Bolt is back

[Sparky]

FWIW my Bolt came back from Bill Pierre near the beginning of November after being held hostage by GM since mid August. They originally said that the high voltage battery would need to be replaced and that I had to wait for GM to manufacture and ship them, no ETA. A lot of Bolt owners were in the same boat. Then at the end of October GM released new diagnostic software that said the battery was fine, and they gave many of the cars back. The tech said mine was eligible for the software fix partly because the battery had already been replaced once.  So I am back to driving an EV and discovering the joys of public dDC fast charging, which may be more expensive than gas in some cases. Sometimes you get charged if the car finishes charging before you get back to it, or even a parking fee while charging. but tThe Electrify America stations near Ikea are close to work but expensive. There are Seattle City Light stations in Tukwila that are less than half the rate. I work in Kent and live in Seattle, so grabbing some food and eating it at the SCL charge station is a once or twice weekly ritual.

Keep EVolving,

Paul AKA Sparky

[MARC NORDLUND]

Thanks for the information. Charging rates, especially Level 2/3 cost more than ICE fill ups. At least with sedans/hatchbacks running on regular unleaded. 

Like the Chinese, subsidized charging via a government entity is the way to go if possible. 

Marc

--
Learn about EVs and EVents at: https://www.seattleeva.org
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SEVA Email List" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to SEVA_list+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SEVA_list/62b2ce19-ee01-45a1-8bf9-20bcbe0f8bcdn%40googlegroups.com.

[Matt Simerson]

My recent observations:

- $0.50/kWh: Electrify America / EVgo / Flo / Shell

- $0.31/kWh: most Supercharger stations between Michigan and Washington

- $0.21/kWh: Seattle City Light L2 chargers

- $0.20/kWh: BC Hydro powered SC stations in Canada ($0.25/kWh CAD)

- $0.15/kWh: At home (L2) charging is typical utility rates, around the Puget Sound

- $0.09/kWh: At home Seattle City Light TOU Off-Peak rate

With my highly efficient Tesla Model Y (129 MPGe), my cross-country fuel costs at Tesla Superchargers is still roughly half the cost of driving a 50 MPG petrol car. My miles around Puget Sound are mostly powered by my solar panels so that cost is far lower than even the most efficient petrol burner.

As the old saying goes, YMMV.

Matt

PS: If there were to be subsidies, they should be for installing L2 EVSE in homes, and maybe for public stations that charge less than $0.25/kWh. 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SEVA_list/CADH8qB-uagMQxi-sW64WXvRDse5Hyf75O07hFFZ10Nyb8u_Dpg%40mail.gmail.com.

[L. Kay Humm]

Thanks for the recap of rates across providers, Matt. Where did you find Seattle City Light's off-peak TOU cost? Their website says the TOU program isn't in effect yet. https://www.seattle.gov/city-light/residential-services/billing-information/time-of-use#updates. Kay

[Matt Simerson]

SCL sent me some info a bunch of weeks ago, but their web site is where I looked it up. Their TOU plan is in beta for early testing (crash test dummies). Funny thing though, since I have solar and net metering, I'm not eligible for TOU.

Matt

On Dec 6, 2025, at 8:21 AM, L. Kay Humm <hu...@uw.edu> wrote:

Thanks for the recap of rates across providers, Matt. Where did you find Seattle City Light's off-peak TOU cost? Their website says the TOU program isn't in effect yet. https://www.seattle.gov/city-light/residential-services/billing-information/time-of-use#updates. Kay

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SEVA_list/969dd3b5-20c4-4b22-92ac-99197075000dn%40googlegroups.com.

[act...@gmail.com]

City Light cost at Shoreline from Plugshare

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SEVA_list/4DAD9F8F-6BA1-4531-B666-4A5BA422F83F%40simerson.net.

[act...@gmail.com]

On Sat, Dec 6, 2025, 9:19 AM 'Matt Simerson' via SEVA Email List <SEVA...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SEVA_list/4DAD9F8F-6BA1-4531-B666-4A5BA422F83F%40simerson.net.

[L. Kay Humm]

Hi again, could you shoot me the url where you found SCL's TOU beta program and rates? I can't find it. Thanks!

You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "SEVA Email List" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/SEVA_list/nzC4P-_ANzY/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to SEVA_list+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SEVA_list/4DAD9F8F-6BA1-4531-B666-4A5BA422F83F%40simerson.net.

[L. Kay Humm]

oops, disregard that last request....I found a preview of TOU charge here, but still looking for where to sign up for the beta testing.  https://www.seattle.gov/city-light/residential-services/billing-information/rates

On Sat, Dec 6, 2025 at 9:19 AM 'Matt Simerson' via SEVA Email List <SEVA...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "SEVA Email List" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/SEVA_list/nzC4P-_ANzY/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to SEVA_list+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SEVA_list/4DAD9F8F-6BA1-4531-B666-4A5BA422F83F%40simerson.net.

[labry...@duck.com]

Wow.  My experience with the ID Buzz, and mostly the Electrify America stations, is that I’m going the same distance for 1/3 to 1/4 of the price.

Lisa

Lisa Bloch

+1 206.789.1923

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SEVA_list/CADH8qB-uagMQxi-sW64WXvRDse5Hyf75O07hFFZ10Nyb8u_Dpg%40mail.gmail.com.

[Matt Simerson]

Ouch. The primary factors working against the ID.Buzz:

Efficiency: the ID.Buzz has an MGPe rating of 83. Compare that to the Chevy Bolt at 120 MGPe and my Tesla Model Y at 122 MGPe. The Bolt and TMY both get an extra half mile of range for every mile the ID.Buzz gets. Efficiency matters!

Charge cost: Electrify America operates their charging network as a profit center and their rates are consistently higher than alternatives. EA rates are 60% higher than Tesla, more than double the rates of BC Hydro and Seattle City Light EV chargers and more than triple the cost of at-home charging. It's not literally highway robbery, but it bears a resemblance. It's almost like EA is owned by a huge business (VW) with a very profitable primary business of selling dirty fossil fuel burning cars and they aren't wholly committed to their BEVs yet.

Matt

[Rollie Perez]

Hey Lisa, 

Glad you are enjoying your ID. Buzz.  I sold my Tesla M3 to my son to keep it in the family. Then I bought a Cadillac Lyriq. It also gets 83 MPGe. It’s a beautiful, awesome  ride. It’s not pink but yeah, it’s a Caddy. Efficiency isn’t everything. 

I’m happy to hear Electrify America is working for you. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 13, 2025, at 18:43, 'Matt Simerson' via SEVA Email List <SEVA...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

 Ouch. The primary factors working against the ID.Buzz:

--
Learn about EVs and EVents at: https://www.seattleeva.org
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SEVA Email List" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to SEVA_list+...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SEVA_list/5C42E2B9-9089-4A59-BC77-4F92C8A741EB%40simerson.net.

[John Lussmyer]

On 12/14/2025 10:02 AM, Rollie Perez wrote:
> Hey Lisa,
> Glad you are enjoying your ID. Buzz.  I sold my Tesla M3 to my son to
> keep it in the family. Then I bought a Cadillac Lyriq. It also gets 83
> MPGe. It’s a beautiful, awesome  ride. It’s not pink but yeah, it’s a
> Caddy. Efficiency isn’t everything.
>

Interesting, the Cybertruck MPGE is 82.
Using local gas prices and my cost for electricity from PSE - I'm
getting over 80 mpge.   (With the recent gas price hikes, more like 90-100)