- Normal Motors-made EVs, together with the Chevrolet Bolt EV, can use the Tesla Supercharger community to recharge.
- House owners want an adapter to prime up at NACS-equipped stalls.
- Some Bolt EVs want a software program replace that may be carried out at a vendor.
House owners of Normal Motors-made EVs lastly gained entry to Tesla’s expansive Supercharger DC quick charging community in the US final week, which is nice information for these lengthy street journeys, seeing how the variety of Superchargers in North America exceeds 17,000.
The listing of automobiles that may be recharged at Tesla stalls consists of names like the brand new Chevrolet Equinox EV, GMC Hummer EV and Cadillac Lyriq. It additionally consists of the venerable Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, which have been as soon as America’s most inexpensive new battery-powered automobiles earlier than being discontinued (don’t fret, although, as the Bolt EUV is coming again with Ultium tech and an LFP battery.)
And it’s the Bolt that I’ll concentrate on right here as a result of, with over 200,000 models offered within the U.S. throughout its eight-year journey, it’s protected to say that there are nonetheless a lot of them on American roads immediately. It might not be the fastest-charging, the largest or essentially the most luxurious EV on the market, but it surely’s all the time been the protected and inexpensive alternative for these searching for an city runabout.
Our personal Tom Moloughney was one of many first folks within the U.S. to cost the Bolt EV on a Tesla Supercharger. He made a relatively useful video, which I’ve embedded on the prime of this web page, and I’ll provide the gist of it in writing as properly.
First, for those who personal a Chevrolet Bolt EV, you must know that some 2019 and 2020 model-year models will want a software program replace on the vendor to work with Tesla Superchargers. You’ll additionally want a CCS to NACS adapter, both from Normal Motors or a 3rd get together like A2Z or Lectron–the video covers a number of adapters.
One other factor to notice is that solely V3 Superchargers can be utilized to top-up non-Tesla EVs. You’ll find them by going to Tesla’s on-line Supercharger map and toggling the “Supercharger open to NACS” possibility.
With all this in thoughts, earlier than you present as much as a suitable Supercharger along with your Bolt EV and an adapter at hand, you should hyperlink your automobile to a cost methodology within the MyChevrolet app, in order that Tesla is aware of the place to attract cash from for the charging classes. All apps should be updated.
A 20% to 80% state-of-charge top-up of the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV on a V3 Tesla Supercharger.
That’s rather a lot to absorb, however when you recover from all these preliminary steps, all you should do is park front-first at a suitable Supercharger, plug within the cable, launch the MyChevrolet smartphone app, choose the right stall from the listing and hit Cost Now.
In Tom Moloughney’s testing, each third-party adapters labored simply high quality, funneling the utmost cost fee that the Bolt EV helps–55 kW–with out hiccups. The EV wanted 49 minutes to cost from 20% to 80% state of cost, which, once more, is regular Bolt EV conduct, however there was one problem the place the automobile stopped charging at 70% SoC and wanted to be unplugged and replugged to get to 80%. The charging curve was the identical as on different charging operators corresponding to EVgo and Electrify America, with the speed slowly happening after the battery state of cost handed the 55% mark.
So it’s all good. Nearly. That’s as a result of the Bolt EV’s charging port is on the front-left of the automobile, versus the rear-left of Tesla EVs. This implies it’s important to pull into the charger on the correct, successfully taking on two stalls. It’s the identical problem with Rivian EVs and the Ford F-150 Lightning. One answer to this drawback is to attempt to cost on the right-most stall if there’s area to take action–if not, you’ll need to take up two locations.
