Ever felt you won’t find a suitable Chevy Bolt charging station no matter how hard you tried?
While the Chevy Bolt has been made easily accessible by the American automaker, General Motors, the responsibility of getting a suitable charging station still lies with the EV owner. However, like most EV owners, locating a reliable EV charging station manufacturer still eludes many Chevy Bolt owners. And while the problem is not a lack of quality EV charger manufacturers, the challenge is knowing where to find them. This article aims to help you identify channels you can use to locate an appropriate EV charging station manufacturer for your Chevy Bolt EV and what to consider when in the market for one. So, without further ado, let’s dive in.
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I. Chevy Bolt Charging Stations
II. What Chevy Bolt Drivers Need to Know about EV Charging
General Motors (GM), an American giant in the automobile manufacturing industry, manufactures a range of EVs, including Chevy Spark EV, Chevy Volt, and Chevy Bolt. And like most EV manufacturers, they aim to turn all their fossil-fueled fleet into EVs soon. Nevertheless, GM has only maintained the production of the Chevy Bolt with a series of upgrades and improvements in recent years. Chief of these improvements is the battery upgrade that has increased the mile range of the Chevy Bolt to 259 miles. Still, GM is making the Chevy Bolt very affordable for newbies into the EV world with price incentives they cannot reject.
III. Chevy Bolt EV Charging & Range
IV. Chevy Bolt Connector Types and Charging Rate
The Chevy Bolt EV can connect comfortably to a level 1 charger. Though it is slow with a 4 to 5 miles range every hour of charging, it only requires a universal charging cable connecting to a household socket of 120V supply. For a level 2 charger, the universal charging cable is also employed but charges faster at 12 to 60 miles of range every hour during charging.
V. Chevy Bolt EV Charging Times
The time required to fully charge a Chevy Bolt’s 66kWh battery depends on the charger used, as different chargers have different charging speeds.
Using a level 1 charger will only add about a 48-mile range in 12 hours as it uses a 120V power supply and therefore takes a long time to charge your Chevy Bolt to its full 259-mile range capacity. Overall, a level 1 charger takes 65 hours to 100% charge a Chevy Bolt battery.
On the other hand, a level 2 charger uses a 240V power supply and charges a Chevy Bolt faster than a level 1 charger taking about 9.5 hours to fully charge a Chevy Bolt battery. However, the fastest is still a level 3 DC fast-charging station which can take 1 hour to 160-mile range.
Related Article: EV Charging Time: How Long will it Take to Charge My Car?
VI. Level 3 DC Fast Charging
As already established, the DC fast charging has the fastest charging rate of the three chargers. However, it has a high cost, including installation costs, as it requires high technical expertise to install. It is also convenient for long-distance driving, say inter-city driving to quickly add enough charge to your battery to keep you going.
VII. Pick the Suitable Charging Speed Suitable for you
Most EV owners prefer fast-charging stations like the level 3 DC fast chargers. However, the truth is that picking a suitable charging speed for you will depend on the available chargers and other factors that include your budget and daily driving distances.
A level 1 charger is often used in residential areas with a 120V power supply and can be suitable for you if your budget is small and you don’t drive too far from home. But the thing is that it has the slowest speed of the three charging stations. Its upside is, however, its low price.
Using a level 2 charging station with a 240V power supply will give you a suitable charging speed if you travel a bit farther from your home daily and your budget is substantial. The advantage is that it charges faster than the level 1 charger but is more expensive.
If you travel a long distance with the Chevy Bolt, a suitable charging station for you will be the level 3 DC fast charging station. It is the fastest of the three chargers and can add up to 80% of the battery charge in 30 minutes. The downside is its cost as it is the most expensive of the three chargers.
Related Article: EV Charging Levels
Related Article: DC Fast Charging
VIII. Chevy Bolt EV Charging Cost
Charging a Chevy Bolt will cost differently for various charging stations and operators. The speed of charging is often an indication of the cost. Also, the battery capacity with its onboard charger and mode of billing by the operator share in the cost of charging your Chevy Bolt. For example, some charging station operators bill their customers using the energy used up, while some use the mile per hour range metrics. Still, others use the time spent charging to bill their EV customers for their charging services. However, the average cost of charging a Chevy Bolt is 3 cents per mile range added using a level 2 charging station.
