted price and didn't want to renegotiate. And they are relatively inexpensive compared to the 3k to 5k packages on the Volvo and Tesla. Agreed price is 39K plus about $560 in fees.

Still not the exact car I'd want but easily the best option out there right now for my needs. I've wanted to go all electric ever since the first leaf in 2011 but it just wasn't practical for me at the time so had to cancel my reservation. Other than road trips in the XC60, this should lower our gas usage to basically zero.
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Congrats!!! 39k isn't bad considering you also got the premium options. I hope your experience is as good as my first year with the Bolt has been. But let us know if you have any issues and us owners will try to help out as best as we can.

You are going to go with a different hitch option I take it? If so report back with what you got and how well it's working. :)

Pushmi-Pullyu said:
Surely that problem can be fixed without too much difficulty. If stabilizing the connection with shims and/or drilling new holes won't work, then at worst you could take it to a welding shop to have them put in an extension to move it back away from the window. That sort of thing is something any welding shop should be able to do quickly and easily.

I know that in this day and age, people are not as willing as they once were to have something modified by a craftsman or do-it-yourselfer to better fit what the intended purpose is. But really, finding a dependable shop to do a simple cut-and-weld job like this shouldn't be difficult for the average person.

Just my opinion, of course.
​
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True, but I assume everyone else is as lazy as I am about these things. ;)
 
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