By Laura Bryson

To be honest, the first time I sat in my (100% electric) Chevrolet Bolt, my reaction was: “Oh! It’s just like any other car!” Of course, there’s so much that’s different about it, but mostly just in how you fuel it.

During the first year of owning my Bolt, I lived in a condo in downtown Toronto and didn’t have access to home charging. Thanks to the Bolt’s long range and our driving patterns, this wasn’t a big deal and we ended up relying exclusively on public charging for that entire first year. It wasn’t ideal, and it was a welcome change having a private home charger while living in Kitchener and now in downtown Toronto.

 

My landlord was open to having a charger installed in one of three parking spaces in our back alley, acknowledging that it was a value-add to the property. Even if you live in a condo or rental apartment, though, it’s possible to get an EV charger installed for personal or shared use. It’s great having a charger where your vehicle spends the most time – at home or at work – because fueling it becomes like charging your cell phone. Plug it in when you get home, and it’ll be ready to go the next morning.

I would be remiss to say that cold weather is not a challenge for the battery range. In our early days, we had a close call when we seriously underestimated the impact of -30 degree weather driving from Toronto to Boston. Needless to say, it was a learning experience and we’re sure to leave more buffer in cold weather now 🙂

If you have any questions, please feel to reach out to me.