IX. How to Choose Your Right Chevy Bolt Charging Station?
You will need to consider a series of factors if you must choose the right Chevy bolt charging station. Here are some that will help you decide.
Location – Your place of residence is partly responsible for choosing the right charging station for your Chevy Bolt. This is because every locality has standards and conventions for charging EVs. For instance, Asian manufacturers make EVs compatible with the CHAdeMO connector. As such, if you reside or plan to drive your Chevy Bolt out there, your choice of charging station will have to conform to the CHAdeMO connector instead of a J1772 connector.
Driving pattern – Your daily driving pattern is equally important in your quest for the right Chevy Bolt charging station. If driving short distances is your routine, you are more likely to buy a home charging station as you might not need the fast chargers like the level 1 and 3 chargers that long-distance drivers mostly need.
Price – Charging stations increase as their speed of charging and power output rate increase. So, the faster the charging station you require, the higher your budget will be. However, you can use one hack to purchase your charging station from a Chinese supplier, as they offer some of the most affordable charging stations.
Battery capacity – The capacity of your battery is another factor you should consider in choosing the right Chevy Bolt charging station. Higher battery capacity often takes enormous time to charge using a level 1 charger. You don’t want to put your life on hold just because you need to charge your Chevy Bolt.
Purpose – For business owners and individuals, the purpose of purchasing a charging station is often different. So, depending on which divide you belong to, this will impact the right charging station for your purpose.
X. Where to Buy Quality Chevy Bolt EV Chargers for Home Use?
For most Chevy Bolt owners who are probably just starting in the EV market, getting a quality EV charger can be challenging not because it’s unavailable but because they don’t know where to begin their search. Here are some places to focus your attention when in the market for a quality Chevy Bolt EV charger.
Search engines – This place is probably the most ignored when looking for quality EV chargers. However, there are gems scattered around the internet that you can locate by just a single sentence query in the search box. Millions of results show manufacturers’ websites and contacts to easily reach them. You can filter the results to get the most relevant ones using search engine operators like AND, OR, and NOT.
Online stores – Websites with various merchants categorized according to their industries are known as online stores. These stores have scores of EV charger manufacturers that you can further filter according to their products, prices, and customer ratings and reviews.
Trade fairs and exhibitions – Industrial manufacturers often partake in yearly exhibitions and trade fairs, especially in China. You can participate in some of these to meet physically with manufacturers and have a feel of their chargers and their features before making a purchase. It is often heavily discounted, especially if you purchase in bulk.
XI. Electrly Advantages for Chevy Bolt Owners
As a Chinese manufacturer, Electrly has substantial experience that stands out in the EV charger manufacturing industry. Here are some of Electrly’s advantages for Chevy Bolt owners.
Rich Experience – Electrly is a brand that has existed for over three decades of innovative designs and intuitive bespoke EV charger manufacture. Their products have enriched the lives of their customers over the years.
Top Quality – With a dedicated team of experts and experienced engineers, Electrly is committed to quality manufacturing with advanced manufacturing equipment. The internationally recognized ISO 9001:2015 certification backs their dedication to commitment.
Affordable Price – Electrly’s prices are among the most competitive and affordable in the EV charger manufacturing industry. Their affordable price is due to their low production costs enabled by abundant labor and expertise.
Qualification Certificates – The safety and quality of products are always guaranteed by necessary international certifications and qualifications. These certifications include CE, EN, ISO, UL, etc. Electrly has all the required certifications to inspire confidence in their customers.
After-sales Guarantee – A commitment of their team of technical experts are available round the clock, promptly answering inquiries from customers before, during, as well as after-sales and delivery of the EV charger.
Conclusion
To conclude, the impact of location, budget, the intended use of the EV charger, and daily driving routines are factors you cannot overlook in selecting a suitable EV charger for your Chevy Bolt. Disregarding these factors can bring much stress and frustrations when searching for the right EV charger, as they can immensely affect your choice. One other thing you cannot discount is the choice of a quality manufacturer that can meet your charging needs. A Chinese EV charger manufacturer like Electrly boasts of quality manufacturing, timely delivery, customer-centric services, and competitive prices that stand them out among other European and American brands.
